The Evolution of a Family Christmas

            Writing this, I've just gotten home from the most unique family Christmas gathering I've ever been to, so I thought I’d share my experience with you.

            This was a family Christmas for my mom's side of the family (plus a wonderful woman my mother’s family had adopted as a grandmother because she had no family in the country), where I am the second oldest grandson. Over the years, I've watched many traditions and seen many changes. At first, we got together every Christmas Eve at my grandparents’ house. After the Christmas dinner (which was always fantastic), we’d go to the church service. When we returned to the house, we’d have our Christmas Pie – this is made with gifts for each person, on ribbons with their names, all wrapped up in a bundle by my grandmother. Everyone takes their ribbon, we all pull at the same time and the first gifts of the year burst out of the Pie.

            With the children occupied by the toys they just received, the Christmas Story was then read from the Bible. After that, the grandchildren were called upon to perform various musical pieces we had prepared. Then presents would be handed out – my grandfather would pull the presents from under the tree and hand them to a grandchild to deliver. Then everyone would unwrap presents at once. My grandmother always sewed pyjamas for the grandchildren, and the younger ones changed into them before going home that night.

            It was always a fun time, and the family slowly grew every couple years as new grandchildren were born. At some point, we stopped going to the church service because there were too many fidgety children. As my cousins grew older, the job of delivering presents passed down to them. After many years, my adopted great-grandmother passed away (after a full, 100 year life), so was no longer there with us.

            Then my grandparents moved to a condo, so the celebration moved to the homes of my parents, aunts and uncles, rotating each year. Much was different, but still we had our Christmas Pie, followed by the reading of the Christmas Story, music from the grandchildren, then gifts delivered by the grandchildren.

            One year, a friend of my aunt’s family joined us. I actually don’t know her story, but I believe she has no local family. She has been with us every year since and has been accepted as part of the family – she even gets a present in the Christmas Pie!

The family started slowly growing again as we grandchildren started dating. When a significant other came to the gathering, they were always welcomed with open arms (and my grandmother always managed to fit a present for them into the Pie). Of course, with dating age comes a certain amount of self-consciousness and less free time, so, one by one, the grandchildren stopped preparing music to perform. An effort was still made, but it was getting weaker each year.

            The next big change was when we had to move the date from Christmas Eve. As the grandchildren started to work, it became harder and harder to get the whole family together - especially once my mom was ordained as a minister and had her own Christmas eve services to perform. Still, we managed it. It wasn't the same day anymore, but it stayed the same celebration.

            This year saw another big change, followed by many complications. My grandparents moved to a retirement home and, shortly afterwards my grandfather began having health issues that have had him in and out of hospitals for the past several months. As he became less mobile, we planned to have our family Christmas at the retirement home – unfortunately, last week my grandfather had to return to the hospital.

            Did my family let that stop us? No. We had our Christmas dinner at the retirement home as planned, with twenty of us there! My grandmother, six aunts and uncles, six grandchildren, four significant others and three family friends with no local family to have Christmas with (and a partridge in a pear tree).

            After the dinner, we all packed up and went to the hospital with a Christmas dinner plate for my grandfather. We were able to take over a section of a closed cafeteria – which was lucky, because there wouldn't have been enough room for all of us in any of our houses. A few decorations were put up, my grandfather was wheeled down to us (my cousin draped tinsel over his wheelchair) and we opened our Christmas Pie (it was very big this year!). Then the Christmas Story was read. None of the grandchildren had prepared music, so we went on to the gifts – delivered (mostly) by my youngest cousins. After presents were opened, one of the family friends looked up carols on his smart phone for one of my cousins to play on the electric keyboard my parents had brought along, bringing the family’s traditional music to the evening as everyone joined in with the singing.

            It was truly wonderful to see how everything came together. I know that, by the time grandchildren have jobs, a lot of families have given up on getting together every year. Not so with my family – we didn't let a little thing like my grandfather being in the hospital get in the way of our Christmas traditions. I think this year’s family gathering will be one I’ll always remember, because it shows what lengths people will go to for something they feel is important.

            So, I’d like to wish you a very [this space represents whatever seasonal greeting you find least offensive] and I hope that your holiday season will be as great as it can be.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.