Our family Christmas tradition includes a light meal of appetizers on Christmas Eve along with the opening of one gift. Then, on Christmas morning we start things off with a breakfast of Aebelskivers and some time to explore the goodies in our Christmas Stockings. Next is the opening of gifts, followed by some down time and then a big turkey dinner.

We are doing things a bit differently this year because Recliner Man has to work 12 hour shifts on Christmas Eve, Christmas, the 26th and the 27th. We still had our Christmas Eve in normal fashion but Christmas isn’t what it use to be. I’m home alone today and this evening when Recliner Man gets home The Boy will come over. We will have Lasagna for dinner and then open one gift. The Boy informed us that a very important part of the Christmas Gift tradition is that you open the bulk of the gifts while the morning sun is shining. I didn’t bother to ask how this fit in with the many overcast years we’ve lived through. Our new plan is to put off the bulk of our tradition until Sunday, Recliner Man’s first day off. We will get up early for our Aebelskivers and Stockings, followed by the grand opening of gifts and a turkey dinner. It all seems a little strange but we learned long ago to find ways to make do with what we have. The important thing is that we will still take time to observe the holiday and what it means to each of us.

Another change this year is in how I wrapped the gifts for my kids. Several years ago I started a new tradition of leaving their names off the packages as I put them under the tree. In their place was a number. On Christmas morning they were each handed a small bag containing an assortment of numbered tags. When it was their turn to open a gift, they reached in the bag and pulled out a number that corresponded to a gift under the tree. I did this for two reasons. First, the kids were getting too good at handling their gifts under the tree and guessing what they were. Taking their names off made this a lot more difficult. Second, the opening of gifts was going past in a blur with everyone opening gifts at once and not taking the time to appreciate each one. With the numbers it became an orderly activity with each person taking a turn while the others watched on. Over the years I’ve inserted extra tags in their bags that required them to make an animal sound before selecting a gift, skip a turn, or take an extra turn. Sometimes they select a number that has the attached message “Request a Delivery.” When that happens Recliner Man makes a big to-do about disappearing down the hall and slowly pushing a box along the carpet with several large huffs and puffs. The sound effects and anticipation of the unknown make for great fun for all of us. With only one child home this Christmas I’ve had to skip the number routine and be content to reminisce about it.