Christmas Eve Traditions

Merry Christmas Eve 2013!

This year was the first time Jeff and I have intentionally been just us two--or three! We spent two wonderful Christmases with my parents in Florida, a few in New Jersey with friends, and one in Connecticut with Jeff's family, but this year we decided was the time to establish our own traditions. Our hope is that, next year, when Button wakes up on Christmas Eve morning, we have pieces of both of our families--as well as traditions of our own--to share with her (though we know she won't remember them quite yet!).

The day really started with some pre-planning on December 23, when I spent 2 hours in Wegman's, getting all the necessary supplies for a yummy holiday. Here's the menu planning I did on our white board, so I wouldn't forget any of the deliciousness!

Christmas Eve morning started off with a delicious "spuds" breakfast (my brother's invention that's a combination of potatoes, peppers, onions, and scrambled eggs). While Jeff cooked, I spruced up the tree a bit.

I also had to turn my attention to my favorite Christmas "decoration": the skating scene hand-crafted by Uncle Pat (my dad's younger brother). Each piece is hand-painted, and it's always prominently displayed throughout December and January in our house.

After breakfast and a shower, it was time to head out for a tradition started by my brother and sister-in-law: stocking shopping. We take $80 out of our account ($40 each) and go to a fun neighborhood to find stocking stuffers for each other. This year, we chose Old Town Alexandria, and we added a new stocking to the list: each of us took $20 for Button. Once all the shopping was complete, we met at a cozy pub to warm up and get some sustenance.

By the time we got home, we only had long enough to take a few quick pictures in front of the tree before it was time to head out back out again.

This year, for the first time in the three and a half years we've called Reston Community Church our home, we were able to be with our church family on Christmas Eve, and it was perfect! And to be there with our little girl kicking in my belly (she really liked the rousing choruses in the Christmas carols!) was nothing short of miraculous. There was even the cutest Christmas pageant, and Jeff and I couldn't help but get a little teary at the thought of Button being a tiny angel in a few years.

After church, it was time to head home for our special Christmas Eve tradition--the one we established the very first Christmas Eve we spent together. That year, we were supposed to head to California to be with my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas, but a storm delayed us. As we waited in long lines at the airport, we watched several disappointed men and women in uniform on the seats around us, also waiting for a way to reach their families. Without hesitating, we told the woman at the desk to just put us on a post-Christmas flight--clearly others needed the seats more than we did. Though we were sure our decision was the right one, we headed back to our little apartment, disappointed. Back on the sofa, after dark, Jeff sniffling miserably with a horrible cold that was swiftly moving into his chest, we looked at each other sadly--this just didn't feel like any Christmas Eve we'd imagined. With no food in the house, I ran out to Whole Foods with just $40, hoping something would still be left. Forty-five minutes later, I returned with gruyere cheese, an apple, a baguette, and a very small, red, ceramic fondue pot. Through my tears, I told Jeff it was time for us to have our own traditions, and I voted for fondue on Christmas Eve. That year, I explained, all we could afford was cheese and bread, but, as our bank accounts and family grew, we could keep adding items and courses. Jeff mustered all his energy to get off that sofa and give me a giant hug, and a tradition was born.

Though we still haven't added courses, the recipe has gotten more complex, and we've added some new items. This year, we followed Tyler Florence's recipe (delicious!) and blanched some cauliflower and broccoli.

After stuffing ourselves with cheesy goodness, we set up "blind" wrapping stations--we couldn't see what was going in our respective stockings, after all! Once everything was wrapped, we set up the mantle for Christmas morning.

Daddy gets the biggest stocking, Button had a bag for this year (more on that in a Christmas Day post),
and Mommy clearly needs a real stocking (rather than the furry Russian bag)!

And then it was on to the final tradition of the night, one that's been established in my family for years. My dad has always read us 'Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, so Jeff had big shoes to fill this year, but Baby Button listened attentively and went to sleep soon after, thus giving her mommy a lovely and rare Christmas present of a good night's sleep!