December 18, 2022 -- Christmas Traditions
By: Carrie Keiser
Growing up it seemed like it was a tradition to put the tree up on Christmas Eve and then leave it up to till the new year. I understand now that it was partly because we waited until the Christmas tree lots closed and were giving away the last, usually ‘Charlie Brown’ trees, because we couldn’t really afford to pay full price for a tree. I think they were all beautiful and I kinda love a good ‘Charlie Brown’ tree. Also, as a kid, it was kind of a tradition for Ryanne and I to stay awake and try to “catch” Santa. When we moved to Ephrata it seems that the tree went up sooner and that the real tree was replaced by a fake one. Always, on Christmas Eve, we gathered to listen to dad read the Christmas story from the Bible, that is my favorite memory of Christmas.
With my family we were given a 24 days til Christmas book by Nana (Dorothy Herrin) when Cody was little and Shantel was not yet born. We started that next year and read a story every night Dec 1-24th ending with the reading of the Christmas story from the Bible. The kids would tell us which stories are their favorite ones and they were excited to take turns reading as they got older. As the kids create their own families I have made them a 24 days til Christmas book, so if they choose, they can carry on the tradition. I have a tradition of taking a photo of the kids hanging and ornament on the tree. We have a Christmas Eve tradition of opening one present…. Pajamas for Christmas morning. For the last several years we have made cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. That about sums up our Christmas traditions.
Of all the Christmas traditions we have this may be the most unique. I don’t know how (it’s probably a safe bet to say that it was Hosanna’s idea) or exactly when it started but on a Christmas morning twenty or so years ago, before the break of dawn after Cary and I had been asleep only an hour or so—wrapping gifts all night!— we woke to a chorus of:
“Rise and Shine and give God your your glory, glory!
Rise and shine and give God your glory, glory!
Rise and shine and give God your glory, glory!
Children of the Lord.”
We opened our eyes to see our four children laughing delightedly. I got up right away but—much to the dismay of the kids—Cary lingered awhile longer.
Every Christmas morning since, that tradition carries on even this year when Anders informed me that I had to be one of the singers! Because I was up too early.
Another tradition started the first year we were married. Cary and I, for some long forgotten reason—but it could have been simply Christmas shopping, were at Valley Fair Mall in Salt Lake City and stopped into a Christmas store. After looking around for a bit we discovered a simple, one-piece, white, ceramic Nativity set depicting Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus. That piece became the first of our Nativity collection which we add to—almost—annually.
We look for something unique each year—and small. Some have been given to us including: an origami one that Maja crafted, my sister-in-law Tricia embossed one on homemade paper, she also made a Nativity ornament on her embroidery machine (we included that in our collection), Cary’s brother, Craig’s family sent us a tiny hand painted set they found while living in San Antonio Texas. We bought one from a neighbor kid who was door-to-door selling for school fund raising project. Last year, 2021, we went to the “world’s largest Christmas store, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland and bought a tapestry. We have at least one carved from olive wood, a snow globe music box, a Nativity in a lantern and one created with a computing’s layer wood cutting machine made by a man from the Missoula Stake whom I’ve know for year, a blocky Celtic set and others. We even have one that is a puzzle we put together with lots of help then glued and framed it.
For the past several years—as soon as our kids were up to it—we have gone up Roman Creek to the folf course and usually after traipsing around for an hour or two, cut down a tree. It always seems to be a “Charlie Brown” tree but we carry it out proudly. A permit is required to cut your own tree. We didn’t always get around to putting the permit on the tree and I am pretty sure that we used the same one for three years. Then the rules changed and Bronc’s Grocery doesn’t sell permits anymore. We uh…um…never got around to buying a permit this year.
We watch Christmas movies the week or so before the Holiday. We like “Winter Thaw”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, “The Bishop’s Wife”, “Home Alone”, and, naturally, on Christmas Eve, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Cary and I made our own Christmas stockings from felt kits that first year. Since then I have made a stocking for each of our children and grandchildren. Hosanna’s was with a needlepoint kit, Hokan’s from a cross stitch one, Maja’s is crocheted, Anders’ is quilted and the largest one. We put him in it and he was nearly two months old. The grandchildrens’ stockings are all crocheted or knitted.
Of course, I like the rest of you, recall fondly every Christmas Eve of our childhood listening to Dad read out of the big Family Bible the Christmas Story in Luke. It simply wouldn’t have been Christmas without that.
Comments
Post a Comment