Let’s get one thing straight, I love Christmastime. It is, hands down, the best time of year. At heart, I am a Santa believer. It brings me so much joy and my heart feels so full during the holidays. My family loves the holidays. Every year, I look forward to the traditions that my family comes together to enjoy. I want to talk about some of my favorite traditions to get everyone excited for Christmas and maybe inspire you to adopt some of these traditions into your holiday season!
Decorating the Tree
Decorating a tree is a tradition for many families. My family makes it so special. We put on Christmas music to set the mood. My parents put the tree up and put the garland on, and we all take out the ornaments and hang them methodically on the tree. My mom is very particular about where the ornaments go. We help her to put all the ornaments on the tree and she moves them around when she thinks we aren’t looking. I love helping my family put together something so beautiful that brings so much joy into our home. The decorating of the tree signifies the start of the Christmas season for my family.
Christmas Eve Feasts
My family is Italian, and we love to eat. Eating good food together is how we connect and bond. We use Christmas Eve as an excuse to eat all day. We have a set three meals for Christmas Eve. The menu does not change. We wake up in the morning and eat croissants. My mom preps them the night before. She defrosts them (yes, they’re premade) and sets them out to proof. She wakes up early to put them in the oven, so they are fresh and ready by the time we come downstairs. We have almond croissants and chocolate croissants. Most of us like the almond ones. That meal kicks off a whole day of eating. Then, my aunt and my grandma come over to enjoy the day with us. At about 11:45, we have elaborate sandwiches. We make chicken cutlets, roast tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini, and set out balsamic vinegar, mozzarella, and lettuce. We toast ciabatta rolls, and we build our own sandwiches. I always have a ciabatta roll with a chicken cutlet, peppers, zucchini, mozzarella, and a thin layer of mayonnaise and balsamic vinegar. We all sit around the table and eat together while we talk out the rest of the day. Dinner is the piece de resistance. The Italian tradition is to have the “feast of seven fishes” on Christmas Eve. The cooking starts the day before. We make seven different kinds of sea food and a pasta. We have calamari and scallops, which my dad makes, and octopus salad, which my mom makes, as appetizers. Then, during dinner, we have mussels, fried bass, salmon, and shrimp. We have a pasta with homemade Italian sauce and it is to die for. We set the dining room table with fine china and enjoy the meal that we all made together. Then, we eat Christmas cookies and other homemade treats.
Dad’s Ornament
Since I was born, my dad has bought new Lenox ornaments for us every year. At first, he just bought them for me and my mom. Then, as my sisters came along, he bought ornaments for them too. We get to open them on Christmas Eve. They are usually a cute Disney character or a character from a Christmas cartoon. When my little sister was younger, she really loved “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”. For 8 years, he bought her an ornament of a different character from the movie. The best one my dad ever got me was an ornament of Kermit dressed in Christmas clothing. It is my favorite one to hang on the tree and I always make sure it is front and center. This is my favorite tradition.
Gifts for others
Each year, my family “adopts” a few families. Basically, we look at a registry for people who are unable to buy gifts for their children. On the registry, there is a list of things that the children like, their age, their clothing size, and other things that are needed. We spend an evening wrapping up all the gifts and then my parents send them to the families. I love this tradition so much because it feels good to help someone else find happiness during the holiday season
Christmas Breakfast
My mom wakes up early on Christmas morning to make a “breakfast pie”. It’s like a baked omelet with sausage, potatoes, and other vegetables. My grandpa used to love it. It was definitely the best part of his day. We sit around the tree and open presents and eat our breakfast pie. It’s a really lovely start to the morning.
I love sharing my traditions with other people because they hold such a special place in my heart. We have been doing all these things since I was born, and it makes me feel like a little kid again. Christmas is truly about family and how you choose to enjoy each other’s company. I hope everyone enjoys their holiday season!