Things that memories are made of

by Melissa
(Norfolk)

Family traditions are the things that memories are made of. More importantly, they are the glue that keeps families connected. And while many families may share many of the same traditions, each family has their own way of celebrating those traditions and that is what makes each family unique.

My children are now adults but they fondly reminisce about our own Christmas tradition from their youth. While many other families opened their gifts on Christmas Eve, our family did so on Christmas morning, after Santa came.

They were, however, allowed to open one gift from Mom and Dad on Christmas Eve. Knowing that they would always choose to open the biggest gift bearing their name, I would buy each child a new pair of pajamas and wrap it in a box that was bigger than any other under the tree with their name on it. And bless their greedy little hearts, that was the box they opened on Christmas Eve.

That first holiday, I encouraged them all to wear them to bed and the next morning, they were all sporting their new holiday outfits in every picture! The pajamas became such a tradition that, as they got older and the presents got bigger, they would ask if they had chosen the “right” one to open on Christmas Eve. It is a tradition that they can’t wait to share with their own children.