We do something similar for Christmas. My mom (one of 7 kids) make a huge Christmas Eve dinner and the whole extended family piles into her house. The small kids get gifts & I excanhfe only with my godparents.
Then, we go to Mass Christmas morning. I have a 4 year old - Christmas morning for her is about Mass & celebrating the gift of Jesus, not opening presents and playing with toys she’ll be bored with in a month.
People have really lost that sense of the true meaning if Christmas. It’s sad. I plan to spend Advent praying for a deep conversion in our culture. I think the Black Friday BS shows how far we’ve really sunk.
What a blessing that you all still live so close to each other— or are making it a point to be together.
I’m going to try it next year, but in this case, I’ll be the mother making the dinner for the grown children.
I too will be doing an Advent reflection. Mine is based on Mother Teresa’s prayers. It’s called “With Humble Hearts.” I can think of no better antidote to Black Friday and the secular commercialization of Christmas. God bless you this Christmas!