Christmas Traditions

Does your family have any Christmas Traditions? I am finding as we get older the traditions are shifting and we are starting new ones each year. As we lose our Grandparents, the next generation starts new traditions of their own. My parents are now hosting dinners, whereas before those dinners were always held at our Grandparents home with Aunts, Uncles and cousins.

I was so blessed to have had many Christmas meals at both of my Grandparents homes. Both so different but both equally amazing. My fathers parents, hosted the italian feast on Christmas Eve. We never eat meat on christmas eve and so our meal consisted of seafood, pasta, vegtables and homemade bread. The tradition is that we have to eat 13 different items. I am sure we ate more than that! All of my aunts made desserts and would bring them, their trays of cookies will fill our long table that seated nearly 30 of us plus any stragglers who my Nonna gladly welcomed and put a plate in front of. My mothers parents, hosted a feast at noon time on Christmas day. We used to have turkey and all the fixings layed out in her kitchen buffet style. We barely fit in her basement living room, but somehow they jammed over 20 of us at long tables, elbow to elbow. I can hear my Mom and Uncles laughing as i type this out, their laughter is contagious beyond belief.

The common thread to both family dinners? The people sitting around the table. The love. There isn't much more we need in life other than unconditional love from and for our family.

My family has a few tradtions that seem to come and go each year depending on everyones life & schedules. We normally go and cut down a fresh tree every year, this year however my mom finally broke down and got a fake tree. So that chopped (chopped,get it?)that tradition out the window. We sometimes have a cookie baking day, but somehow this year that didnt happen either. Do you feel sorry for me yet? ha ha!dont ! There are so many other awesome traditions going on, new ones too! This year we will go to the Christmas parade like we have for the past few years, we will have a wonderful lunch with family afterwards too! just like we did last year. We will have family feasts. We'll have gift exchanging. See new traditions blended in with some older ones.

Dinners this year will be abit different for us. Christmas eve will be the same with my family and exchanging gifts but on Christmas Day we will be missing out on one side of our family. They are going away for Christmas this year. And guess what? That leaves hubby and I will nothing to do, no where to go on Christmas day! Some might see this as sad, but we are thinking amazing! I am already planning our feast of a breakfast, our walk in the snow, our lounging by the fireplace, our snuggling up with a big blanket and watching a movie...........doesnt that sound divine? It sure does to us!

What are your traditions? Do you have any new ones this year? Whatever they are, new or old, i wish you tonnes of joy while you are doing them! MERRY CHRISTMAS!