There are about thirty family members sitting in an oval. We are all in the living room. The age group is two months to 80 years old. The adults are sitting in chairs, and the younger kids get kicked out of the chairs, for the teenagers to sit in. The teenagers have sat on the floor for years. It was time for them to finally get a chair. I was thirteen at the time and finally in a chair.
My grandma is now standing in the middle saying a prayer. Then she said, "Lets get started with the gift exchange." She took my uncle's hat off his head, and she put numbers in it to pass around. Everyone took a number. We started with number one of course. A gift exchange is where eveyone grabs a present when it's their turn. there is a catch however, whenever someone grabs a present, and the person who goes next likes the gift that they got,that gives them permission to take the gift. Then that person has to choose another gift.
One year my seven year old cousin knew what a gift was and wanted it. However, my older cousin got it before she did, and she started to cry. It was her favorite bird chirping clock. When it was her turn she ran over and snatched the clock and
said, "Mine! pick another gift!!" Everyone laughed, so did my little cousin.
When the gift exchange was done everyone received hot cocoa. The adults put peppermint schnapps in theirs, while the younger kids got marshmallows. We all sat around the tree and sipped our hot cocoa.
We also enjoyed the family members we were with. I will always remember this Christmas when my cousin got the clock she always wanted. Also as the time I actually got to sit in a chair instead of on the floor.
