It seems that so quickly pattern becomes tradition. You do something once because of a time crunch, or because you think it might be fun and bam! your family gloms on to it faster than chewing gum to hair and it becomes a family tradition that you are now bound to continue every year no.matter.what!
But in most cases, I like how that happens. For example, it has now become tradition to have Schinkengipfeli (ham filled croissants) for Christmas Eve dinner. Well, that and a salad. I also made a small batch of Chris’ mom’s raviolis just for him. None of the kids really like them, I tried for three years in a row and they never caught on. One year with the croissants, and it was love at first bite, so there you go. Of course, I make several croissants with nothing at all in them, for Sarah and Noah. And everyone is happy, and I don’t have a ton of work to do.
And then there is the reading and acting out of the Nativity scene. Doesn’t every family do this? Well, if not, they totally should. It’s such fun to dress your kids up in cute little costumes, and it really makes it clear why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place. Noah was very excited to be Joseph this year, and Sarah was Mary for the first time in many years. 
They made me be the donkey again, complete with hair ears. Sarah loved riding me around, and at one point wanted me to actually gallop. Yeah, that ain’t gonna happen, kid. Noah/Joseph was pulling on my harness, also urging me to go faster. Not sure what the rush was, but my knees and that hard wooden floor made any kind of speed impossible.
Papa started out being the narrator, but he was also playing the angel, so he gave me the scriptures when it was his turn to appear in the sky above shepherd Alexandra’s flocks.
When it was time for the Wise men to visit, Sarah/Mary replaced her baby doll with Alexandra, since Jesus wasn’t a baby anymore. Well, actually, Alexandra just sort of forced her way into the manger and we went with it. 🙂
While the Holy Family was sleeping, the angel appeared again unto Joseph in a dream, and they climbed back onto the donkey and escaped into Egypt. 
We had never added that part before, but it was kind of fun. And in fact, I am sure it is now tradition that we always do it that way….
Mom and Dad got to bed earlier than they have in a long time, but it was still 1 am, or so. This would be because the little darlings weren’t really and truly asleep until about 11. I wonder how bad that frustrated Santa????