Christmas Tradition: The Last Gift of Christmas

The Christmas tradition at our house that I enjoy more than all the others is what I call "The Last Gift of Christmas!"  It started several years back.  Christmas at our home is an "all day event."  But in the evening hours, as the last gift was opened, my wife would always say, "I hate it when it's over!"  She was right.  It was always a "bummer" when our family Christmas celebration ended.  After hearing that phrase from my wife on multiple Christmas evenings, I decided to do something about it.

When the next Christmas rolled around, the day went as it always had in the past, ending with the words, "I hate it when it's over!"  But what my family did not know is that it really wasn't over.  Just when everyone was headed to bed after a long day of festivity, I summoned my wife and kids back down to the living room.  I think they thought either something was terribly wrong or they were in some kind of serious trouble.  What they didn't realize is that without their knowing it, I had bought each of them one final gift - their "Last Gift of Christmas."  When they arrived back downstairs I gave each of them their final gift of the day.  Believe me, it was a quite the hit!

I have continued this tradition every year since that one.  Each year our Christmas celebration ends right before bedtime with the "Last Gift of Christmas."  These are not just any gifts.  I spend a lot of time and give a lot of thought to these gifts.  They have to be special.  I want them to be the most memorable gift of the day.  And the rule is that whoever is in our house on Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus with us, they too get a "Last Gift of Christmas."