Christmas Traditions

MarkTheHerald.com ✦ The Herald Dispatch ✦ Let me tell you about the Christmas traditions in my family that have actually stuck — and the ones that didn't. The ones that didn't stick: the elaborate coordinated Christmas Eve dinner I attempted exactly once before accepting that takeout pizza is also a form of grace. The advent calendar I bought with great intention on December 1st and forgot to fill past December 8th. The ones that stuck: reading a Christmas story aloud o

MarkTheHerald.com ✦ The Herald Dispatch ✦ There is a moment on Christmas Eve — usually somewhere between the wrapping paper anticipation and the late-night church service — when the house gets quiet enough to gather everyone together. If you're anything like my family, that moment is sacred. My wife Amy and I have four kids. And from the time they were small enough to sit still in pajamas with damp hair from the bath, reading Christmas stories aloud together has been one