Family Christmas Holiday Tradition gives us freedom and guidance in a period that is otherwise hectic and stressful, and often unorganized. Tradition gives us a blueprint of how our family anticipates and loves the vacation season, what they expect, how they love to celebrate.
7. When the vacation draws nearer, we children got more and more excited. Whenever we were high-spirited and tempestuous, mom just needed seriously to say. “Look, an angle’s hair!” And we’d try looking in awe and see a really golden hair. Little did we realize that mom must have made some gift packages and the golden threat must have fallen on the floor. However for us children this is a positive sign that Christmas was near. Mom left signs of the coming holy night everywhere for all of us, so we’d make sure to be good, and patient, and kind. This caused it to be easier for all of us children, who yearned for that long awaited Christmas Day!
8. Then, 1 day the wait was over – the 24th of December dawned. We children had to have a little afternoon nap – I am sure mom needed enough time to produce last adjustments to the Christmas tree and the arrangement of our Christmas presents. In Europe the Christmas tree is the highlight of the 24th. The tree is hidden from view for kids, and for initially noticed in the holy night when the doorway to the Christmas room magically opens. The room is locked already the night time before Christmas. We children were especially attentive – maybe we’d hear a movement in the Christmas room – maybe an angle came by – or the Christkind personally – to create presents!
9. The nap on the 24th was very hard for all of us kids. Who are able to sleep when such an excitement is based on the air? Whenever we finally got up, we laid on our best clothes. Then mom included the original Christmas storybook! It had been a story of a little boy named Heinele, who’s mother had sent him out in rags to the bitter cold winter night to offer toys to the busy people on the streets – who rushed home to their family celebration without even noticing him. The boy went to the woods and as he looked in the snow – lonely and ice cold – he found the Golden Star of Christmas.
At once in heaven, the angles were hectic, searching for the Golden Star that Christkind had lost because it flew over the winter world on earth. Finally they found the frozen boy, holding the Golden Star tight in his hand. He was dead. They took the boy into heaven. Here it had been warm. It gave plenty to eat, and Heinele was truly happy – probably for initially in his young life. But the nice boy, as he saw that his mother in the cold house down on earth was crying because her child did not come home, returned to earth to comfort his mom, bringing her true Christmas love. Love reigned over the joy and comfort of remaining in heaven. A genuine sacrifice.
And while we children hold on every word that originated in mom’s lips, suddenly – first faint but louder – we heard the clear Christmas bell. It signaled that Christkind was here! We’d rash to the Christmas room. The doors silently swung open. And we’d stand there in awe, still and devout, our spacious eyes reflecting Christmas Spirit. The Christmas tree would stand in most its magic beauty – brightly shining with many real candles and magic stars. We’d sing Christmas carols and dad would see the Christmas story from the Holy Bible.
Finally we children could rush to the Christmas presents – many big and little gift-wrapped boxes in most colors, decorated with beautiful ribbons and a fir twig on each gift box. We’d each only a little extra corner right underneath the Christmas tree, and near to the crib where Maria and Josef and the beautiful baby would remind us of the cause of our joy. To get our space, the packages had little cards with this names on them. And the Ah and Oh was great!
10. And mom did not forget the lonely people outside. She put a hot shining candle in each window to greet those who were lonely and cold this night.
11. The Christmas dinner was another highlight of the day. We’d our traditional fish dinner with potato salad which I loved. The table was set with grace and glister. Each set had a mandarin that held a Christmas candle. Fir twigs were decorating the table. It had been festive and the candle light reflected within our smiles!
12. The Midnight Christmas mass was for the older kids. I remember sitting in church and seeing the happy smiles on every face. winter and christmas holidays This alone showed me that in this special night magic must have occurred. I really could see the brand new hat, the brand new shawl, new boots that individuals were wearing. Everyone had something new this night. And if it wasn’t a brand new piece of cloth, it had been the renewed hope and light within their heart that held the promise that life is good and all is well, irrespective of the life circumstances.
Today I am old. My students are out of the home and I am alone again. But at The holidays are, I still remember my family’s holiday tradition: the haunting scent of Christmas; the dazzling light that lightens a person’s eye that looks into the world with hope; music and laughter that fills the hearts and the space at Christmas eve. I thank my parents for the wonderful Christmas tradition that they had given us – a tradition that lives on …
When Christmas holiday draws near, don’t let yourself be burdened by stressful last second holiday preparations. Follow your time proven family holiday tradition – and if you don’t have a holiday tradition yet, manifest your own personal! Utilize some of the suggestions I distributed to you from our personal family Christmas holiday tradition.