My most-loved time of the year has now come and gone. I love the time between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day. I typically take this time off from work and spend it with my family and friends. This year was no different. Because of the dates, we ended up being off for eleven glorious (and busy) days.
Christmas at my house growing up was always an extravagant affair and this year was no different. It has never mattered how much the gift costs. It is all in the presentation. All gifts are wrapped separately so there is more under the tree. There is a lot of fanfare surrounding Christmas starting on Christmas Eve with our huge Christmas meal. All of my favorites from turkey and dressing to homemade cranberry sauce to sweet potato casserole are on the table. Mom and I are usually exhausted from getting it there but it is wonderful to enjoy it with our family.
Christmas Eve also means opening the first presents. Growing up I always received my Christmas pajamas and we've continued that tradition with J. He was decked out in red and green as is appropriate (and in two different pairs since both grandmas bought him some). He wore one pair to bed and the second pair when he got up!
Once the few presents are open and everyone has indulged in one too many treats that we managed to make while preparing the meal, we all settle back in a comfy chair while someone reads a Christmas story. Last year we read to J about Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus and this year it was Twas the Night Before Christmas. The point of this time is less about the story and more about a little quiet time together to settle down the little one.
J was very excited this year and just couldn't make himself go to sleep. It was nearly midnight when he finally dropped off. As a result, he didn't slow down to even see his toys the next morning. Instead he sped past them to check to see if Santa ate all the treats he left for him the night before. He was very concerned Santa was going to skip Grandma and Papa's house because he stayed up too late. Satisfied that Santa had gotten his fill, we finally talked him into checking out his swag.
Christmas morning always extends into the afternoon once the presents are passed out and opened. I got so wrapped up in watching J open his gifts this year that, when he was finished, I looked around and everyone else was finished as well. Everyone except me, that is. I jumped up to fix brunch - another of our Christmas traditions - and had to return to my pile of gifts after we ate to finish.
Mom and I always go shopping the day after Christmas. We have been known to have to empty the car then go back out again because we buy so much. It is our time. We are typically out for twelve or fifteen hours (or more). We shop a little, eat a little, laugh a lot. It's a good time for just the two of us to be together and connect.
I know I've said it before but I really love Christmas. It is one of the only times that we can be with our families with no other pressures. I love buying gifts for them. I love the big, over-the-top meals. I love the time.
I also love New Year's because we've started another tradition over the past few years of spending this time with some of our friends. Doug and I used to sit home every New Year's and watch the ball drop on TV. Before that I typically worked every New Year's Eve, uninterested in the reveling that was going on. However, since we started traveling to Birmingham every year, I find I really look forward to that weekend as a relaxing social time after the rush of the holidays. We always have our party on the weekend to accommodate those of us traveling from out of town but it is just as fun to pretend it is the real New Year's Eve. Although my family has tried to make plans for that weekend more than once, they are becoming accustomed to the fact that these plans are non-negotiable and learning to live with it. I typically put my family above all other plans but New Year's Eve weekend is taken.
So, I have to wait another year to see the lights, hear the music, and experience the wonder that is Christmas. Maybe I'll play O Holy Night just one more time.
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