I feel like this is a great topic to end the evening on, considering that it’s Christmas Day, and I’m two days behind where I would like to be with my 12-Days of Critmiss. However, due to all of the physical therapy appointments, big doctors’ appointments having to do with my leg and finding out where to go from here, as well as losing my baby Zero, I’m allowed to fall behind just a little. However, I am trying to catch up and make up for that.
So, what are some of your Christmas or holiday traditions?
In my family, we don’t do much on Christmas Eve. When my great-grandparents, my Oma and Opa were still alive, we’d go spend Christmas Eve over there, sometimes with my cousins and some of their friends. We’d have dinner, open presents, and 9/10 there would be a Christmas movie playing on their basement TV for “us kids” while the grown ups talked and whatnot.
However, in recent years since they passed away, our traditions have changed drastically. There’s no longer a huge dinner on Christmas Eve, in fact, we normally just end up ordering takeout and I end up watching Christmas movies on the couch with my mom. That too changed this year since she died in March. So, instead, my little brother went to his cousin’s house for a few hours, and my Grandma and I ordered Moretti’s for dinner. She got steak, I got this great loaded pasta with all kinds of meats and veggies in a great, spicy, tomato basil cream sauce, and then I went to lay down before going and picking up my little brother. (My migraines have been unbearable lately.)
Christmas Day though has always been the same. Either me or my little brother wake up first, and whoever does, has to go and wake up the other. From there, we collect our drinks, we grab a garbage bag to hold all of the paper scraps, and we get everyone together in the livingroom. Bear gets his stocking before we open any of our gifts, this almost ensures that we’ll be able to open our things without his snoot in our face since we normally sit on the floor, and my dog thinks that anything on the floor including you, belongs to him. This year, he got a red fuzzy monster toy with a squeaker, and he absolutely adores it. He’s been carrying the thing around like its his baby all day!
After the dog is out of the way, we each go around in a circle opening one gift each until they’re all open. I got a couple different good things this year but, if I’m honest, I think one of my absolute favorite gifts that I got this year, is a Nightmare Before Christmas t-shirt from my little brother that’s modeled after a Ouija board. I also got a weighted blanket, which is supposed to help promote better sleep, less stress, and less anxiety because let’s face it, all I am is anxiety in human form. Gifts are fun and great and all but, that isn’t the best part of Christmas for me.
The best part of Christmas for me was always cooking breakfast with my mom after we opened our presents, and then go on to make Christmas dinner together. This year was different, I still made breakfast with the help of my Grandma, and I still made dinner. This year, I did a glazed ham with orange juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, garlic, and soy sauce, and it was so good. I absolutely cannot wait to have it made into hot ham and cheese sandwiches and split pea and ham soup. We also had mashed potatoes of course, made my mom’s way with milk, butter, and cream cheese.
What does your family do on Christmas?
Stay Safe & Healthy.
-Sky
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