navigation

last five

contact

2006-12-03 - 3:51 p.m.

Is it bad luck to break a tradition?

I am going to break a 30 year old Christmas tradition this year.

It looks like I am having Christmas Eve festivities at my house.

Every year since I can remember my Mom has had all her sisters and their families over for a Christmas Eve party. It was the best time of the year. I looked forward to it. We had a big dinner, Santa came and gave everyone a gift. My Grandmother gave everyone a nice present that I helped wrap for her. It was so cool knowing what everyone was getting. It was always so fun to be around family and see my cousins. It couldn't have been better.

Times have changed. All the cousins now have families, my Grandparents have passed. No one has room for fifty people in their house anymore. Last year my Mom about had a nervous breakdown and for the last maybe ten years my Dad freaks out at my Mom for trying to "do it all". I believe what he really hates is how my Mom stresses out about the house and leaves everything to the last minute so she has to have my Dad help. He hates to be "ordered" about. Last year was the worst. He yelled at her, she got pissed like she does and then doesn't speak to anyone. Christmas Day was ruined with the fighting. She said last year was the worst Christmas of her life.

I decided that either we had to go away for Christmas or end the tradition. We aren't going anywhere so I told her we wouldn't be coming over Christmas Eve. I invited them, my Brother and Sister and Scott's parents over but that's it. End of story. They can have their party but we aren't contributing to the madness...Ahhhh!!!! She can't decide what to do.

We will see what happens. My kids want us to do our own thing here this year. They don't like going over there, it's just too crazy and the cousins that are my kids age are just plain mean to my kids. It's nothing like when I grew up.

I forgot to add that last year was the first year I didn't go over and clean her house and put up her decorations. Scott put and end to that when I didn't have time to get my own stuff done. I didn't mind helping out when I had a few more children but now I have way too much to do on Christmas Eve. She was so mad when I didn't come over three hours early to help her.

It's time to start our own tradition of Christmas Eve. And no, I won't be asking her or anyone else to come clean my house for me. Ha!

Learn more Irish �

Get this widget