What have you kept so far?

We always have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. He and I each come from families which did this also. For my family, I think it was just Christmas Eve seemed more "special" because of night time, the snow and tree lights in the dark.

He came from a Catholic family and in Germany, the meal was on the Eve, then Mass.

We celebrate on Christmas Eve, too. Usually WB and I party with my adoptive brother and his family, at our house. Then on Christmas Day this brother's son and his family entertains a huge gathering. My childhood memories are awesome and heartwarming! I'll always see grandma decorating the tree, with excellence and exactness. I loved those years back on the farm.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In our house, Christmas Eve is when Steve and I celebrate, just the two of us.

Then on Christmas Day, we'll get together with HIS family, if we do that. They all live abut 90 miles south of us, and we aren't always able to get down there, depending on the weather and other plans.

My family gets together on a day during the week after Christmas, but not the 24th or 25th. This tradition evolved because my sister is married to a man who is an Episcopalian minister. Needless to say, the 24th and 25th are very busy for him.

However, Jim retired this past summer, so while he is still very busy doing a ministry involving visiting people in hospitals and nursing homes, he is no longer attached to a parish. He takes his dog along on many of his visits, by the way, the dog is trained to be "at work" in these situations.

So this year, our schedule is more dictated by the schedules of all of our kids -- when they can get off work. Being as my son, daughter and son-in-law all work in the newspaper business, this can get tricky. They are sort of like healthcare workers, the newspaper still publishes on the 24th, 25th and etc. My sister's kids are all employed in colleges, so they have more time off. And my brother's kids are all college age or younger, so they also have more time off during the holidays.

This year, we will get together at my Dad's house on Monday the 26th. Steve and I will probably drive up there on the 25th so we can be available in the morning to start working on the meal, the table setting, etc. And I expect we'll drive home on the 27th.

I love hearing how others handle the requirements that come from scheduling get-togethers of families involving adult children and their schedules.

Happy holidays to all!

Anne

I stay home Christmas Eve with my ex and we finish wrapping gifts if we hadn't already. Have a light quiet dinner and watch Christmas stuff on TV. Christmas day I make a big dinner and everyone who cares to comes over for a meal. Since my son and dsughter-in-law split up and all the kids have their nown homes now I'm not sure what it will be like this year, plus Jason my youngest grandson is in Japan still in the Marines. Everything has changed it seems!