Ever Evolving Traditions

Yesterday, as I was taking down the Christmas tree and boxing up all of the decorations, I was thinking of some of the Holiday traditions that our family has established and how some are ever evolving. Such as:

1. Before children, Scott and I would spend Christmas Day having lunch with his family and then we would go to my family for dinner. We even did this the first few years after we had Sam. We eventually put and end to all of this running around, and now have Scott's family over for Christmas Eve, and we go to my parent's Christmas afternoon. We had never really been Christmas Eve people. so this gives us an additional day to celebrate, and makes it exciting for the boys, since they get presents early. This brings me to #2.

2. In my family we didn't get Christmas presents from our parents. They might argue this point, but if we did, they were not clearly marked as such. Scott cannot remember if he did (you will see this as a reoccurring theme in this post). This year, however, my friends guilted me into thinking this was absurd, so we gave the kids gifts, which we allowed them to open Christmas Eve.

3. In a nod to my Italian heritage, I make either lasagna or baked ziti for the Christmas Eve dinner. I just can't do that whole seven fish thing.

4. In our house Santa does not bring wrapped gifts. I did not get wrapped Santa gifts, and Scott cannot remember if he did (see the theme). My friends also say this is crazy, but I have always preferred that Santa just put all of the gifts in individual piles for each boy, and I get to enjoy the look of overwhelming joy on their faces when they see all that has been left for them. However, for the past two years, the boys have gotten up before us and have gone downstairs just to check out whether Santa came or not. Then they go back to bed. Seriously, they go down, see what they got, and go back to bed, They don't touch anything, but it has taken away my joyful moment. So I think I may send Santa a quick e-mail asking that he wrap from now on.

5. This is the first year that my siblings and I have not exchanged gifts. A few years back we went to a name draw, but that got kind of tedious, as you were pretty much just buying items off of a list they gave you. Very impersonal. It was my suggestion that we not do it this year, and although I came off as the family cheapskate, I think that they were all happy in the end, whether they admit to it or not. Maybe next year we will do a Chinese auction or something just to put some fun into it.