Holiday Traditions

My family has a couple traditions I enjoy every year.

The first being the Christmas tree. Our family always gets together the day after Thanksgiving and puts it up. It's one of the few times we all work together peacefully. Normally the older family members will gather in the family room and work together to build the tree. Then come night time the younger ones will come in and decorate it with ornaments. Then we all just relax, enjoy the tree, and catch up.

A minor one my father started about 7-8 years ago was going to Balboa Park down here in San Diego on Christmas Eve to visit the Nativity Scene and look at the Christmas decorations in the park. After spending a few hours there everyone packs into the car with some hot cocoa and snacks, we turn on some Christmas music, and take a drive through Jingle Bell Hill (otherwise known as Pepper Drive in El Cajon) to enjoy the Christmas display the neighborhood has put up. Despite being packed in a car it can be enjoyable since some of the homeowners really get into it and make it enjoyable for those who go by. If I remember right one year a house had a guy in a Santa suit going up to each car to give out snacks to people..

The one I enjoy the most has to be Christmas Day. Everyone wakes up in their own time and the whole family gathers to munch on snacks like donuts or fruit while drinking hot cocoa. Then we enjoy breakfast together and open up presents. Sometimes neighbors will come over to join us. Then each of us will go around passing out stockings full of goodies. After that those of us who cook spend time together to start on Christmas Dinner. I really like cooking and being able to cook with my father is very enjoyable on Christmas.

I enjoy the parties we have every year as well. Spending time with my grandfather use to be a tradition but with his health as bad as it is now it cannot always happen. Which is dissapointing because he enjoys Christmas and spending it with his children/grandchildren.

Jam it back in, in the dark.