This year for Christmas we came out to Pennsylvania to spend the holiday with our daughter Dawnmarie and her family. As part of the Christmas celebration, they had decided to institute a new tradition in their family: exchanging hand-made Boxing Day gifts. The plan was that each person in the family would hand-craft something for each other member of the family.

Boxing Day originated in England and is a holiday throughout most of the Commonwealth. Celebrated the day after Christmas, it has become a day when people remember and remunerate folks who provide services to them such as civil servants and tradesmen.

This evening after dinner all the family gathered in the living room and handed out the gifts. They ranged from cut-out snowflakes to cookies and fudge to pictures, boomerangs, swords, hand warmers, bulletin boards, coasters, and a newspaper from the Civil War.

The newly inaugurated event went extremely well. Nina and I put our things together before we left Pocatello to drive out here. The past few days other members of the family worked on their gifts with Kirk finishing his up minutes before the exchange.

Everyone really enjoyed the process and because the items exchanged were hand-crafted they had particular sentimental value. Time and effort had definitely been put into each gift with the recipient clearly in mind. In a small way this seemed to more closely represented the Spirit of Christmas. I love traditions (this coming from the guy who willingly eats either oatmeal or farina for breakfast every morning). This tradition is a keeper and highly recommended!

Ta ta for now!