Holiday Traditions

When I was younger my Mom, Grandma & I always put our tree up on the day of the Christmas parade, usually the first Saturday in December. We always made a big event of "wrapping night" and we would sit,wrap,eat and laugh for hours and watch all those Christmas cartoons.
Christmas Eve was when we opened all of our gifts (except those from Santa lol). Every Christmas Eve I heard Santa's sleigh bells ringing right after he had dropped off my gifts, and to this day I still don't know if it was Mom or Grandma that made those bells ring. Christmas day, was a major event back then, almost all of my aunts, uncles and cousins would come for dinner, and a little fun :) My Mom's twin brother would always bring his guitar and sit and play and sing for hours! I think I looked forward to that more than the actual gifts.

Things have changed since I got married and have my own family now. We still do gifts on Christmas Eve, and we cuddle up and watch all the great Christmas cartoons, Greg & I just can't grow up ;)
Greg & I always have one dance with only the lights from the tree, after the kids are fast asleep, before we start adding the little things Santa has brought.

The past few years I have been preparing the dinner, and then Mom, her hubby, Greg's Grandparents (when they are in state) and our best friend Waymond all come for dinner. After everyone has left we go to the cemetary and place flowers on Grandma's grave.