Miller Christmas Time

Last week I attended a Christmas party at church. The topic of traditions came up and I realized that I was stumped. I couldn't think of traditions we had when I was a child.

After we got home, I was talking with my husband about it and realized I may not remember the traditions when we were a kid too well, but I do remember as we got older. Here they are:

Christmas Eve:

- Read Luke 2 (we would act out the story when we were little)
- Open one present (usually the biggest and as we got older, it turned into new jammies for Christmas Morning)
- Drive around and see Christmas lights while listening to carols in the car

Christmas Morning:
- My job to sort out the stockings into everyone's "spot"
- We were allowed to ONLY open our stockings and in them were candy, an orange and a small box of cereal. As we got older, they included scratch tickets and a toothbrush.
- We had to wait until mom and dad were awake, but meanwhile I would sort out all the presents into people's "spots" for them to open
- Once everyone is up and presentable, we start with everyone opening one present and going in a circle. This lasts until someone runs out (usually my mom or dad) and then it was a free for all.
- After gifts are open, we would start a fire and burn all the wrapping paper. This was the one time a year the fire place was ever used.

I really, really look forward to Christmas every year but with family spread out (sister going to Africa, us in Oregon, another sibling in Arizona, etc) it's not feeling too much like Christmas. We don't have kids to wake up with or see all happy in the morning. It's kind of depressing really.

We will keep up some of the traditions to a point. I still like to go see lights on Christmas Eve and pick out one gift to open. There are always new jammies under the tree to wear Christmas morning.