As I look back on the We are Family Briggs blog stories over the past year, I have to wonder how my relations celebrated the holiday season those many years ago.

Every family has traditions with some being carried forward from generation to generation. One tradition I remember from my childhood is always having to eat a full breakfast before we opened presents so our tummies wouldn’t get sick from all the junk food we would be having throughout the day. We were allowed to open our stockings before breakfast, but the rest had to wait. And trust me, it was a full breakfast and cleanup afterwards! I did that with my two sons while they grew up and they still remember it to this day.

Having young children around during Christmas seems to make it that more magical. The magic tends to fade as we get older. The one thing I try to remember is whether you’re with family or surrounded by wonderful friends, it is being together that is the most important part of the season.

I will be spending Christmas with my two sons. The one tradition that we look forward to is on Christmas Eve. We have a lot of snacks, watch a movie and play a game. This year, we’ve invited some special friends to join us.

For Christmas day dinner, we are going away from the traditional turkey and having salmon (which is always a treat for us), and visiting family on Boxing Day for the turkey dinner which we are very much looking forward to. **UPDATE – Boxing Day dinner is now New Year’s Day dinner – can’t wait!

So, from my family to yours, please have a safe and wonderful holiday season, carry on your family traditions and always remember the magic of the season.