5 Christmas Traditions I Hope the Kids Keep

My big Southern family has celebrated Christmas in much the same way for five generations.  One day my son and my nieces and nephews will be grown with their own ideas and talents to incorporate.  I hope they keep these five things.

1. The Christmas Eve Gathering

We still gather together at the farm for Christmas Eve to exchange holiday wishes, gifts, and food.  We even built a special dining room to accommodate our enormous Christmas gatherings.   The tables each seat about a dozen people and there are three of them.  Relatives come from near and far to the farm for Christmas Eve.  We all bring a finger food and stories to share.  The house is loud and festive, filled with animated Santa figurines and glowing snowmen.  Our laughter and teasing fills the spaces in between.  My great grandmother holds court at the head of the table, with her surviving brother and sister on either side.  The four youngest children, including my sweet son, dance around the house singing and playing tag.  It’s amazing that we have managed to do this every year without fail for over 50 years. I hope the children decide to keep this tradition.

2. Fireworks

At the end of the Christmas Eve gathering we shoot fireworks.  There’s something magical about them. Everyone enjoys them.  The children get excited and jump around pointing at the sky. The adults look up in wonder at the beautiful explosions. It’s a tradition my great grandfather started as a way to end the family gathering.  I think it’s such a unique and special thing to do, so I hope it’s one they keep.

3. Silent Night

My mother’s favorite Christmas carol is Silent Night.  She sings it every year at this time in soft soprano.  She used to sing it to us as we fell asleep on Christmas night.  Now, my sister and I sing it to our children as they close their little eyes. Every year, we sing it together at Christmas time.  I hope they keep singing it. Perhaps, one day, my nieces will sing it to their children too.

4. Read the Story

My grandfather isn’t with us anymore, but I still remember his gravelly voice as he read the Christmas story to us from The King James Bible.  Each year we understood a little more and the tradition became more important as we grew.  This year, I’ll be reading it to my son.  One day, I hope he reads it too.

5. The Letter from Santa

One Christmas I wrote a letter to Santa and tried to mail it.  My grandfather found the letter and wrote me back as Santa.  He typed the letter on an old typewriter and tied the pages together with red yarn.  I still have the letter, in which he explains the true meaning of Christmas.  I’ll pass this letter on to my son. I hope he keeps this magical tradition going.

Traditions are important. They help us understand where we come from and to comfort us throughout the many ups and downs of life.  I hope our children keep some of our traditions, but I also hope they make their own.

Written by: Sara Parise