Early Christmas

The 61st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy invites attendees to discuss family holiday traditions. In these days of bigger/faster/better/always-on-the-move, traditions last about eight seconds and are forgotten unless mentioned in a Twitter feed.

My little family is no different. We are always on the go, and that includes Christmas. My COG entry is a confession to our busy calendar, our remedy to the situation, and the revelation that bore our unique tradition. Read on:

This is our Christmas tree. Yes, that's a Seahawks helmet at the top. It used to be a full-size tree that went to the ground, but the cat peed on that part. Now our festivities are reduced by 33%.

Though we live in Texas, December 25th is spent in California. This is sometimes tricky because big presents can't be transported. How do you give a boy a bicycle for Christmas if he lives in one state but celebrates the holiday in another?

We solved this problem by creating "early Christmas." Usually the night before we leave for California, my husband, son and I open the presents we got for each other. Radio holiday music provides the soundtrack. Stocking gifts are opened and it's always fun. The cats even get gifts (fancy food and catnip).

When the present part is over, we go out to dinner. It's never formal, just what we feel like at that time. Sometimes ice cream is involved for dessert.

After the meal, we drive around town (again with the holiday music on which my son insists) and look at the Christmas lights. We live in an area where professional lighting displays on houses are not uncommon, so we often get quite a show.

"Early Christmas" was supposed to be a temporary solution for a family who was always on the road during the holidays. It will never replace December 25th, of course. However, I look forward to the brief pause from the holiday madness every year. The low-key night with a family focus has become an annual event in our household and one of my favorite traditions.