Christmas Eve.

It really is that time of the year when life seems to slow down and people begin to wind down to catch their breaths. Oh I love Christmas and I'm happy to share my family thoughts and tradition with you. Thank you @fannyescobar for this contest.

How is Christmas usually celebrated in my family??.

I have a very large family of both nuclear and extended members who are in different parts of the country and as such we don't get to spend much time together.
Every Christmas majority of my relatives come back home, (though not all as some may be held back by something)and as such the house is bustling. We cook together from one pot, eat together, attend our village festivals (of which there are a lot) together and generally spend time with each other.

Source

Of course while coming back, everyone gets a gift for someone. It doesn't matter how little, but presents must be exchanged during Christmas. This helps my family members to bond with each other and express our love for one another.

What meals do you eat that day??

We mostly eat fried rice garnished with salad, some laps of Chicken or turkey to go and a cold beverage. This particular meal will be prepared ahead of time as it takes a while to make for such large number of people. Everyday from the 23rd is a meal day in my house😂.

What do i like most about Christmas eve??

Hmmmm🤔🤔. My best thing about Christmas eve are the stories. Every Christmas eve we all gather either at my grandma's house or at my uncles house and we tell stories. Stories about Christ, his birth, life, death, the reason for the Christmas celebrations etc. This is championed by my grandmother who is a strong believer in Jesus Christ.

I believe the family is the first proponent of societal change. It is the first place morals, faith and beliefs are inculcated so we don't take these times for granted.
We also share our experiences about our faith, our trials, the things we've gone through and are still standing. This time around everyone is given an opportunity to share something. These story times strengthen each one of us as you never can tell who is going through a particular issue and your story can strengthen them. We used to have a bible book for stories for this exact purpose because it has pictures too for the little ones to see and follow through.

Do you gather with your family to celebrate Christmas??

Source

Yes I do. Every year we gather not just to celebrate Christmas but to thank God for the gift of life after a full year cycle.

What can't be missed on Christmas eve??

The stories can't be missed. We all look forward to it. Some of the stories I've heard a million times before😂 but I would still love to hear them again.

Source

Most times I don't think it's really about the stories being shared but about the legacy being passed down from one generation to another, plus it's always fun to sit under the stars while talking, sharing and drawing life lessons from them. So even if you want to skip it, someone will remind everyone that we're supposed to tell stories on Christmas eve.😂😂

Would you love to watch a Christmas movie that night?

Yes I would as it brings one fully into the mood of Christmas.💃💃. I even have a line up of movies to see already by laju iren.

• First one is mistakenly yours...I can't remember the name of the other two.

I feel so nostalgic writing about my Christmas eve and it's celebrations that I can't wait for this year's Christmas to come already😂.
@hyacinthfavour @jovita30 @pandoradiary do you have Christmas eve traditions you would like to share?? Join this contest.