Reflecting on family Christmas traditions, I realized that Christmas Eve was always the event I most looked forward to.
As evening approached, my mother would hurry my sister and me to get ready in our Christmas dresses despite our excitement about presents and seeing our cousins.
The evening would begin with my mother’s family at my Grandma & Grandpa Territo’s tiny house, filled with many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Like many Italian families, we always had more food than we could eat, and it was all delicious. I miss my Grandma Angie’s incredible cooking, which is impossible to replicate. She mastered the old Italian dishes you can’t find at a restaurant.
After dinner, mad chaos ensued when the adults distributed the gifts amongst the group. The kids would hover around the Christmas tree like buzzards, eying which gifts were for them and engaging in competitive banter amongst each other.
Our parents would usher us away from the tree to spots to sit and patiently wait our turn. Wrapping paper was scattered everywhere, and large garbage bags were passed around to help with cleanup. Over-stimulated children were whining about opening their presents, which was a firm no since everyone had other places to go afterward.
After our time at Grandma Angie’s, we headed to Maw Maw Tillie and Paw Paw Alton’s house. During the car ride, I would gaze out the window at the night sky, hoping to spot Santa and his reindeer. My parents would joke that any red lights might be him, but I didn’t realize those were just aircraft lights. Christmas music played on the radio during the car ride, and it was truly magical to my younger self.
As soon as we entered Maw Maw Tillie’s home, the mouthwatering aroma of a home-cooked roast greeted us. The evening unfolded reminiscent of my Grandma Angie’s house, with family all around. The only distinction was that my Paw Paw Alton would dress up as Santa Claus and make a grand entrance as the guest of honor. He would then distribute gifts to the children and adults before leaving shortly afterward.
We would leave about an hour later, and by that time, we were all exhausted. I often fell asleep in the car, listening to the Christmas music playing on the radio while staring out the window, hoping to spot Santa. When we finally got home, my sister and I would change into our nightgowns and leave out cookies and milk for Santa and our letters to him.
I sincerely miss those simple times and the family members who are no longer with me today. I wish my daughter could have experienced Christmas like I did as a child, I certainly did my best to give her a similar experience. It was one of a kind, and all I can do is retell the story of memories.
Leave a Reply