Edmonton is covered in a thick blanket of white powdery snow. Since we've been told the snow probably won't melt until April, there's no doubt we'll be having a White Christmas this year. Dayven grew up in Colorado, so to him, it doesn't really feel like Christmas unless there's snow on the ground. I grew up on an island off the coast of Florida so Christmas was a whole different scene to me. My mom decorated the palm trees outside our house and Santa arrived by boat. There were plenty of times where we had to turn the air conditioning on because we were sweating and even a couple of times when it was warm enough to swim. Although it looks like Christmas outside here, it doesn't really feel like it for some reason. 
Maybe because we're far from home or because we won't be spending it with family. When you're a kid, Christmas seems so magical - all the excitement 
and anticipation, without any of the stress or guilt. The entire month leading up to December 25 was filled with fervor and promise. My brother, Josh and I would wait all year for the Sear's Wishbook to arrive, then take turns dog earring all the pages and circling the items we wanted. I'm not sure we ever got any of them, 
but it was really more fun to dream anyway. Every morning, we'd greedily peel a peppermint from our Advent calendars, as we counted down to that special day. We'd proudly hang each of the homemade ornaments and the popcorn garland on the tree. We'd stay up late on Christmas Eve, playing "I spy something on the Christmas tree", and shaking boxes, trying to guess their contents. If we were able to keep our heavy eyelids open long enough, we'd pile in the car and head to midnight mass. When we woke on Christmas morning, we'd beg my mom to let us open our stockings, which she gladly let us do if it meant a little more sleep for her. When my parents got up, they fixed a big breakfast, then we tore into the gifts. My mom always fixed seafood appetizers like shrimp cocktail, oysters rockefeller and steamed clams to munch on until it was time for the big feast. Today, when we celebrate at our house, we still make a big breakfast (Dayven's famous pancakes or eggs benedict), then we swill mimosas and nosh on nibblies while opening presents. I'm sure as Wyatt gets older, we'll adopt some more traditions of our own and he'll come to know Christmas as a magical holiday too.
Before I was born, my mom's dad, affectionately called "Popo" by the grandkids, would dress up as Santa every year. My mom and aunts would help him suit up and apply his fake beard, before he made his grand entrance to dazzle the grandkids. It was a good run until my cousin Jenny wisened up exclaiming, "Hey Santa, that's my Popo's watch!!" and the gig was up. Sadly I never got to meet him because he 
passed away a month before I was born. Every year continued to be a fun holiday with all the cousins together, until everyone began moving away to different parts of the country.
Traditions are definitely one of the best parts of Christmas in my opinion. They're what make the holiday familiar and fun. What holiday traditions do you remember from your childhood? Do you incorporate them into your own family traditions today? However you're spending the next few days, have a holly jolly Christmas!
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