December 24, 2018: Christmas Eve

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The nice part about Christmas is that it’s a 2 day celebration.  Heck, for some of us, we’ve been celebrating this season ever since that Friday after Thanksgiving.  It used to all start on St. Nick’s Day for us…

On the night of December 5th, we would hang our stockings.  When we would awake, they would be filled with gifts.  We celebrated this holiday my whole life.  Now, my Mom gives a bag of toys for my son, and a gift for my wife and I, to celebrate this holiday.  It’s a nice start to the holiday season.  We used to be the only ones celebrating it growing up in my school.  When we would ask the other kids what they got, they’d look at us crazy; we were happy though… maybe a little tired, because we’d have to get up extra early to open the presents on that day.  That was really when the Christmas season kicked off.

From there, it was a countdown to Christmas Eve.  Christmas Eve has always been hosted by my parents.  It was, and continues to be, one of the best days of the year.  I’ve been there 42 out of 43 times throughout my life; can’t exactly recall when, but I do know I missed one.  Back then, it wasn’t the presents bonanza as it is today.  We would open some gifts; the ones from my family, plus the one Santa would bring.  But the big haul came on Christmas morning.  Now, all the grandkids get a big haul on Christmas Eve, as my parents load them up with gifts; I think my Mom starts Christmas shopping in the summer.  The kids absolutely love it. 

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The house I grew up in isn’t very big.  We did have pretty much free reign upstairs where my grandmother lived, a nice sized back yard for living in the city, and a basement where I was scared to go down to growing up.  Our space itself was cozy; all 3 of us siblings sleeping in the same bedroom, until I moved up into a bedroom upstairs when I got older.  My parents are still in the same house; so, so many great memories.  We pack it in when the 15 kids, wives, and grandkids pile in for Christmas Eve, and continue to add to the memory bank. 

My Mom makes everything  for the evening, with an assist from my sister.  Pierogis, polish sausage, shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, homemade cookies, homemade cake, ham, salami, cheese, pickles, chips, chocolate…  Then my Dad chooses the beer of choice, which this year was Carlsberg, along with some jello shots.  It’s a feeding frenzy, kids first then adults, followed by a gift opening frenzy, in a pre-picked family order.  Whenever I leave my parents’ house that night, I leave feeling full… both my stomach and my heart.  Yes, Santa still does arrive; we cannot discuss those details in writing… haha.

From there, it’s on to my wife’s family.  They also have a traditional gathering on Christmas Eve.  So although it is a 2 day celebration, we must share Christmas Eve.  The peak of the evening comes at midnight, when all the gifts are passed out to the kids and families.  Although my son falls asleep on the way there, once we mention more presents, miraculously he awakes.  After opening the gifts, we hang for a few, and then head home, usually making it home around 130am; this year was a bit earlier.  After all, we’ll need to be up again soon… it’s Christmas Day.

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