December 24 Prompt:Christmas Eve-
How did you, your family, or your ancestors spend Christmas Eve?
Ha! I'm still PREPARING for Christmas on Christmas Eve! Amazingly, this year I finished my shopping yesterday, so today I could concentrate on baking cookies and wrapping gifts while listening to holiday music.
My dad tells me that growing up, his family opened their gifts on Christmas Eve. They would usually go to Grandpa Massmann's house, who would take them out for some kind of distraction while his servants played Santa and put the gifts under the tree.
Mom's family opened gifts on Christmas Day, so when she and Dad married, he adopted her customs. I don't remember anything special happening on Christmas Eve while I was growing up, except attending Midnight Mass when I was older.
Mark and I opened our gifts to each other tonight, as we travel to McKinney tomorrow to celebrate Christmas with Mark's daughter Kim and her family. We will see my parents and aunt (and possibly others in my family of origin) after my son Eric arrives on December 28. He is spending Christmas with his dad in Oregon.
Eric's father and I separated when Eric was ten. Our custody agreement specified how the Christmas holidays were spent, and in alternating years, Eric was with me on Christmas Eve (until 1 AM Christmas Day, after the midnight church service). I think this led to being comfortable celebrating on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day - or both.
Below is a picture of Eric with a gingerbread castle he made during his sophomore year in high school, in a world history class. It was the last class day before the holiday break, and they HAD been studying the Middle Ages! I think that castle became part of our household decorations until I moved back to Texas in early 2006.
Merry Christmas to all!
This is post 24 (and the final one) in the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories hosted by Geneabloggers.com. Originally published December 24, 2009; slight revisions were made this year.)
© Amanda Pape - 2010
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