We celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and have done so for probably 20 years now. That's mostly the result of the fact that my brother and I have had spousal families to accommodate for about that long. As kids, we opened our presents on Christmas morning and didn't do much on Christmas Eve other than go to church.

But other than the basics, getting together with family, opening presents and putting up a tree, I don't feel like we have much in the way of Christmas traditions.

Some families slouch in front of the TV together and watch sports, others go caroling (do they really?!), others bake together. We don't really do anything special. But maybe that's ok. We're together, isn't that enough? I don't particularly want to watch football anyway.

I'd like to have something to hand down to my son in the way of tradition, but are forced traditions really the way to go? Maybe all tradition is forced in some sense; we have to make sure we carry them on. We can't be lazy some years and not follow them or they will fall by the way side.

You've got to start somewhere, so I have a few that I've started with him and will do my best to keep them going, but I know it requires constant diligence. I think it's worth it. Don't you?