Christmas Traditions
I know you’ve all been waiting for it since before Halloween, but it’s finally here: Christmas! I love Christmas as much as the next person, but I really love giving time for Halloween and Thanksgiving to have their moments as well. Now that it’s the week before Christmas, I can properly express my excitement.
There is so much that goes into this holiday, and I’m going to be covering it all. For those of you who have been keeping up for a while, you know that I’ve shared some of my favorite beauty products and hair tricks for the holidays already. This coming week will be filled with all of my personal favorite things. I’m not going to give too much away just yet, but beware. There will be a new post every single day until the day after Christmas about my festivities!
Today, I’d like to set the scene for how the Joehl’s do Christmas. We aren’t those people who put blow up Santa’s in the yard, or go over the top in any way. Growing up my mom did just the right amount to have a special, elegant, and classic Christmas celebration. The smallest things she did mean the most to my sister and I today. We both can’t wait to carry on these holiday traditions with our families someday.
The Eve Before Christmas Eve
December 23 is my favorite day of the year. You still have the anticipation of the actual Christmas holiday in the air, and things are getting super festive. December 23 is the day where I usually wrap my gifts and put them under the tree. The smell of mom’s signature Christmas cookies fill the air. (Keep an eye out for her recipe!) Our favorite Christmas CD plays throughout the house. All of this is exciting enough, but the real excitement doesn’t start until the evening of the 23rd.
When my sister and I were little, this was the night we slept by the Christmas tree. For 2 little girls, this was the closest thing to magic we ever experienced. We’d stay up past our bedtime and whisper about Santa, and what we put on our Christmas list, and what kind of cookies he would like best.
Before our sleepover under the Christmas tree, our whole family watched the classic White Christmas. To this day we still watch this movie on the 23rd. We don’t sleep by the Christmas tree anymore because floors get harder as you get older, but the magic is still there. We put on our matching pajamas, make a large batch of Stir Crazy popcorn, light a fire in our fireplace, and watch our favorite Christmas movie. This is my favorite tradition of them all.
In case you were wondering, we do have a new pair of matching flannel leopard pajamas.
Christmas Eve
This is the big celebration night for us. We alternated years going to my dad’s side of the family in Alton, Illinois for my aunt and uncles big bash. Other years we stayed home and did our own celebration. Either way, we start the night by attending church services. I have to admit, our church in our hometown is the most gorgeous during the Christmas season. The decorations are stunning, and we have some of the best musicians on Christmas Eve night.
After church, we go home and take the obligatory family pictures in front of the Christmas tree, and start cooking up the most decadent dinner. I usually help my mom prepare a chicken Dijon pasta. This pasta is filled with red and green vegetables, succulent chicken, and the most delicious sauce. You’ll want a third helping of this dish, y’all. We serve it up with some rolls and wine, and call it a night.
Next, we open the gifts from each other. We gather around the Christmas tree with our wine, and take turns opening our gifts. This is usually when we get our new set of matching pj’s. Yes, we get a new pair every year. Mom always washes them before she gives them to us so that we can spend Christmas day twinning. (Or tripletting?) After gifts, and helping mom clean up the kitchen, we’ll snuggle up in our pj’s and put on a Christmas movie. Some of our favorites are It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.
Christmas Day
We are far past the point of waking up at 6:00 A.M. to run to the Christmas tree. I don’t even get up at 6:00 to go to work. We all sleep in, and I’m usually the last one out of bed. We enjoy our coffee and breakfast together, and wait until the last possible minute of the morning to see what Santa brought us. My sister and I love to savor this holiday instead of just ripping off the wrapping paper and having it be over. (Not that this holiday is just about gifts.) After gift opening, we watch Hallmark Christmas movies, and lounge in our pj’s all day.
In the mid-afternoon I help my mom start Christmas dinner. We did our extravagant dish the night before, so on Christmas day we keep things simple and rustic. We make Heavenly Ham sliders, with a side of potato soup. This is the most comforting meal of the year, and it makes it even better being at home with my family.
Christmas isn’t about gifts, or the commercialized culture. It’s about being with those you love, and making memories and good food! What are your Christmas traditions? Let me know in the comments below!
