What do you do on the Holidays?

[Pastor Bill]

we'll spend some time before Christmas with my parents, Christmas eve about noon we're getting together with all the family on that side and opening gifts. then home that night

Christmas day we open at home, then drive down to Rose's Mom's and spend some time with that side of the family. a few days later it'll be on to Georgia to spend New Years with Rose's Dad and that part of the family as that is the only time of year we really get to see them.

[AndyG]

For the last church service before Christmas, we take candy canes and give them to all of the staff and volunteers we see and tell them thank you.

All three of us go out about noon on Christmas eve and explore the Mall and other stores to just people watch and maybe catch a late sale. (My immediate family finishes Christmas shopping no later December 15th. If haven't found it by then, we aren't going to. This year we were all done by December 1st.)

At about 6pm, we go to a Pizza restaurant and eat Pizza on Christmas eve. We go home and about 9pm, I turn off the TV and the family gathers round and I read the Christmas story from Luke. (I don't do the wise men since they were not there that night.) We sing silent night and then each of us tells what Christmas means to us this year, then we pray as a family and Justin goes to bed. Lynn and I then arrange my son's stocking and then we do each others stocking and cover it with a towel so the other doesn't see. Then Lynn and I share a few moments in reflection before going to bed.

On Christmas morning, Justin stays in his room till we go get him. (This lets me set up a camera, etc.) We go into his room and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus (this was his idea when he was 3 so we do it every year, He's 12 now btw) Then we go unwrap presents.

Under the tree, there are always 2 unnamed gifts, usually a box of candy, manicure set, etc. This is a habit I got into from my mom and dad. As pastors, you never knew who'd stop by or if we'd have unexpected knocks on the door, so they always had a box of chocolate covered cherries and a box of nice handkerchiefs wrapped for those guests if they were there. Once, after we were married, my wife's father, who was an atheist, came with us to Mom and Dad's on Christmas and they gave him those gifts. To his dying day, he told folks of those gifts and how special they were to him, "coming from a pastor to an atheist no less"

When we finish unwrapping we say our thank you's and make calls to the family. When we were closer, we'd go to my parents house around 2pm and have a family Christmas there until late in the evening with a dinner of ham, turkey, and much more. Since we've been away from family, we make trips home around Christmas, usually after because we like being home on Christmas day.

This year I have to be at work between the holidays, so we are having our family Christmas this weekend, Friday will be our Christmas eve. We will then fly out next week and spend the actual Christmas eve and day with my family in NC, then I will fly back on the 25th with my wife and son following on Jan 1st. My son has already told Grandma and Grandpa they could "join" our traditions if they liked, but we were doing them anyway, even if we weren't home. Kind of made me all warm inside to hear him say that. It shows me the meaning of the ritual for him is not the "where" but the "who"

[Dr. Ron]

This was written by my son for his aunt Pat's funeral....it will tell you what our family traditions are.....

[Dr. Ron]

I tried to scan something here and it didn't work.....I'll try again.