[PhoenixAzul]

True story about how I love Christmas.

When my husband and I started dating (10 years ago...holy smokes), we started our little Christmas schedule. Christmas Eve was huge in his family. There was a big dinner at his Aunt's house with pierogies, fried fish, about a million other foods, and we always did oplatek too. Usually we'd sit around and BS, then go to our friend's parent's house and have yet more food and BSing and games. Then we'd go to midnight mass at my husband's childhood church (and the church we were married in and will be returning to when we move).

Christmas morning we usually get up and have a big breakfast (pancakes or french toast) and exchange presents with each other. Then we go back to my in-laws for lunch (usually leftovers), and then go to my parents for Christmas day. We do gifts, eat, and usually board games.

When we were kids, one of my favorite traditions was luminaires. My dad used to do them on the sidewalk up to our house, and then all the way down the street and up to our neighbors houses too. He always used the clay stuff he uses in his garage to clean up oil spills to keep them standing up, and my job once I learned how to drive was to procure plumbers candles for them. Once we get our house, we'll do this, too.