Christmas Eve Gift,Ya'll

My grandmother, born 1904, always said Christmas eve gift on Christmas Eve. For us, it was the first person to say Christmas Eve gift was to get a present from the the person it was spoken to. Tho in my family no one gave gifts, it was always special, and a surprise, when my grandmother would call and say it to me. I loved it. Seems she told me that people would got to neighbors and give a christmas eve gift. It was a very southern tradition. She was from Texas but here grandparents were from Kentucky and Tennessee.

After my grandmother died in 1992, I revived this with my family. But we had a rule, we would give a minor gift and you could only be caugth once. It still exists for us to this day. My son called me at 12:30 am this morning with 'Christmas Eve Gift'. He called his father who took a while to figure it out. His sister called him and he answered the phone with Christmas Eve gift...much to her disappointment.

So glad my children are carrying on this old tradition even tho it is not in the traditional way

Here is a link to many peoples various understanding of this tradition.

Would love to here of others who have this tradition in their family

a reply to: liveandlearn
My momma was born on a river bank in a shotgun house in the 19teens. She always said that.

No gift ever got gifted but the satisfaction of being first was the gift.

She also told me "I was wishing my life away" while trying to hurry up Christmas, along with the fact that the years would pass faster and faster as I got older. Wise woman she was.

I think my Christmas Eve gift will be an early bedtime lol. I'm wiped today for some reason! I stayed up to late last night mixing songs!

a reply to: subchill

I agree with her wisdom. Didn't understand it when you but feel it now.

Good to know someone else here had the tradition handed down tho it may not have been, like me, the traditional way...

Thought it would be great if communities would revive this tradition and go to poorer families with a bag of homemade goodies to pass it along in today's world

Thanks for sharing.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Whatever you need. No reason a christmas eve gift can be for yourself. You seem to be in need.