While observing all of the craziness about “Black Friday,” (which now also includes Black Friday Eve it seems to me) I found myself trying to remember exactly when this “holiday” began. I remember when most folks worked on the Friday after Thanksgiving unless they were fortunate enough to be able to take a vacation day. I remember actually being able to shop at “normal” times on that Friday if I wasn’t working. Shopping, however, really meant “browsing” to try to get gift ideas. The “one big thing of the year” that was sure to make the recipient the happiest person in the world did not exist.
I realize I am entering my sixth decade here on this earth and things do change. (In my earlier decades, most stores weren’t even open on Sunday, let alone on holidays. What a strange concept! ) My aim is not to criticize those who take part in this annual event. Most of my friends and family do. It is merely to maybe offer some food for thought.
I myself sometimes, as I did this year, shop on the day after Thanksgiving, but definitely not the evening of Thanksgiving, and not at 3 a.m. on Black Friday. While I realize my boycotting of these businesses and their odd hours doesn’t mean employees at those businesses will have more time to make memories with their families, I choose to not support them. Additionally, after hosting Thanksgiving dinner for 17, I don’t think I would physically have been up to it! On Black Friday morning I was ready to sit a while with my husband and watch Christmas movies. Another strange concept…he and I being home at the same time and neither feeling like there were things we just had to get done.
As life goes on, and I enter these later decades, I tend to think more about Christmas past than I do of Christmas present. Christmas Eve was spent at Grandma and Grandpa Tungett’s. No matter what else was going on that night, my sisters and I knew that’s where we would be! It was a given that we could always count on. Even though things at home might not be going as we would like, we knew Christmas Eve we would be with Grandma and Grandpa Tungett. All of the aunts and uncles and cousins would be there! You may be thinking “wow, there must have been some really great gifts to look forward to that night.” You might be surprised to know that our excitement was not based on what “great” gift grandma and grandpa were going to give us. That was no surprise…it was new pajamas…every year!!! And I couldn’t wait to get them. Much like the dollar we all knew they would give us on our birthday. I venture to say I appreciated those PJs as much or more than the “one great gift” contest we have now. But what I really looked forward to was being with all my family, and the PJs just added a nice touch.
So, as we make new memories (which may very well be re-telling the story of the crazy Walmart shopper) and begin new traditions with our family, let’s not make the “things” we get for our family more important than our family.
Grandma will soon be gone 29 years. In my eyes, she died young…at 72. I wonder how she would react to all the Black Friday Eve and Black Friday hoopla of today. I think she would say “Tutt Tutt Jean ReNee. That’s not what Christmas is all about. “
Great reminder that it is the people we spend time with that make up memories. Things get pushed under beds, stuffed in closets, but memories with loved ones last a lifetime. Thanks for sharing your family tradition.
ReplyDeleteWhat are some other traditions from everyone else?
I have an odd Christmas tradition to share.....especially since we don't believe in Santa. But, my dad always set an elaborate trap to catch Santa on Christmas Eve. It was many different things over the years with ropes, boxes, pullies and chains. My sister and I would always write a note to warn Santa about the trap and on Christmas morning, the trap would be destroyed with a taunting note to dad like "You missed me again" or "You will never catch me" and thanks girls for the warning! It is silly, but we really thought that was fun. Jeff started doing a trap several years ago and dad helped him one year with it before he died. As ridiculous as that sounds, it brings tears to my eyes to remember it because my dad really loved the Lord so much and celebrating Christ's birth was the most important thing, even in the midst of the Santa silliness. Another tradition was a gift from Santa to my grandmother every year that all of the grandkids and cousins would gather around to watch her open............it was always a beautiful glass dish of some sort with a bug, critter or creature in it that she would scream about and throw around! Of course, that Santa was my dad, too. It's been two years since he died and I still really miss him, especially at this time of year. He was a fun character and he was an inspiration because he loved his Lord and he adored God's word. He immersed himself in God's word every day and he knew so much that I loved listening to him as he studied the Bible. God can use anyone....he used my dad and even though he was a high school drop out, he became a minister late in life and he had spiritual insight beyond compare. Thanks for letting me share about my dad.
ReplyDeleteJean, I enjoyed your post very much. In my early years we always looked forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas as a time when my dad would be able to be off work. He worked 2 jobs at one time in order to provide for his family of 5 children.
ReplyDeleteAll the stores closed at 5pm Thanksgiving eve and noon on Christmas eve. I still remember walking to P.N. Hirsch every Christmas eve (prior to noon) to pick up last minutes gifts or the ever popular Reese Drug Store. I am dating myself, but my favorite thing was to stop at Candy Bill's and enjoy a fountain cherry Coke. Yum.
Call me old fashioned but I rather enjoyed those days. It was slower, more thoughtful and centered on family traditions. Even though like Jean, my life was not always reflective of Leave It To Beaver or Father Knows Best, we did enjoy the holidays.
I pray you take time to make memories with your family this year. Many of you are making new ones, may you know the grace and love of our LORD as you focus on the real meaning of Christmas.
Jean, is PJ's still on your Christmas list? Thanks for the post.
Thanks Ann and Marilyn. I enjoyed both of those memories. Ann, your story reminded me of the time we forgot to put money under Brittany's pillow for her tooth. She came down the stairs and said "I guess there's no tooth fairy, there's no Easter Bunny, and I'm having my doubts about Santa Claus!" Priceless!
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, Jannie and I walked to P.N. Hirsch many Saturdays and stopped in Candy Bill's.
When my children were young we did the PJ tradition, too. I used to buy them after Christmas hoping/praying that they would fit! Ha. We always let them open one small gift on Christmas Eve so that they could have fun after dinner and help with the anticipation of Christmas morning. We did not do stockings when I was growing up, and for some crazy reason I always wanted a stocking! Too much TV probably. Anyway, that has been one of my favorite traditions at Christmas; finding things all year that reflect each personality of my kids and tucking the small, unique gifts into the stocking for Christmas morning. Overseas, I made sure I had Christmas stockings to give to some of my "favorite" kiddos! I'll share our experiences from overseas in a different comment post.
ReplyDeleteHA! KELSEY SAID I HAD TO ADD THAT THEY HAVE AND STILL ALWAYS MAKE GINGERBREAD HOUSES!!! I BUY THEM AFTER CHRISTMAS, TOO. A LOT CHEAPER AND I'M TOO LAZY TO BAKE MY OWN! YEP, MY GROWN ADULT CHILDREN STILL DO A GINGERBREAD HOUSE. I LOVE IT.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed reading the post and all of the comments that followed. My mom used to make fondu every year on Christmas Eve. Each stick had a different colored end. For some reason, we would all try to get the teal stick. Fun times! I'm hoping to carry on the tradition of a fondu meal beginning this year in my family because it was so much fun (especially as a kid).
ReplyDeleteI too buy PJ's for my kids each year and that is what they open up on Christmas Eve and sleep in so they are cute and coordinated for pictures on Christmas morning. :) Another tradition is baking cinnamon rolls for breakfast after the opening of the presents.
ReplyDeleteWill always make sure I have what I need for those cinnamon rolls. I love this time of year and how warm and fuzzy it makes us feel inside.
Ash, I totally forgot about the fondu - now I know what I can get you for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteChrissy, why am I not surprised that cute AND coordinated Christmas morning pictures would be part of your planning! Hahahaha
Jean, thanks for the post. I, too, remember when stores where closed on Holidays and Sundays. I really wish that we could go back to those times, it just seemed more laid back. Brian and I have gone Black Friday shopping a couple of times and we have enjoyed it but I am with you, it is not worth starting on Thanksgiving night. People are crazy!
ReplyDeleteI love hearing people's family traditions. Up until this year, I have always bought my kids pj's but they had way too many this year. ha, ha When the kids were still very young, we started having our Christmas on Christmas Eve morning because Christmas morning was always to rushed and they never had time to enjoy their gifts. We never did the whole
Santa thing so it didn't matter. The other tradition that we have is that we have a big turkey dinner sometime after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. It is just our family of 5 and we have to have it with candlelight. ( I got yelled at one year when I forgot. lol)