Holiday Traditions

This Christmas was the first time I wasn't home for the holidays, wasn't able to spend it with my sisters for the first time in their lives. Didn't get to be home with my mother or father, didn't get to partake in the traditions we've created over the years. I was thinking about this, the meaning of family traditions. Over the past few days I've gotten to invade other families and join in their own traditions. Thinking about what I was missing out on, and realizing it's not missing out, it's creating new.
Every year my parents bought us Christmas pajamas. It was the one present we were allowed to open on Christmas Eve. Sometimes they matched, sometimes they didn't. I have two younger sisters, one 4 years younger and one 11 years younger. We all used to get up at the crack of dawn to wake our parents up (until I realized the joys of a good nights sleep...). Mom and dad used to get up and corral us at the top of the stairs, dad would saunter downstairs to start a pot of coffee and grab the camera, then FINALLY we were allowed to come down stairs, hair sticking up and glasses on while dad took a million pictures, to see what Santa had left for us under the tree. Granted, we always used to sneak downstairs for a peek after "Santa" had set everything up, but we had really great surprised faces.
We'd open our presents and eat the orange or apple left in our stocking before we could eat the candy, then mom would cook breakfast and we'd call all our families to wish them Merry Christmas and thank them for the goodies sent. We'd have all sorts of snacks throughout the day, brie with bread and nachos and whatnot, then have the big Christmas dinner with pot roast, or turkey or something like that.
This year since I wasn't able to go home for Christmas, I brought a little home with me. Christmas pajamas were bought and worn and I made mom's cinnimon rolls for Christmas morning. The best part of the holidays though was being brought into other family's traditions, their memories.
I got to decorate Christmas trees, my aunts and the McPeaks. I watched Christmas movies with them. On Christmas Eve one of my Young Life kids invited me to come over and have dinner with them before the Candlelight service at the Cadet Chapel. I got to help prepare dinner and set the table, and afterward they passed around a goblet of wine and each person said a blessing they had this past year, then passed the goblet to the next person. They also have a birthday cake for Jesus, where the youngest person in the family gets to blow out the candle. Never before had I had such a 'faith-based' Christmas, it was so great to partake in that. We went to the Cadet Chapel and had an awesome service. After Church this family makes tamales in an assembly line then cooks them, something that had been passed down for generations.
Christmas morning was spent with my aunt and cousin, opening presents, eating the cinnimon rolls and preparing for dinner. I was invited to go over to the McPeaks for Christmas dinner, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, twice-baked yams and peas (bah! I hid from that one, no peas for me please!). Afterward we played card games then every year they go to see a movie on Christmas Day.
Yes, partaking in other traditions makes me miss my own, but it made me realize the memories are the most important part, the love and the laughter, sharing and rejoicing is what Christmas is all about. Even if you're far away from your own family and traditions, you can make your own. You can be accepted into another's family and make your own memories. Life is crazy and you don't always get to go home for the holidays, but isn't the saying "home is where the heart is?" No matter where everyone was for the holidays, I hope you enjoyed yours and God Bless! :)