25 Days of Christmas – December 24th

Christmas Eve Gift!

Families have lots of traditions during this time of year. Matching sweaters or reading a poem, going to look at light displays or attending church services. If you’re like my family, one of your traditions involves sneakiness, pre-dawn attacks and a lot of yelling.

The story I’ve heard begins about 70 years ago, when my aunt asked my Grandfather for a present on Christmas eve. He began a game with her where they would see who could say it to each other first. A silly little game between a father and daughter all those years ago has lasted and grown into a yearly contest between the members of my family.

The game has no rules and only one goal. To say “Christmas Eve Gift” before the other person. When calling people in my family on the 24th, prepare to hear it shouted over the phone instead of hello. Beware of voicemail and answering machine messages because those have gotten changed as well. The advent of technology means that texting and the internet have gotten into the act, and blogs and Facebook are now viable ways to “get” someone.

Over the years we’ve all made attempts to be sneakier than our relatives. There have been tricks to get people to call on the phone and tricks to get them to read the message on a letter or card. Certain sneaky people have slipped the message into newspapers when on their morning route or held up signs outside of windows. We’ve made countless phone calls across the country, sometimes several from house to house since even though you “got” one person in the house, it doesn’t count for everyone. I remember as a kid being excited to get to call people on the phone to try and “get” them myself.

As a child, I assumed that everyone did this. To me, saying “Christmas Eve Gift” is as much of a part of Christmas as the tree. It’s always been there, and it wouldn’t be Christmas without it. As an adult, I love the connection. The tie that bonds me with my kin, the fact that with three shouted words, you identify yourself as family. Three little words that tie us together, that span decades and states and all the changes that families go through as they evolve. Three little words that no matter how they are texted or typed, shouted or giggled, are full of love.