I adore Christmas Eve! We have a few traditions that I’m not sure I’ve shared before in detail. After dinner as we are settling down for the last sleep till Christmas, we gather together for the reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Everybody starts with a small wrapped gift. Mother and I shopped for them this year and the littles decorated the gift bags.
Every time Daddy-O reads the word “and” we all pass our gifts to the right.
At the end of the story you keep the gift you are holding. Of course, there are always some trades…
…. before everyone is happy!
All of the gifts are under $5. To give you an idea, this year we had 2 $5 Target gift cards, a small pack of hot chocolate k cups, a tassel key chain, a Rudolph notepad and pen, a reindeer mug, a gingerbread house, chocolate covered chips, a Scooby Doo holiday movie, and a Grumpy Cats Christmas movie.
As most kids do, ours set out cookies and Coke for Santa…
… before being tucked snug in their beds.
And then we start our late night wrapping. It’s so much fun!!! We laugh, make jokes, sing songs, dance, drink scotch, wine or cocktails and have a right jolly old time. It is much easier to travel with unwrapped gifts AND it’s a festive Christmas eve activity for sure.
Sister’s gifts are always perfectly wrapped so she’s usually the last one at work. The rest of us watched Home Alone and then Hallmark.
The gifts have gotten much smaller as the littles have gotten bigger!
Sometime late into the night, our Santa cam caught this!
Merry Christmas Eve to all, and to all a good night! I’d love to hear about YOUR Christmas traditions!!
DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED
I am completely obsessed that there is a video tour of your parent’s Christmas home that I can’t find. SOS! ;-)
It was on instagram stories but went away after 24 hours. But I did a real one that I will be loading to the blog in the next week!!!
Love, love your PJ’s and your sweet family traditions.
Thank you, A! You are too kind to take the time to get back to me. :-) I rather wondered about it being an Instagram thing…and think it’s about time I get with the program!
Your recaps have been so lovely and sweet. Enjoy the week with everyone and a safe trip home. I am so happy that everything worked out for you to be together. May God bless you all in the new year. XOXO
PS I cherish the years my own father read “The Night Before Christmas” and then, Luke 2. Though we don’t have children, my husband and I still read them both by the fire on Christmas Eve, and then I eat a butter cookie that I made from my Mom’s recipe. Just before I go to bed, I look up into the night sky for a quiet, magical moment that still fills my heart with wonder.
Thank you for sharing this, Jane <3