The White Bag Tradition started when our children were all basically college-age. I wanted to find a way to make Christmas feel special that year when transitions were in the air and we weren’t all gathered around a fireplace every evening watching White Christmas or Holiday Inn.

My husband and I also happened to live above an exquisite candy store that year.

So, I purchased white lunch bags from the local bakery. Enough for each child to have one gift every day in December. I dropped in a perfect, rich truffle for one day. Or a fancy packet of hot chocolate on another. Maybe a unique ornament or a tiny notebook for making Christmas lists.

The tradition was probably more fun for me than for the recipients those first couple of years. With only the five of them, the project was quite manageable.

Fast forward almost twenty years. This year, the white bags included thirty-three participants. One perfect truffle per grandchild adds up to lots of chocolate! So, we’ve gone for more quantity than quality, I’m afraid. But it is still great fun.

Every year, I wonder if I can pull it off one more time. And, I wonder if I should. Maybe this tradition has gotten completely out of hand. Maybe I should think about making some changes…

And so, this year I did.

I added the girls at our office! Every year, when they watch me ordering goodies in October, they remind me that they wish they were my grandchildren, too. So, this year, I set out extra bags for them.

Because that is obviously my answer for what to do when a Christmas tradition gets out of control.

Just. Go. Bigger.