Friday Five: Christmas Traditions

Jan says: "Christmas traditions vary from family to family and from regions afar. I've been pleased that my oldest son's wife AA loves to be with our family for Christmas, though I don't think we do anything out of the ordinary. It helps that DC has one brother and two sisters to liven up our home.Since I finally decorated the Christmas tree and have started baking Christmas cookies, I am thinking of Christmas only being one week away.So for this Friday Five, tell us five things about the traditions in your family." Think of....

• Traditions you always do....For much of my life a church service has been part of the Christmas tradition, and often the "midnight" or late service on Christmas Eve. My mom and I went to Midnight Mass together every year up until I left home for college. We were able to resurrect that tradition for a few sweet years again before she died. Now of course, it's often the service I'm doing which makes it very special for me in lots of ways.
• Traditions you always cook or eat....This is a hard one. For many years it was oyster stew with the family of my ex. But with the end of that particular relationship that changed. Last year I thought I would try my mom's old fashioned fudge. I made something resembling chocolate cement, so I don't think that will become a tradition. The closest thing I can think of is turkey. It seems that whether at home or at the Presbyterian church where I helped out with the Christmas dinner last year, and plan to again this year, or at a friend's house....there is always a turkey in there somewhere!
• Traditions you would like to start ...Continuing to be less focused on "stuff" and more on the other parts of the season. I'd like to make more gifts if time would cooperate, to spend more time just "being," to go caroling, or to go see the lights, to sit in the quiet and enjoy the peace of the night.
• Traditions you would like to discard...obligation gifting
• Anything about your family Christmases...One of the things I always remember about my kid Christmases is that I always got a new pair of pjs. It was the one gift I got to open when mom and I would come home from midnight Mass. They were always flannel and I would wear them to bed that night. I can still call up that new flannel smell and the feel of the sizing as I snuggled down into bed, still chilly from the walk home from church, the hymns still running through my head. Santa was still to come, all was right in my little world.