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- Feb 3, 2001
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22 years ago during my daughter's first Christmas, (she was an Epiphany baby, born on the Feast of the Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas) so she was nearly a year old for her first Christmas.
My wife and I wanted to start or own family traditions while keeping elements from both our families traditions but the two things that we from us that neither family did was always got our daughter an Advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas and because of her birthday we would wait till the 12th day of Christmas to take the tree down.
So starting on December 5th the eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas in anticipation of Christmas, my family would celebrate this day by shining our shoes and putting them out on the door step. The reasoning given by my parents was that if you were good, Saint Nicholas would put candy and small toys in the shoes as a preview of what to expect respective to how you were for the year. If you were bad you would get coal thIS was giving you a warning and some time to straighten up and redeem yourself (you still had 18 days till Christmas) This custom we kept for my daughter.
Then came Christmas eve, which in my home was an open house, we would have some hor dourves and a nice dinner. After all the adults were done eating and while finishing their drinks the family would get together in the living room and we would all get to pick one small present to open, (in my wife's family you could pull one thing from your stocking) then it was of to midnight mass. This one we kept as well.
Before the kids went to sleep we had to write Santa a note, put out carrots for the reindeer and a sandwich and beer for Santa,(my Old Man worked 2 jobs and rotating shift so most times he was coming home from work after midnight so he was hungry). Now here's where we got away from tradition a little bit, instead of beer and a sandwich she would put out a snifter of cognac and white chocolate covered Oreos.
that was my idea I told her Santa would remember her house, 'cause everyone have him milk and cookies. (We had fun explaining that tuition to get kindergarten teacher.
Then on Christmas morning my daughter had to wait till one of us got up and got the coffee started and pulled out the bagels and croissants, then and only then would we start opening gifts.
First it started with the stockings, everyone got theirs at the same time we opened together by then it was late enough in the morning to call all the grandparents and aunts and uncles to wish them a Merry Christmas, finally we got to the presents.
In my family there were no presents under the tree till Santa put them there, he brought them all, in my wife's family they put all the presents from family under the tree as they were accumulated and Santa's presents would show up when he delivered then. You could always tell the difference in the morning by the fact that Santa's presents would have your name in ribbon on the present and nothing else. Presents from me always had a cryptic tag with some obscure reference/clue to what was inside.
Finally after presents we would get to pick one toy to take with us and off we would go to visit friends and family Christmas day and usually end up at my aunt's house for Christmas brunch. When we finally got back home it was like Christmas ask over again because we hadn't played with our presents yet.
Now the reason for my reminiscing, this year will be the first year Santa didn't get a letter, (although she did but him a bottle of Remy Martin VSOP) and she won't be home for Christmas morning, she has to work and then off to get boyfriend's to spend time with his family as he lives here in our home.
My Little girl isn't so little any more she's developing her own Christmas traditions and sad as it is, I think it's wonderful that she's going to blend or traditions with her own now.
Sorry for the long post but I'm the only one left awake in the house and I was feeling nostalgic.
Merry Christmas everyone, have a safe and Happy Holliday.
My wife and I wanted to start or own family traditions while keeping elements from both our families traditions but the two things that we from us that neither family did was always got our daughter an Advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas and because of her birthday we would wait till the 12th day of Christmas to take the tree down.
So starting on December 5th the eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas in anticipation of Christmas, my family would celebrate this day by shining our shoes and putting them out on the door step. The reasoning given by my parents was that if you were good, Saint Nicholas would put candy and small toys in the shoes as a preview of what to expect respective to how you were for the year. If you were bad you would get coal thIS was giving you a warning and some time to straighten up and redeem yourself (you still had 18 days till Christmas) This custom we kept for my daughter.
Then came Christmas eve, which in my home was an open house, we would have some hor dourves and a nice dinner. After all the adults were done eating and while finishing their drinks the family would get together in the living room and we would all get to pick one small present to open, (in my wife's family you could pull one thing from your stocking) then it was of to midnight mass. This one we kept as well.
Before the kids went to sleep we had to write Santa a note, put out carrots for the reindeer and a sandwich and beer for Santa,(my Old Man worked 2 jobs and rotating shift so most times he was coming home from work after midnight so he was hungry). Now here's where we got away from tradition a little bit, instead of beer and a sandwich she would put out a snifter of cognac and white chocolate covered Oreos.
that was my idea I told her Santa would remember her house, 'cause everyone have him milk and cookies. (We had fun explaining that tuition to get kindergarten teacher. Then on Christmas morning my daughter had to wait till one of us got up and got the coffee started and pulled out the bagels and croissants, then and only then would we start opening gifts.
First it started with the stockings, everyone got theirs at the same time we opened together by then it was late enough in the morning to call all the grandparents and aunts and uncles to wish them a Merry Christmas, finally we got to the presents.
In my family there were no presents under the tree till Santa put them there, he brought them all, in my wife's family they put all the presents from family under the tree as they were accumulated and Santa's presents would show up when he delivered then. You could always tell the difference in the morning by the fact that Santa's presents would have your name in ribbon on the present and nothing else. Presents from me always had a cryptic tag with some obscure reference/clue to what was inside.
Finally after presents we would get to pick one toy to take with us and off we would go to visit friends and family Christmas day and usually end up at my aunt's house for Christmas brunch. When we finally got back home it was like Christmas ask over again because we hadn't played with our presents yet.
Now the reason for my reminiscing, this year will be the first year Santa didn't get a letter, (although she did but him a bottle of Remy Martin VSOP) and she won't be home for Christmas morning, she has to work and then off to get boyfriend's to spend time with his family as he lives here in our home.
My Little girl isn't so little any more she's developing her own Christmas traditions and sad as it is, I think it's wonderful that she's going to blend or traditions with her own now.
Sorry for the long post but I'm the only one left awake in the house and I was feeling nostalgic.
Merry Christmas everyone, have a safe and Happy Holliday.
