Written By: Kari Wiegand
I love the Christmas season. The lights, music, smells, tastes, general merriment of people – It’s my absolute favorite. Now, of course, the best thing about Christmas is the celebration of our Savior’s birth. It is, as they say, the reason for the season. For me, one of the most beautiful moments of the whole season is the time during Christmas Eve service at church when all the lights are turned low, the candles around the sanctuary are lit, and “Silent Night” is sung by the congregation. I tear up (in the best way) just thinking about it. Whether it’s decorating the day after Thanksgiving, caroling, a visit to Santa, a certain recipe you look forward to, visiting family, etc., traditions, in my humble opinion, are what make the holiday season so special. Today, I’d like to share my favorite tradition and how it’s changed over the years.
When I was younger, my mom read about the idea of a Christmas Eve Pajama Party, so she decided to invite all the local family over on Christmas Eve to party in our festive PJs. Everyone would bring some food to share; we would play a game or two, do a white elephant gift exchange, read the story of Jesus’ birth, and generally just have a really great time. This quickly became the thing I looked forward to most every Christmas season. Yes, even more than presents on Christmas Day.
After doing this for several years, one Christmas Eve we had everything set up, and no one showed. No cancellation calls. No one came. Talk about disappointing! After that, the tradition changed to going out somewhere in our Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve. This became something fun to look forward to as well! My mom, brothers, niece, nephew, myself, and whoever else was available would go out on Christmas Eve, usually to lunch and a movie, dressed in our Christmas jammies.
When I married my husband and moved away from home (and my family), I brought the tradition with me. Most of the time, it’s just my hubby and me, but friends have joined in a couple of years, and last year was the first year with our son. I don’t know if my mom knew what she was sparking all those years ago, or if she knew I’d pass the tradition down to my own children, but I’m grateful for it all the same. It’s one of many ways I know she’ll leave her mark on future generations. “Mrs. Gramma (my mom’s grandma nickname) started this tradition.” I hope the Christmas Eve Pajama Party enjoys a long run in my family.
If you want something fun to try this holiday season with family and friends, I highly suggest rocking some Christmas pajamas for an outing or get-together.
What tradition do you look forward to most during the holiday season? Is it an older one passed down or a new one you’ve come up with?
Written By: Kari Wiegand
