My grandparents always celebrated Little Christmas Eve. It was the day they would celebrate Christmas with their friends and neighbors, on December 23rd. Many of my cherished Christmas memories and traditions are ones that started or took place at my grandparent’s farm. Christmas Eve was the day for the Peter family to celebrate together, and every Christmas Eve at the farm was almost the same to the one before, even down to the menu. To this day I take so much comfort in just with the idea of clam chowder and fondue, and our traditional appetizers of ham dip, rumaki and other treats. The desert was a very important part of our Christmas Eve menu too, Jesus’ birthday cake.
I remember decorating Jesus’ birthday cake back to when I was almost too young to help. My mom and I would stand out in the mud room of the farm house where it was always freezing and decorate the cake together. My cousin Beth would help when she got a little older, and the younger cousins all had their chance as well. Now the birthday cake is a ice cream cake from Baskin and Robins, but still just as special. The celebration of Jesus’ birthday was always the central part of our Christmas Eve at the farm.
Jesus’ birthday party has been growing more and more popular. Many think it is silly and not the way to celebration Christmas, but I believe it is a way that we can celebrate something so wonderful in a way that everyone understands. For those that don’t understand the true meaning of Christmas, they can recognize a birthday party, the birth of Christ, and through a simple birthday party can show the greater meaning of Christmas, and what Jesus would grow up and do for us all.
None of us could really remember when we started the tradition of Jesus’ birthday cake. My aunt made a discovery though the other day when she found a hand written note of my grandmothers in one of her Bibles, that said every Christmas Eve they would celebrate Jesus’ birthday with the five of them sitting at the table around Jesus’ birthday cake. She wrote that on the cake would be a candle for every year they had been a family. What was a cherished childhood memory for me has now become even a greater tradition, something my family started 50 or 60 years ago.
Merry Christmas
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2 comments:
This sounds like a wonderful, cherished tradition:-) Hope you can continue it in the years to come;-)
I love the idea. Good tradition. Good to talk to you too. Hope you have a fun Christmas!
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