I've always preferred Christmas Eve to the actual day. One of the best things about holidays is the whole notion of "tradition" something I adore. Growing up, we spent Christmas Eve with my mom's side of the family: Grandma Pauline, Aunt Jeannie, and Uncle Butch. We ate overcooked ham, so dry you needed a steak knife to saw through it and opened loads of presents bought with money saved all year in the Christmas savings club at the bank. Of course, back then, I never appreciated the value. I just loved the presents … and the people, two of whom are no longer with us.
That tradition is long gone, but we've forged new ones. Candelight service at church, going out to dinner at the Olive Garden, and driving around to look at Christmas lights. As it always was, the day is about family, perhaps even more so than Christmas day, which dawns with chaos.