People have split opinions on change: sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. Change is the only constant in life it seems. Certain things though seem to never change. We have our habits, our traditions, our unique ways of doing life. The holidays are where the bulk of our traditions are conserved. At the apex of this conservation is Christmas. Everyone who celebrates Christmas has Christmas traditions.
I can tell you nearly everything that my family will do starting on Christmas Eve through the end of Christmas Day. Christmas Eve afternoon everyone will bring down their church clothes to be ironed. My mom will make lasagna for dinner. I'll try to get ready before dinner so I'm out of everyone's way. There will be seven of us staying in my parents' house for Christmas and mirror space is limited. My great-uncle (Buncle) and grandmother will come over for dinner. We'll eat and get around then head over to church so we can grab a full pew. My sister and her kids as well as my aunt, uncle and cousins will all file in with us. After church, we'll drive around town (weather permitting) and check out the local light displays.
On Christmas morning, my mom will usually wake up first, though this year the baby might give her a run for her money. Someone will start a pot of coffee and usually around 8:30 everyone will shuffle into the living room. I'll call Buncle to come over and in the mean time everyone will open their stockings. Next are the gifts from Buncle, who has arrived by this point, and his sister, Aunt Sally. After this any and all gifts are fair game. Once all the presents are unwrapped and the floor is covered with wrapping paper, Dad will start on breakfast and Mom will bring around Christmas cookies. Christmas breakfast is comprised of venison sausage patties on English muffins. Even though by this point everyone's had at least one cup of coffee, some of us leave to visit our local Sheetz for their free coffee on Christmas day. The rest of the afternoon is spent hanging out at the house, prepping for dinner and watching A Christmas Story which is on a 24 hour loop. By the time dinner time hits the house is packed with family and some brave visitors. Everyone eats and eats, and then its present time for the last time this day. Lastly the pies and desserts are divided up along with the last batch of coffee. Visitors will stay until the party starts winding down.
That's been, more or less, my Christmas every year since I can remember. Except last year. Last year was the first year I spent the holidays away from home. This was my first opportunity to miss all these traditions that made up how I spent my Christmas. In the past year I've changed continents, time-zones, cultures and states. Change seems to sweep through my life regularly now and it makes me appreciate these traditions all the more. It seems the adage is true "The more things change, the more they stay the same".
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