I am a Thanksgiving baby. I was born on the day after Thanksgiving, and my 10th, 16th, and 21st birthdays all fell out on Turkey Day (so much for the traditional 21st birthday bar visit
) My birthday always got tied up with Thanksgiving, and dessert was always ice cream cake.
I have fond memories of receiving Lego kits as birthday and Christmas presents. I'd hole up in the den and build and build.
My parents and I used to have an Advent wreath. On Christmas Eve we changed the purple and pink candles for white. We also had a Nativity scene, and placed Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning. (I grew up Catholic.)
When I was little, I was always given one gift to unwrap on Christmas Eve. This was my Christmas nightgown, usually some red/green/white print. My father built a fire on Christmas Eve (they had a wood-burning fireplace at the time) and I would warm my new nightgown by the fire and then go change into it once it was toasty warm.
A mug of hot chocolate, and then off to bed... In the morning I unwrapped the rest of my gifts, including the ones from Santa, whose handwriting was suspiciously like my mother's.
