Christmas Season Anniversary Poem by RoseAnn V. Shawiak

We were married twice, never divorced. Our first wedding anniversary is on July 12 and the second one is December 17. We have a summer and winter anniversary and we celebrate both with family.

My cousin was the mayor in the town where we lived and he married us the first time in July. My husband had been married outside the church when younger, so had to go through an annulment which took one year to go through. After it went through we were married in the same Catholic church my Grandparents and parents were married in, that one was in December.

The priest who married us in church suggested that we start a family tradition and put our tree up on our anniversary as it was the first day of the Christmas season in the Catholic church, so that is what we did and have done through the years. We don't decorate, listen to Christmas carols/songs or go shopping for gifts until the seventeenth of December every year. We don't follow the modern ways of materialistic Christmas times, we have a very spiritual Christmas instead and it is beautiful and stress free!

Our sons took turns every year putting the star on top of our Christmas tree and placing baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning. Now our Grandchildren have those honors as they take turns doing it every year. They love and look forward to these traditions and I am glad that we do it, our Christmas's are extra special because of family.

On Christmas Day we all gather together and each bring dishes to whomever's house we are celebrating at. There are 82 immediate family members (all on my side) and we sisters/brother take turns each year so one of us isn't always having to take on that responsibility constantly. It has worked out perfectly since our Mom died and we look forward to it every year. All our kids open presents and play with each other on Christmas Day, making it an even more special day for us all. Having roots set in tradition help keep families closer I have found. Many people tell me that I am very lucky and fortunate to have such a close family. I know that to be a fact.