Teresa Snipes
Christmas Eve is always special for my family. We attend a candlelight service at our church.
When we return home, we sit down in the dining room to a traditional meal of Mom’s homemade spaghetti. It’s easy to make and I can leave it on low on the stove or put it the crock-pot to stay warm while we are at the service. All I have to do before we eat is put water on to boil noodles, bake the rolls, and make a salad.
My children’s personal favorite is table presents. They can remember every table present they’ve ever received on Christmas Eve since we began this tradition.
After the Christmas Eve meal is complete and everyone has enjoyed dessert, we open our table presents starting with the youngest child. She pulls a ribbon attached to her charger plate. The ribbon has been taped to the bottom of her charger plate and twisted all around all the other gifts in the center of the table. She must follow the ribbon until she finds the other end taped to her present. When she finally gets to the end of it, she pulls it out of the group and unwraps it. Each family member does this until my lovely centerpiece is gone and everyone is laughing and sharing their gifts.
The gifts are not expensive ones, just fun. Simple items like a CD, a small stuffed animal, wafers, Whitman Samplers for ladies. One year I gave all the males those guns that shoot round foam pieces and we all had a ball.
The great thing about this is that all the gifts are wrapped in the same wrap and tied with the same ribbon or bows and then fixed into a lovely centerpiece. Each year I for just the right wrap that will match the look for the dining room table and tablecloth. It’s a lovely centerpiece that keeps everyone walking by and making guesses.
