Holiday Traditions

My small family does not have many holiday traditions. When I was younger and I had a more extended family (grandparents and great-grandparents) the traditions were centered around family visits. Christmas Eve we went to my father's mother's house to visit and then went on to my great-grandmother Mary's. I loved going to Mary's house. Nothing had changed in that house since at least the 70's when I was born. She even saved a ragged old Sear's toy catalog that I used to like to look at until it had almost disintegrated!

Christmas Day my grandfather and his wife would always visit mid-morning and my mom always cooked Christmas dinner. My great aunt and cousins always came and whomever was visiting from Atlanta that year.

Now with deaths, births, marriages and divorces the traditions have changed. We haven't actually found the right mix yet. This year my parents will host Christmas Eve. My grandfather no longer visits from Maryland now that his mother has passed away. My great aunt and her husband will come, along with my cousin Kris (the only other unmarried family member!), my cousin Kelly and her children (but not her Jewish husband). Christmas Day I have to share my son with his father and his family so Christmas Day is subdued around here.

My mother has attempted to start some new traditions. Cutting down the Christmas tree, Christmas Eve mass, the gourmet Christmas dinner. However, it all doesn't feel the same. Maybe it's because I spend so much time with my immediate family already that the holidays don't feel special. It's just yet another dinner. Another dinner where I listen to my father slurp his soup, chew with his mouth open, talk with his mouth full and stand up and belch 2 feet from the table. Another dinner where the entire time is spent saying, "Sean, sit down and eat." "Sean that is enough ketchup." "Sean sit down!" My mother doesn't understand why I prefer the buffet. Eat when you want, where you want.

So today, I am going to put on a happy face, go outside in the freezing cold and cut down a tree. Then I'm going to take Sean to see Santa. I'm going to drive to the mall, fight the crowds to park the car and stand in line for 2 hours to get 2 minutes with Santa and spend $15 on a picture. Merry Christmas!