Christmas Eve Traditions

Traditions are a great way to tie the bonds of family together.

Christmas was always a time that we established a lot of traditions

when our children were young that we still carry on today. 

Even as our children are now young adults, I love that these 

traditions are still important as I hear comments such as...

What??!! We're not cutting our tree on Saturday?

(We usually cut it down and put it up Saturday after Thanksgiving)

Have you made any Christmas cookies yet?

You are making hot cranberry punch, aren't you?

...and so on!

Christmas Eve has always been a special family time...

more low key and casual.

Dinner is usually more like a supper...

Megan and Mike are in charge this year 

since they like to try new recipes.

(This might be the first they're hearing about this!)

I set a simple table using my everyday ironstone plates.

At Christmastime I also pull out a quilt to use on my table that 

my Grandmother made. Of course, she NEVER would have used

a handmade quilt on a table in her day!

Amazingly intricate handwork.

For place cards I went very simple...

I cut some leaves from my magnolia tree...

wrote our names with a gold sharpie on the leaf...

then put the leaf, along with a little Christmas ornament,

in a French creme pot that I bought from

Dreamy Whites last year.

A simple centerpiece came together rather quickly.

Decided to use a small breadboard that easily fit

in the middle of the table.

Then I went with my favorites this season...

bottle brush trees

vintage ornaments

 ironstone

and holly cuttings from our tree.

When we get back from church,

we top off our evening with Christmas cookies

and hot cranberry punch.

I'll share some recipes in another post.

Trust you are having a blessed Christmas season with your family!

Mary Alice

Linking to:

French Country Cottage

Common Ground

Shabby Art Boutique

Jennifer Rizzo