Christmas Traditions and Snow Don’t Make Christmas, Christ
Does
By
Megan Moss
My Christmases
have remained basically the same, year after year, since I was a
child. The first celebrations started on Christmas Eve. We got
dressed in our holiday finest and went to celebrate with my
dad’s side of the family. My granny threw a huge party for her
extended family and close friends. We sang carols and Santa
came and visited, bringing presents for all the young children.
Then we ate a meal together, which each family had contributed
to, and finally, a gift exchange, one for the children and one
for the adults. After the celebration we left and went to visit
my great grandmother and my mom’s side of the family. There we
ate more and opened presents. Finally, we attended midnight
mass, going back to my mom’s parents’ house to sleep. The next
morning we raced downstairs to check our stockings to make sure
Santa had come. Finding them full, we woke everyone and waited
impatiently for the coffee to brew and cherry Danish and coffee
cake to be set out. Finally we could open our stockings. Then,
another wait for my aunt and uncle to arrive before we opened
presents.
We lived in
Florida and in order to be able to spend the holidays with our
family we would make the long journey “up north.” My sister and
I were so excited. We couldn’t wait to see snow, the most
magical part of Christmas for us. We didn’t mind the trip, as
it meant we were going to grandma’s house, though I am sure
there was some bickering along the way.
Eventually my
family moved back north and my great grandmother passed away, so
our Christmas Eve was slightly less jam packed, but only
slightly. We still rushed to get ready, wrapping presents at
the last minute, and we still came together to celebrate, even
after my granny died and it was just my dad’s brothers and
sisters. They all lived close by and no one wanted to see the
tradition come to an end. Then, when my grandmother died and
my grandfather remarried our Christmas morning tradition had to
change as well. She had her own children and wanted to spend
Christmas morning with them. We still saw my dad’s family on
Christmas Eve, though it was now our children that were sitting
on Santa’s lap instead of us. In many ways, Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day felt the same as so many had before, and I wanted
it to stay that way. To me, that was Christmas.
I realized this
for sure one year when my husband and I were living in Maryland
and decided to meet my family in Florida the day after
Christmas. That year I missed our Christmas Eve traditions, and
although we had a pleasant dinner with our close friends, it
didn’t feel the same. I vowed that I would keep our Christmas
traditions from then on. |
This year,
however, we decided to stray from tradition once more. Much as
I had as a child we made a long car trek, but instead of going
north, we went south. My grandfather has Alzheimer’s disease
and his wife has placed him in a nursing facility in Florida,
where she spends most of her time. My parents rented a house
close to where he is living and big enough for the whole
family. We planned on spending a week together and having the
opportunity to visit with my grandfather and make his Christmas
special.
A few weeks before
our visit his wife sent my parents a letter stating that she
didn’t think it was a good time for a visit, due to a
disagreement she was having with my parents. My parents were
disappointed, but we thought we would still be able to see him.
The closer the time came for our visit, however, she had not
answered our messages, and we feared we wouldn’t see him after
all.
We were not going
to let this ruin our Christmas. On Christmas Eve we took the
kids to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, a present from their
grandparents in England. After leaving the zoo we strung the
inside of our car with Christmas lights, put on Christmas music,
and headed south to meet up with the rest of my family. As it
got dark we started to get noticed by other cars. We felt as
festive as you can celebrating Christmas in a place with no
snow. We ate dinner together, thanking the Lord for allowing us
all to come together in this beautiful and warm location.
Christmas morning
we opened stockings, went to church and came back to exchange
gifts. I was feeling maudlin because I suspected we wouldn’t be
seeing my grandfather, also, being somewhere warm with no snow
didn’t feel like Christmas.
Finally, after the
last gift had been opened and we were relaxing and enjoying each
other’s company I said two prayers, one for my grandfather, that
the Lord be with him whether he was with us or not, and one for
his wife, that her heart be softened to let us be able to be
together. Then I looked around and realized that although this
Christmas was unlike any other I had celebrated, I was still
with my family, celebrating Jesus’ birth, and that I wasn’t
going to let any negative feelings get me down.
Today we are
getting ready to go home. Unless a miracle occurs, we won’t see
my grandfather. I will leave him a message, letting him know
we’ve been here. Next week I will call and talk to him. I have
to take comfort in the fact, that although we weren’t able to
see him, the forgetfulness of his disease means that he won’t
remember.
Although this Christmas has been different from all past
Christmases, and a disappointment in some respects, I realized
it isn’t traditions or cold snowy weather that makes Christmas
special; it is being with the people you love and sharing in the
joy of Christ’s birth, so many years ago.
Back to HOME |