The holiday season is upon us, and I am flooded with memories. My children are grown and on their own now, but all I can think about is their years of growing up and the lovely traditions we created. My favorite one is leaving cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. Not because I got to eat them (although that does help), but because of the joy that came with the tradition.
It all started when my girls were quite young. One Christmas Eve morning, we were looking for something to do. My girls decided that, along with baking cookies for Santa, we should make him a homemade ornament. They carefully took out paper, crayons, pipe cleaners, glue, glitter, and everything else they thought they needed. An hour passed as they joyfully colored, cut, and glued while singing along to Christmas carols.
By the time they were done, there was a small pile of ornaments looking for a home. A few of them were carefully placed on our tree, while the rest were put to the side while deciding where they should go.
We then started baking. The girls could not decide what kind of cookie was Santa’s favorite, so we made gingerbread men, sugar cookies in a variety of shapes, and chocolate chip cookies. We had way more cookies than Santa needed. We packaged some up to bring with us on Christmas Day to their grandparents, but there were still a lot of cookies on the kitchen counter!
Looking out the window, an idea appeared. What if we were to share some of this holiday cheer with our neighbors? The girls loved this idea. They put an assortment of cookies on a plate, wrapped it carefully, and added one of their newly created ornaments on top.
They then carefully walked next door to the woman that they had lovingly nicknamed “Grandma Cupcake”. As I stood on our front porch, I watched them knock on her door, wish her a Merry Christmas, and give her the plate of goodies. She thanked them and hugged them both. The girls came running back to the house, all excited to grab another plate and go to the next delivery.
For years, this became our Christmas Eve tradition. We were able to spend the day together, baking cookies, coloring ornaments, and bringing joy to our neighbors. I never realized how much it meant to our neighbors until years later. I saw Grandma Cupcake’s daughter, and she mentioned to me how much her mother had always loved Christmas Eve. She said she was so happy each year to see the girls and get that plate of treats. She had even kept the ornaments.
What started as an activity to keep two children busy turned into an act of love that I hope they continue with their children when the time comes. This is a Christmas memory that I will always hold close to my heart. I hope your families and traditions bring you happiness and joy this holiday season!
