two dozen rules of Christmas (at my house)

1. Always a blue spruce

2. Colored lights on the tree
3. Dad’s aluminum hand-made angel on the top

4. White lights on the house

5. Neighborhood pajama rides to see the lights

6. King’s College Lessons and Carols on the kitchen radio on 12.24

7. Eggnog in ruby red glassware while trimming the tree on Christmas Eve

8. Cookies for Santa on the hearth

9. No going downstairs until Dad has shaved and dressed and Mom has had her coffee.

(my childhood)

10. No looking in the living room until we’ve all had breakfast

11. Grapefruit, sour cream coffee cake, sausage and eggs at Christmas breakfast

12. Stockings may be opened at the breakfast table

13. Off to quiet Church as a family on Christmas morning

14. Someone plays “Santa” and distributes the gifts in an orderly fashion

15. One gift opened at a time

16. Recycle boxes, string, brown wrapping paper

17. Someone keeps a list of gifts for the purpose of writing thank you notes

18. Creamed herring and pate
19. A rib roast, Yorkshire pudding and currant jelly

20. Brussels sprouts, chestnuts and cream

21. A Christmas pudding, with hard sauce
22. An afternoon brisk walk

23. No kings in the crèche until Epiphany

24. The tree remains until Epiphany

An embarrassment of riches, as I reflect.

These days, it’s different.

Few rules remain.

And there is no snow in California.

Someone else is making the rules.

And I am glad.