Christmas Traditions: Christmas Eve

I’ve mentioned several times before that I am so blessed to have many, many “aunts” and “uncles” who are not “blood relatives” but relatives all the same. And two of these families are very special to our Christmas Eve celebration. For the past… oh I don’t know… 15(?) years or so we have gotten together with The Hensons and The Hensons (they are in fact “blood relatives”) to have a fun-filled family Christmas Eve Celebration which has now expanded to several other families as well!

Most of the gang many, many years ago! We have changed and grown a lot since then!

The evening starts out by everyone going to their respective church for the Christmas Eve service then we all convene at my Aunt Leigh Ann and Uncle James’ house. We used to do a full meal but now we have taken that down to heavy appetizers (and some adult beverages). After we eat it is time for presents. Since our family has expanded to even more families, husbands, in-laws and grandchildren we now draw names and everyone buys a gift for their person (you get entered into the “pot” once you graduate college – before then you get gifts from everyone). Once we open the “real” gifts it’s on to the White Elephant…

Some of the "kids".

This is always the best time of the night. Everyone gets a gag gift to exchange and we take this part VERY seriously (I’m talking, plan your gift for the year starting January 1 type of serious). We have had some serious ones, some funny ones and some ummm “riskay” ones but it always a fight to the finish for the best gift and I think it is safe to say that the 2 gifts Brett and I are putting into the mix this year will be pretty much the best ones in the bunch!

John's gift a few years ago... you can never go wrong with a blow up yard decoration.

We end the evening with a rowdy game of “Left Center Right” – If you’ve never played it before, it is a very simple dice game that involves one person winning a lot of money! I’m still slightly bitter because after all these years and family gatherings I have still yet to win the money… maybe this year is my year!

Mom after winning the pot a few years ago.

This really is one of my favorite nights of the entire year. I get to spend such a special occasion with some of my favorite families and my best friends. I told Brett very early into our relationship that hands down Christmas Eve was with my family… after a few years in the family I think he now knows why!