Great Chitter Chatter - Stories from Loud Voices

It seems that Christmas Day receives most of the attention of the holiday season, especially from the businesses that benefit commercially from the day. However, for many families Christmas Eve is the most treasured and special time of the entire festive season.

Of course, Christmas Eve is December 24th, the day before Santa’s Day. In other words, it is the eve of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many families have distinct and significant traditions that help them make it unique to their family.

For some families, there is no better time to set up and adorn the Christmas tree than on its Eve. Many families make this activity a grand event with invited guests and music and special treats. For other families, it is a more quiet and personal time.

But for other families, putting up the Christmas tree on Christmas eve in simply way too late into the holiday season. In fact, the majority of families now put their Christmas trees up in early December and some can barely wait for Thanksgiving to be over to bring out the tree.

Nowadays, nearly all of the Christian countries have shortened business hours on Christmas Eve to give their employees the time to prepare for this special Day. They may take this time to participate in special family or church observances or to take care of their very last minute shopping.

In the western world, most of the Christian churches have some type of service for the day on the eve of the birth of Jesus Christ. The faithful gather to focus their thoughts on the advent of the birth of Jesus Christ and to set the spiritual tone for their celebrations.

Christmas caroling is another tradition for families and church congregations that is often enjoyed on its Eve, to spread good wishes and cheer to friends and neighbors. Often, the carolers will make special efforts to share their music and song with people in retirement centers and nursing homes, brightening their holidays considerably.

Not all of the Eve traditions or celebrations are of a spiritual nature and Santa Claus is a fun, cultural tradition for most families, especially for those with young children.

Christmas Eve is the time when young children have trouble getting to sleep as they anticipate the arrival of Santa with his bagful of gifts. Before bedtime, eager children carefully hang their stockings with care and leave treats of cookies and milk for Santa, as well as a few carrots for his magical reindeer.

In some countries, such as Germany and the Scandinavian lands, it is the traditional time to open the presents on the Eve. But in the United States and Canada, most families wait until the special day. With the sun barely over the horizon, children enthusiastically pull their parents from their beds to start the unwrapping. In most of Latin America, people stay awake with fireworks and celebrations until midnight and then they gather to open their gifts.

Whatever the favorite tradition is in your family for Christmas Eve, the most important part of the evening is to take the time to slow down and enjoy the love and warmth of being surrounded by loved ones and by doing meaningful things together that will create treasured memories.

With so much focus on technology in our modern lives, some of the old tried-and-true Christmas traditions are being pushed aside. However, for most people, when Christmas Day arrives it is simply a time to pause for what is really the most important: good friends, close family, delicious foods and gift giving.

While there are thousands of different ways that people choose to make Christmas a special time for them and their family, there are three wonderful ways in which you can ensure that you will have the basics to bring you the joy and reminiscences of an old-fashioned Christmas. These three ways are: the decorations you choose, the cooking and baking you do and the Christmas Day happenings you plan.

Christmas Holiday Decorations

In many people’s eyes, it’s the beautiful, bright and festive Christmas decorations that make the season so special. Just the right decorations can really help to set a merry mood for the Christmas Day activities, or any gathering during the season.

Putting up the decorations can be a family tradition in and of itself, as it gets everyone involved in helping to create the spirit of Christmas. These decorations permeate a home and helps everyone to prepare for a joyous Christmas Day celebration.

Of course, for most families the traditional Christmas tree is the cornerstone of their holiday decorating. To give your tree that old-fashioned flair you can gather the family to make popcorn garlands or colorful garland chains made from bright paper or beautiful ribbons. You can even serve eggnog to your little Christmas helpers and play Christmas music in the background to make it a memorable time for the family.

Christmas Cooking and Baking

The wonderful aromas that waft from the kitchen throughout the house when you are busy baking those special Christmas treats, is another delightful way to get people into a mirthful mood for Christmas.

When Christmas Day finally arrives, cooking the traditional meals or family favorites and enjoying it all with friends and family gathered around the table makes for more memories to keep and treasure that will last for years to come.

Christmas Day Traditions

There are so many varied Christmas Day traditions in which people around the world participate, that it would be impossible to list them all here. But, one common tradition, either for an old-fashioned Christmas or a modern Christmas celebration, is in the exchanging of Christmas gifts.

In order to really make gift giving memorable, so you can add it to the treasure trove of holiday reflections, it is best to take time for the occasion. Rather than having everyone simply dig in and rip into their presents, sit in a circle and open each present in turn. This gives each person the time to both express and receive appreciation for the gift and helps the whole group to connect and be mindful of the thoughtfulness.

A few of the more common and popular traditions of Christmas Day are things like reminiscing about favorite holiday memories, singing great Christmas songs amongst the family or sharing Christmas carols with neighbors, feasting on a delicious homemade Christmas dinner or wrapping up the day with a viewing of a wonderful Christmas classic movie like White Christmas.