Q&A: WHAT’S A UNIQUE TRADITION YOUR FAMILY HAS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?

I’ll go first. Being the youngest of seven children, my parents likely were short on sleep every day of the year. When Christmas arrived, us kids would be up bright and early to check out the packages wrapped and under the tree, not knowing of course that Mom & Dad had been up half the night completing final preparations for Christmas morning.

My Mother, being a super creative soul, came up with a clever solution to allow a few hours of much needed sleep before the onslaught of the chaos of Christmas morning. She simply called it “Bed Presents”. While we were snug in our beds and fast asleep, “Santa” would sneak into our rooms and place a wrapped gift at the foot of our beds. This was no ordinary present. Oh no! It had to be something significant enough to keep us occupied for the hours between 4 a.m. and when the sun came up.

The tradition was so successful that when I became a parent, my wife and I replicated the bed present process ourselves with our daughter, and I hope she chooses to continue the tradition with her own family.

My parents have been gone now for many years, but whenever the holidays roll around, I always think back fondly on that little bit of generosity (and yes, self-serving ingenuity) and smile.

QUESTION: WHAT’S A UNIQUE TRADITION YOUR FAMILY HAS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?

Leave your answer in the comments below and share with our readers your own ingenuity and/or fond memories of your own celebrations.