THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 24, 1995 TAG: 9512220068
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By DEBRA GORDON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
C HRISTMAS EVE dinner. Chicken nuggets and boiled custard. Hot cocoa. Cheese and crackers. Pastries and cookies. All served on the holiday china - red-and-green Tupperware plates.
If this sounds like a strange mix for such a special night, then you haven't met the Reynolds family. For this family of eight, Christmas Eve dinner is, well, like a picnic.
In fact, it is a picnic. Complete with checked cloth and tree. Only on this night the tablecloth lies on the carpeted floor of the small living room in the family's modest Virginia Beach home, and the tree is decked with colorful lights and shiny ornaments.
A Christmas Eve picnic is one tradition that keeps this large family intact and strong, its members say.
The tradition began about 16 years ago when Linda Reynolds was trying to think of a way to keep her five young children from shooting up the chimney with Christmas excitement.
A picnic, she figured, was just different enough and just restful enough to settle them down for bed.
Back then, the family would gather in their pajamas and slippers for an hour of cozy finger food while patriarch George Reynolds read the Christmas story from the Bible. As the children grew, they were joined by their boyfriends and girlfriends, until today the number of people clustered around the tree can number 15 or more. The pajamas are gone, but everyone still wears slippers.
``It helps us focus on the real meaning of Christmas,'' George said. ``That it's not just gift-giving.''
``Everyone needs to remember that,'' added Betsy Reynolds, 22. ``Especially on Christmas Eve, it's important to sit down and reflect on what Christmas really is.''
The Reynolds family closeness extends beyond Christmas Eve. Four of the five children, ages 15 through 24, still live at home. The other, 24-year-old Heidi, is married and lives in Richmond. The family still takes vacations, goes on daylong outings and attends church together.
In fact, Betsy said, one reason for their closeness is their strong religious spirit.
They know they have something special in this day of divorce and dysfunctional families, George said. And on Christmas, they take the time to acknowledge it.
``It's a microcoosm of the entire year,'' Betsy said of the family's holiday rituals. ``It brings us back to our basic beliefs - which is love of family.''
Betsy, who will be married this week, said she hopes she and her new husband always live close enough to her parents to participate in the Christmas Eve picnic.
And she plans to bring the lessons she's learned from her parents to her new home.
``Make the time to spend with family with no interruptions.'' MEMO: Happy Homes is an occasional series on family successes. by CNB