As a child my favorite day was always December 24th… as an adult it still is. However; it has evolved into so much more. I was never one that thrived on the gifts. Even when I was young, I was more excited for what happened the day before Christmas, rather than Christmas Day. For those that know me, Christmas is in my blood… always. The season just makes me smile and I base a lot of who I am on the feeling I get during Christmas time. This is my story of my favorite time of the year and my favorite day… I always look forward to Christmas Eve.

As far back as I can remember, my parents, brother and I would spend each Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at my Gram and Pop’s house. Weeks leading up to my favorite day, we would prepare for it all. Putting up lights, getting a real Christmas tree, coming together as a family. Each year would mean more and more to me. I would see our family come together like it was an everyday event, even if we all saw each other only a few times a year. All leading up to Christmas… I looked forward to Christmas Eve.

Year after year, my Dad would be working his tail off during the holiday rush, as he was a leader in the retail industry. Year after year, my Mom would work her tail off preparing all the gifts and getting the ingredients for all the food to be cooked on Christmas Eve. As a child I did not comprehend the magnitude of all that my parents did for two days out of the year. But they made sure that those 48 hours were the best they would be for their children. They knew how much I loved Christmas, but not how much I looked forward to Christmas Eve.

Every year when Christmas Eve came we had a routine… every year we would wake up, get all the gifts packed in the car, head over to Gram and Pops, then head to the cemetery. We would bring Christmas flowers to my Aunt’s grave prior to really starting our Christmas Eve. Heading back to the house, I would get giddy… so much anticipation and excitement. Gram had all the tables set, the “big” table and the “kids” table… I did not make the cut to the big table until my teenage years when we all were bumped up to an even bigger table. Alas, I looked forward to Christmas Eve.

The three biggest things I always looked forward to on Christmas Eve were my family coming over, the smells that Gram and Mom created from the kitchen, and most of all, Dad coming home from work. Each year my uncles, aunts, and cousins would show up ready for a fun filled Eve. Uncle Sal always came with a new game, uncle Anthony always came making us laugh, and overall the family was one. Gram and Mom would be hustling for hours in the kitchen to make the traditional Italian feast. Multiple fish meals, pounds of macaroni, and appetizers galore. The steam, the smells of crab, shrimp, lobster, macaroni coming from the kitchen would envelope my senses… “this is Christmas Eve” would always resonate in my mind. For years, the same memories and feelings. While the day would go on, games would be played, laughter had, food served, and alas… Dad walks in. Mom and Gram still bringing plates and giant bowls of food out as Dad opens the door. Each year something unique with Dad’s entrance, my favorite was always when he had his tie wrapped around his head… the signal of ready for a good time. We all cheer and welcome him into our fun filled day. Mom wipes her brow, embraces Dad, and keeps soldiering on with Gram to complete the feast of multiple courses. This is why I look forward to Christmas Eve.

Hours go by… more games and food. As the years went on and we all got older the traditions altered some. When we all got older the later we stayed up. Drinks became a part of the traditions and we all partook in the ultimate tradition that Pop loved… Sausage and Octopus Salad at Midnight. For years this was always our Christmas Eve… as time moved on and families expanded, things eventually did change. Like all families, we also ended up losing some loved ones. Gram and Pop will forever celebrate the Christmas Eve I loved as a child with all of us. We bring them Christmas flowers every Christmas Eve morning now. As we all get older some traditions still hold strong. At Thirty-four I know so much more than I did at four. I learned through the years that the feeling of love, happiness, and the Christmas spirit always came from the traditions we created. Now, I am able to build on those traditions with my daughter, parents, and forever expanding family. Within a year, I will be married once again. Within a year, Samantha and I will build on our own Christmas Eve traditions. This year we are combining traditions, some old and some new… but this is why I look forward to Christmas Eve.

Ally, my daughter, she has multiple families and we all make sure she knows the love we all have for her. We mesh well and make sure she has the best of all worlds. This year is special as after spending time with Sam’s family and their traditions, on Christmas Eve night, Ally will be with us into Christmas Day. This year, she will see all traditions of our Christmas Eve. This year I will get to feel the joy as a parent to see her laugh, smile, eat, stay up late, and just enjoy family. I now know why my parents put so much into a mere 48 hours, as on Christmas day the happiness will be overflowing watching her open gifts at the crack of dawn, with Nyx running around trying to swat the ripped wrapping paper. Coming home with Ally and Sam to a house filled with Christmas Eve joy, my Mom cooking crab sauce with macaroni, and Dad still strolling in after a long day at work, still makes me feel the passion of the season. Sharing it with my loved ones as an adult means so much more to me. This is why I look forward to Christmas Eve… Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!