christmas eve traditions

i stumbled on this photo a few months ago and experienced a flood of wonderful memories. pictured are my grandma and grandpa farmer in the basement of their economy, indiana home preparing stockings for the annual christmas eve family get-together. parents of 4 children, 17 grandchildren and more great grandkids than i can count, they hung a stocking for every family member plus a few strays who wandered in with the grandkids. each stocking was filled with a bit of candy and fruit plus at least one very practical item like gloves or socks. this photo was extra special since grandma and grandpa were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary that year -- on christmas eve!! some of my favorite memories of christmas eve at their house are the boxes of toffee, the silver christmas tree with the revolving multi-colored light, getting to hold all the new babies that had been born that year and especially the ride home after the big night, singing christmas carols and basking in the warm glow of family love.



for all of my adult christmases, i've continued the christmas stocking tradition. but this year i decided to shake things up and do what i'm calling christmas take out boxes. they are fun and cute and easier to handle than the bulky stockings (i have nowhere to hang stockings!). the biggest downside so far is how little you can fit in each box!

last year i started a few new christmas eve traditions. we played a christmas trivia game that i researched on the internet and then typed up plus a homemade christmas bingo game i made. it was fun with lots of dorky prizes to be won!

what are your favorite christmas traditions?

christmas aprons!!

well, it's begun for me . . . the wonderful holiday season! i'm making my lists, shopping at lunchtime and making goodies to give as gifts. my plan is always to have all my shopping done before thanksgiving but i never accomplish that goal. and, the making of gifts lasts up until the very last minute. there's always just one more idea for a great little crafty gift!

a couple of years ago, i made my mom, my daughter, her daughter and myself matching christmas aprons. when we all got together at mom's house to bake cookies together, i presented each of them with their apron. what fun to wear them while we baked together. it sure made me miss grandma j, my mom's mom. she was a terrific cook and pastry chef! when i was small and we got together with grandma j's scottish-german family for christmas there were huge platters of every kind of christmas cookie and candy imaginable. hours and hours went into the making of those delectable treats!

my daughter and i make much more ordinary cookies and candy when we get together -- puppy chow, decorated sugar cookies, fudge, shortbread cookies, etc.. megan has announced that soon-to-be-4-year-old jenna is about to outgrow her apron so this will be the last year for her to wear the original jenna apron. good thing i bought plenty of red fabric and felt. this is one tradition i hope to continue for decades.