As I sit on my couch a few days before Christmas, I consider for a moment all of the traditions that I have followed throughout my life as well as the ones I am currently forming into my adult life.
My dad is down the street with all of the other guys in the neighborhood making luminaries out of empty milk jugs, sand, and tea tree candles. They get together on the night before Christmas Eve and drink a few beers while making dozens of luminaries to place on the street the night before Christmas. My family and I leave from midnight mass and drive down the street to see dozens of luminaries lighting up the street. The end product is what I used to refer to as "Santa's runway" so he could safely land his sleigh down our street but the tradition still lives on each year even though all the kids on the street are grown up now.
Tomorrow morning, Santa Clause will drive down the street in a firetruck and throw candy out to all the kids in our town. I know how odd this may sound to most people, but our town is small enough to allow this event to occur. So for as long as I can remember, Santa has joined the local firemen to help bring joy to kids on Christmas Eve morning. I wake up early to find my dad outside (always wearing jean shorts no matter what the weather is) starting up a bonfire for when all the neighbors make their way to our yard and wait for Santa to make his appearance.
My mom makes hot cocoa and the next door neighbors pop a bottle of champagne to mix some mimosas. The actual event only lasts a matter of minutes, but all of the neighbors head across the street for a brunch buffet once the sound of sirens dies down.
Today, I started a new tradition with my closest friends from high school that will hopefully last for years to come. We baked cookies, shared small appetizers, and exchanged gifts Secret Santa style. I loved it because the traditions that I'm a part of now have been with me my whole life, but now I can start to create my own original tradition with my closest friends and see how it helps us to stay close over the years.
Christmas isn't just a time for baking dozens of cookies and finding the perfect gifts for your parents, it's about creating memories and being with those who you love the most. Spending time with friends and family that you care about it what the holidays were built off of. It's not a time to show off our successes of the year or brag about new improvements, it's a time to get back into routine and feel comfortable with the most important people in your life and take the time realize how blessed you are.
