Christmas Day is here and many of us celebrate it in ways and manners. Families have developed traditions they have kept for many years from generation to generation. Allow me to tell you of the tradition remembered from my childhood.
The Christmas Day in my family started early Christmas morning. We lived in a rural Mississippi town out from the country on roads where you seldom saw cars, and horses and mules were still part of transportation in those days. The celebration would begin with a large fire burning in fireplaces in our house. When we woke and stirred, my siblings and I would use water warmed in kettles from a wood stove pouring it into wash pans to wash our faces and hands and prepared to receive prayer and thanksgiving at our family table. My Mother would ask all her children to assist in dressing the table covering with a white tablecloth; she would then set the table with her most finest dinnerware. The festive table would be shining a bright! It was an elegant scenery. The meal prepared would not be breakfast, it was our Christmas dinner. Often made the day before, then served at an early hour of between 6 and 7 a.m. We didn't do presents, but we did prayer and singing of gospel hymns. Then after the ceremony of worship in remembering Jesus, we would sit in our chairs and eat our Christmas meal. We didn't have a Christmas tree, nor did we exchange gifts, but what we shared was lots of love and plenty of thanksgiving. This traditional breakfast has lost some of it's practice since my parents are no longer with us, but traditionally we still have dinner, but now not quite so early in the morning. Years later, our Daddy passed away on Christmas morning at an very early hour, so I thought he'd like to know from some distance place my heart I have remembered the breakfast he and my mother shared with us. Ironically, his passing gives my family a reason to recall a family that PRAYS together, STAYS together. These words now leave me happy..and content. They have left behind a wonderful memory.
PRAY WITH YOUR FAMILIES TODAY.
Posted By: MIISRAEL Bride
Thursday, December 25th 2008 at 11:49AM
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