In my family Christmas Eve was always a special time. We had dinner together (observing the fast before the feast) and then later gathered as one of us read the Christmas story from Luke’s Gospel. Then we sang some Christmas carols (although there are no great singers in my family, but we tried.) Later we would all go together to Midnight Mass with a big breakfast afterwards about 2:00 a.m. Then we were up early to see what Santa brought and then back to church for a couple more Christmas Masses. In the afternoon all the extended family came over for a great feast, conversation and board games. Many, many good times and happy memories!
Fr. Tom Tank
A favorite Christmas tradition for us really only started about fifteen years ago. Family members would struggle to find things to buy for each other. It became more of a challenge than a true giving from the heart. My siblings and I decided that instead of buying for each other, we would put money in a collection to be sent to our cousin who is a missionary Capuchin priest in Papua New Guinea. The dollar goes a lot farther there. Fr. Peter is able to purchase school supplies and other things needed in his village. It is the best way we found to truly experience the meaning of Christmas!
Dcn. Ken Billinger
Midnight Mass stands out as one of my favorite traditions. I really loved it when everybody (including the kids) was up and awake and singing Christmas songs, dressed to the finest. It is such a beautiful tradition.
Fr. Charles McGlinn
One special memory I have is when I came home from seminary one year for Christmas vacation and our living room was filled with bags of groceries that my mother and her mother, who was living with us, had bought and packaged to deliver to the poor. I was really surprised, and I remember how wonderful it made me feel.
My childhood memory of Christmas Eve immediately comes to mind as one of many great Christmas traditions. Mom would make a special meal for our family—Mom, Dad and seven children (I am the 6th of 7). We would then work on a jigsaw puzzle, play other games or just visit about past Christmas memories until 11:00pm when each of the children would then open a designated gift. It would always be a shirt and slacks for the boys and a blouse or dress for the girls. We would don our new clothes and then pile in the station wagon and drive to Midnight Mass. I never remember getting sleepy at the Mass because I was excited about the festivities upon our return home. We would open presents, eat cookies and special snacks. The joy would continue into the wee morning hours.
Dcn. John Stanley
My family had a tradition that on Christmas Eve we would have a family dinner, (lobster or crab legs, corn, salad, baked potato, etc). Then we would get dressed up to head to the Church of the Holy Martyrs (Vietnamese parish) for the Christmas Pageant at 10:00pm and then stay for the Midnight Mass. After the Midnight Mass we would head home as a family, have dessert, and open presents. Christmas Day we would attend Christmas morning Mass and then head over to my father’s side of the family for lunch and later that evening head over to my mother’s side of the family for dinner. Christmas was busy and packed, but it was centered on the celebration of the Mass and family.
Fr. Viet Nguyem
One of my fond Christmas memories is what our family did when our daughters were young. After returning home from Christmas Eve Mass, we would have a “picnic” in the living room. We would sit on the floor and watch a Christmas movie while we ate snack foods and drank carbonated grape juice out of wine glasses. Our daughters enjoyed this so much, and their joy was so fun to witness.
Dcn. Kris Kuckelman