Christmas is a time for family and traditions. It's a time when our stories are molded and meant to be remembered, shared, and retold.

I am proud to share today's blog post about family traditions, which was written by Tiffany Kochensparger.

A Cobb Family Christmas

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. Much like the dinner bell a mother may use to gather her children for supper, the jingle bells of the season call my whole family together. Each year, the holiday season celebrates our family's love. Aunts, uncles, and cousins from states away gather to celebrate and catch up on the year's events. In my family, Christmas day is filled with a plethora of traditions that act as a glue that holds our family together.

Every Christmas, the mornings begin with each immediate family starting the day with their own traditions, whether opening presents or enjoying breakfast. But as the day progresses, everyone knows where they will be in the evening: my father's house. My father, Craig, has been hosting Christmas dinner for as long as I can remember. He takes such pride in this gathering, placing Christmas lights in every inch of the home and creating a magical, colorful display throughout the yard. As the family begins to assemble, they enter through the Christmas-lighted archways that my father made, which line the driveway, symbolizing the beginning of our Christmas festivities. No formal invitation is sent, and there is no Facebook event scheduled; it is a known tradition that everyone will be at Craig's house at 7 pm every Christmas.

As the family begins to trickle in, the smack-talking also begins. Every Christmas, we start the evening with our annual family kickball game, and this means serious business. My family is extremely competitive; not even the youngest is safe from being pelted with a kickball thrown from across the yard. The youngest cousins, who were five and six when this tradition began, are now teenagers, and this year, they are excited for the chance to be team captains. This tradition may seem silly to some, but it has become something meaningful and joyous in our family. It is a lighthearted, fun competition that is talked about all year long.

We excitedly gather for the highly anticipated dinner after the annual kickball game. My father always prepares the turkey and stuffing; my cousin Rachell masterfully makes the mashed potatoes, Grandma Judy makes the casserole, Aunt Lynn makes her famous cherry dump cake, and various other cousins prepare sides and fixings that fill the kitchen countertops. Everyone piles into the kitchen and the dining room as we hold hands while Uncle Tim blesses the food.  Uncle Tim always says the best prayers as he thanks the Lord for the opportunity to have everyone together on Christmas day. After the prayer ends, the race begins, not to the turkey or to the ham, but to Aunt Lynn's cherry dump cake. It is the first thing to go every year, so everyone sprints to the sheet pan, makes their dessert plates, and stashes them away until they are ready to eat dessert. Without fail, the cherry dump cake is the first thing to go every year.

For the next couple hours, after everyone has eaten and had a chance to catch up, the last game of the night begins: the box game. If you thought we were competitive over kickball, you have seen nothing yet. The box game consists of everyone gathering around a table to try to open a box, but not any ordinary box. This box has been tightly wrapped in packing tape, and inside you will find another box, also covered in packing tape. Inside that box is another box, and so on and so on. The goal is to be the person who opens the last box and pulls out the mini- Christmas stocking. But you can only try to open the box after rolling a six on the dice. After rolling the six, you must put on a beanie, a scarf, and mittens before taking your stab at opening the box. It becomes two hours of bonding, laughing, memory building, and pure childlike fun.

To some, traditions may seem boring and mundane. Others may prefer their evenings to be spent with more spontaneity. While I consider myself a spontaneous person, traditions such as these allow me to feel grounded and connected to my family. This one day of the year provides a sense of reliability, showing that no matter where we may be, as a family, we are still close and will also prioritize each other. My family's traditions act as a reference line on a chart– unwavering, constant, and connecting us all.

 

GUEST BLOGGER, Tiffany Kochensparger's essay was selected as the best in her Writing and Communication Class at Mercer College in Macon, Georgia, which is taught by Christina Harris. As a result, I excitedly agreed to post her essay on my HER Life Hacks blog.

My name is Tiffany Kochensparger. I was born and raised in Florida but have spent most of my adult life in Georgia after moving to Savannah as a military spouse. I am a branch manager at Navy Federal Credit Union and truly enjoy my job. At 28 years old, I decided to go to college and have been pursuing a Bachelor's in Organization Leadership at Mercer University. In my free time, I enjoy hiking and watching football (Go Bulldogs).

 

 

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I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, go to my website – https://HERLifehacks.com, and pick up my free copy of HER Heritage HOMEwork Checklist. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. 

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