Grandpa's Christmas Eve Birthday Party Celebration

Christmas Eve in my family is the biggest day of the year; it's also my grandpa's birthday. Growing up, I would start anticipating Christmas Eve of the next year on December 26^th. Grandpa's Christmas Eve/birthday was the best event of the year in my young life.

The excitement would build all year but starting the day after Thanksgiving I would start counting down the days to the annual Christmas Eve event at Grandpa's house. I would wake up the morning of Christmas Eve wanting to know when we were going to Grandpa's. I would watch the clock in anticipation and at least once that day I would make myself physically sick from the excitement.

Grandpa's Christmas Eve party had an open door policy. You were welcome if you could open the front door and walk in. The family would gather early in the evening before the guests started to arrive and I would help my Aunts and Uncles put the finishing touches on the tree and then we would open gifts.

To be honest, I don't remember a single gift from those Christmas Eve events but what I do remember is the fun that I had on those nights. Mom, would get me in my pajamas before we left because we would be there late and while I stayed awake for the party as long as we were there, I would be fast asleep in the car in minutes.

I usually ate too much food and to this day my mouth waters at the thought of Grandpa's meatballs and chicken paprikash. The Christmas memories that were created during these parties still live with me in my mid-40's.

There were engagements, new babies, laughter, fun and always more people that should have ever fit into that little three bedroom home. But for us that was Christmas. Those Christmas Eve's were magical to my childhood and now each year as the holidays approach I think of those Christmas memories.

We have lost several members of our family through the years and had children of our own, watch those children grow and even get married as well but there is still nothing to compare to Christmas Eve in our family.

Grandpa passed in 2001 and the house was sold. Now, my only surviving Uncle continues the tradition and we still have the same food and many of the same people show up as they did when I was a child. We are still creating those Christmas memories for our children and I am sure as we celebrate this year, Grandpa will be joining us from heaven because we all know he would never miss out on his own birthday party.