Traditions

The end of the year is coming up. There has been more snow than ever, announcing wintertime. Family traditions are important. They are comforting. Every Christmas Eve, the inlaws invite all of their 5 children and their families into their home, to spend a wonderful night together. Nobody ever misses that night. It's too important for all of us to be there. The women have a great time preparing the food, while the children play their games. The men have their talk in the living area and drinks and appetizers are being brought into the room incessantly. As usual, grandma will have decorated her table the night before. It's a joy to have all of our beloved ones at the same table. It's quite a crew by now: 19 people in total!

After dinner, some of the men get up and do their share of washing up. It's time for the ladies to relax now, before we get ready for dessert. The children will be jumping up and down by now, begging to open their presents. It is fun to watch them rip the paper from the boxes and hear them scream their ooh's and aah's. They compare presents and comment each other's gifts. There are rarely tears or negative sighs.

Last year, the grown ups joined the kids to play Buzz! What a fantastic game! It was just hilarious to watch everyone do their best. Even the teens knew quite some answers to the questions on music from the 80's. I was impressed! Looking forward to playing some more games this year!

Merry Christmas to all of you!