Hooray! We’ve made it to a full week of blogs. To celebrate, I’ve decided to let you in on some huge family drama …
We’re changing up the Christmas Eve plans.
Since August, my aunt and I have been brainstorming ways to shake things up this holiday season. We’re lucky to come from a large family of big personalities; there’s never a dull day with our crew. But our crew is getting older and some traditions are getting tired. There’s comfort in nostalgia, but there’s also magic in reinvention.
My aunt and I share a birthday, which means we share a speciality in making things more beautiful (we’re libras!). The first thing we decided to tackle was reinventing the general atmosphere. We initially considered hosting Christmas Eve at my aunt’s house, but ultimately, my grandparent’s house has more space.
This presented new challenges for us: how do we create a new vibe in a familiar setting? It’s harder than it seems. I’m not caught up on the Psychology of Place, but I know that the rooms can influence our behavior. Keeping a computer in the bedroom, for example, has been linked to insomnia even when the computer is off. This is because the brain associates the computer with work or restlessness.
Our workaround solution for the brain’s tricky preferential urges is simple: change the schedule. Typically, my family gathers around a small appetizer table to kickstart the night. This year, we’re doing away with that and opting for a cocktail hour. The bartender may be my brother and a coat-check may be non-existent — but at least we will catch up with one another.
Our next plan was to have some activities available during the cocktail hour; think of it as a social schedule. We’ll have a craft table available for anyone interested in making a construction paper crown. Apparently wearing a crown at the Christmas dinner table is common in the UK, so we thought we’d give it a try. (I may have also bought some Christmas crackers to try with my family).
We’ll also be rotating through some cheeky parlour games to keep things silly.
We didn’t mess with the menu too much — but we did mess with the chef. Instead of my grandmother doing all of the hosting and cooking, we’re insisting on a potluck-style approach with the usual Italian cuisine. My mom’s making a baked ziti. I’m doing the cheeseboard. Like quintessential Italian-Americans, it seems we cannot agree on the menu’s final touches (Minestrone? Pasta Fagiole?) so time will reveal who ultimately shows up with what.
Our gift exchange is typically brief and during dessert. This seems too perfect to change, so instead, we’re simply trying to dress-it-up. We’ve invited people to bring their pajamas to change into; we’re insisting that they wear their crown, however.
Our closing activity of the night will be related to the closing of the year. Although there’s obviously a week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, my family has never been big about celebrating the latter together. If I can find it, I’d love to bring a Peppermint Pig, which seems like such a silly-but-sweet tradition. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s kind of wild, so I’ll drop this here for you to read on your own.
Whether the changes are a flop or a hit, we’re both looking forward to spending time with our crazy family and making it a memorable Christmas Eve.
That Blogmas Girl
That American Girl 
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