Because it's TRADITION!

Tradition may be one of the most manipulative words in the English vocabulary. Do you know what I mean? “But why do we all have to stand in a line by the same Christmas tree every year for a picture? They all look the same and no one ever uses them beyond that moment!” “Because- it’s TRADITION!”

It’s that time of year where the “tradition” card gets played on a much more frequent basis. Please note, this is not a post about me being a Scrooge. If you read further, you will find that I rather like tradition J

Christmastime at the Branch household is a hotbed of tradition examples. Some have changed and morphed into something new over the years, but the foundations of what Christmas looks like on Ashcroft seem to stay the same. Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order:

1)      Christmas Eve Eve- This tradition started about ten years ago, and it’s grown into one of my favorites. The idea for Christmas Eve Eve began out of a conundrum- every year, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations switched off back and forth between both sides of the family, and that always left very little time for immediate family celebration. What to do? Celebrate Christmas Eve Eve, an eventful night that occasionally includes a trip through a rand-o neighborhood to marvel at their ever-decreasing Christmas lights and spirit, hot chocolate and coffee, dinner (preferably prepared by our personal chef known as Macaroni Grill) shared on “fancy” Christmasware, and time by the fire in the dead of 70 degrees Texas winter. “Allie and Raegan” presents are opened, and our sneak preview of Christmas begins. This tradition has morphed quite a bit from its humble beginnings. As boyfriends have joined the festivities over the years, their musical gifts exploited by well-meaning mothers and grandmothers, traditions have altered to fit our way of life. Games are usually played, tears of laughter are usually shed, and great times are most certainly always had. This celebration seems to grow every year as our “family” in Christ joins us in larger numbers with each passing year. It’s grown to be one of my favorite events of the holiday season, the inspired creation of my very hospitable mother.

2)      Duffie’s Christmas Breakfast- This is the Duffie’s much more elaborate, much more tradition-wrought event that has marked my calendar since the 6^th grade. Mr. and Mrs. Duffie (or Claus?) gather one and all around their trademark breakfast one Saturday each December consisting of bacon, breakfast casserole, sweet rolls, fruits, hot chocolate, and whatever else Mama D decides to whip up. May I mention that all of these items are award-winning and anticipated once again for next year on the very afternoon they are consumed? Now that I am several years out of high school, this event is special, as members of my Faith family are generally gathered at this tradition and much catching-up is done.

3)      Christmas Eve Service- This one just always tickles me, and it is the epitome of Christmas tradition. Whether it be actors on stage posing in the signature shape of the painting “The Lord’s Supper” or Mrs. Patti reading the children their Christmas story on stage, Church at the Cross never fails in their consistency. Sure, there’s always a little something different- the arrangement of Christmas songs to be sung will always throw you for a loop (Silent Night or O Holy Night first? You can never guess), the candle-lighting is a certain mystery (paper wax-catchers or the fancy plastic cups? Who knows!), and the biggest suspense of all- which Gospel will the pastor read from? One in four wins! All kidding aside, each sweet memento of these Christmas Eve services make up the very things I love about my home church- tradition and consistency. My church back home is the essence of a family, and the people I am blessed to know at that church are the very reason I love my very traditional church. And for goodness sakes, Raegan, it’s Christmas! Christmas songs must be sang, candles must be lit, and the story of the birth of Christ is a must! Exactly- which is why it makes my list of favorite traditions.

4)      Christmas at the Grams’- This is what we call traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It’s the bulk of our holiday season. Yes, we have grandfathers, but it’s very convenient that both of our grandmothers are named Gram. Every year, we switch off who we visit for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and every year, we forget whose turn is whose. That’s part of Thanksgiving tradition- everyone try to figure out who gets Christmas Day this year! Not that it matters all too much- my grandparents literally live around the corner from each other, and we see both of them on both days, and it’s time with family that everyone really wants. It’s the principle of the matter, of course. As a kid, these two days seemed to last two weeks. After presents were opened, the floor was found again under a volcano of wrapping paper and Barbie time could begin. Everyone got Barbies for Christmas- minus the boy cousin, Austin, of course. His job was to see how many Barbie’s heads he could pull off before we found out and burst out crying. Barbie time unfortunately and embarrassingly lasted well into junior high in our family- thankfully, Stephanie (oldest cousin) went to high school and we were all brought to the reality of our ridiculousness. I wouldn’t trade a second of it though. Once jammies were on and the second helping of lunch was brought out for dinner, everyone would gather round the television to see who won the debate this year- if it was the men, basketball would be on; if women, figure skating or cheesy Christmas movie.

5)      Skipping Contest- I debated putting this in the list simply for dignity’s sake, but it’s just too good to leave out. The legend of the skipping contest is shrouded in mystery, some believing it began even before the grandchildren’s time. What is it? A very simple, senseless event that begins with one family member asking, “When will we start the skipping?” *Editor’s note: Gram Henri (this is my mother’s side) and Pop have a somewhat circular house. We imagine a sort of “track” that winds from the living room around through the hall (that is walls on all sides) and empties back out into the other side of the living room. This is the location of the aforementioned skipping contest.* There is much debate from anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour. Usually, the youngest in the room is chosen as the guinea pig who must begin the contest. They must skip from the living room, through the hallway (where no one is watching) and skip back out into the living room. Scores are then determined on form, believability, and excitement level. Volunteers are then taken for the next several rounds. At the end, there are still those that must be coerced into skipping on account that one does not get to sit back, judge, and laugh, and then decline participation. Inevitably, when aunts, uncles, and grandparents begin skipping, tears of laughter begin flowing. There’s something that happens to you when you round that corner into the hallway- no one’s watching, are you still going to skip? That’s where the believability factor comes in. if you aren’t about to pee your pants from laughing and if you don’t look like a little kid at a carnival when you round that corner, you didn’t skip in the hallway, and that’s crucial. That’s the crux of the skipping contest. Why we do this, no one knows. For boyfriends and girlfriends that have joined these Christmas celebrations over the years, the skipping contest has served as a sort of initiation into the family. It says, “Can you handle the weirdness of this family? More importantly, how can you not want to be a part of a family where part of earning your Christmas presents is a skip around the house?”

I hope you enjoyed a few of my family Christmas traditions. There are many more peculiarities about my family time I wish I could share, as I’m sure there are many more in your families as well that I wish I could know. All in all, I love traditions, because the more things change, the more some things stay the same. It’s part of the balance that holds life together, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Have a VERY Merry Christmas!