Bring back Kris Kringle!

A call-to-action for my Schell cousins to revive a lost family tradition.

As 2024 comes to a close, I’m sharing a nostalgic reflection from my childhood—one that might just spark the revival of a family tradition and inspire connections for the next generation of Schell cousins.

Over the holidays, my 8-year-old daughter had a very specific request—she wanted to do Secret Santa. With great enthusiasm she explained how it worked, step by step: drawing names, keeping the gift a surprise, and making someone feel special. Her excitement (and insistence!) sparked memories of my own childhood and a holiday tradition that once meant so much to me: Kris Kringle.

The origin of the Schell family Kris Kringle tradition is a bit of a mystery to me, but as a child, my brother and I were added to a gift exchange my aunts and uncles had been doing for years—long before the rest of our 18 cousins were born.

My mom is one of ten siblings, which means I grew up in a huge family. With marriages and partners, I had eighteen aunts and uncles spread across the country. To bridge the distance, they started a family-wide Kris Kringle gift exchange. Every year, names were drawn, gifts were thoughtfully chosen, and packages were mailed to their destinations.

The year my brother and I officially joined the Kris Kringle gift exchange, my Uncle Richard drew my name. When the package arrived, I was expecting something playful—a toy, maybe, or a doll. But inside was a small red leather Coach bag.

At five, I didn’t fully grasp the value of the gift, but I understood how it made me feel: seen, respected, and grown-up. Uncle Richard didn’t treat me as just a little girl—he saw me as a whole person. That moment of being truly seen has stayed with me ever since.

My Little Red Bag!

That little red bag became one of my most treasured possessions, a gift I still carry today during the holidays. It’s not just a beautiful bag—it’s a symbol of connection, thoughtfulness, and how our family’s Kris Kringle tradition brought people of different ages and life stages together.

The magic of our “half-generations”

One of the most beautiful things about the Schell family is how our generations span decades. When my brother and I joined Kris Kringle, my mom’s oldest sibling, Deborah, was about 38, while her youngest brother, Billy, was 23. At the time, my brother and I were just eight and five, the oldest in our generation of cousins—who would eventually have a 22-year age gap between the oldest and the youngest.

A great example of our family’s unique generational spread is my Aunt Robin. We’ve been close my whole life—and our baby pictures look like we’re the same child! She’s 18 years older than me, and I’m 18 years older than her youngest son, Myles. What this means now that I’m in my 40s, is that my kids who are 8 and 10 have the coolest “cousins” (really, first cousins, once removed) who are in their twenties.

That’s the magic of our family—we’re not just peers in age groups; we’re a mingling of generations, what I like to call half-generations.

Now, as we look at the next generation, the age range is just as striking. The youngest of the new cousins is only six months old, while the oldest is my niece, Stella, who is 18. And yet, despite the spread in ages, I can’t think of a more meaningful way for them to connect than through a tradition like Kris Kringle.

It’s a chance for the youngest to feel seen, like I did when I received that red bag. It’s an opportunity for the older cousins to share a little of themselves and build bridges with the younger ones. And most importantly, it’s a way for us to stay connected as a family as we continue to grow.

Schell Cousins

Let’s do this: Christmas 2025

So, to my Schell cousins: Let’s bring back Kris Kringle!

Let’s revive this tradition for the next generation of cousins—and for us, too. It’s a chance to share memories, get to know each other’s interests, and remind ourselves of what makes our family so special.

Christmas 2025 feels like the perfect year to restart it, giving everyone time to plan and join in. With the youngest just beginning their journey and the oldest stepping into adulthood, this is our moment to build connections that span the decades.

That’s the magic of Kris Kringle—it’s never been about the gifts. It’s about seeing each other, connecting across ages, and continuing the traditions that keep our family close.

Let’s make it happen. Who’s in? 🎁✨

#AGlittering #Storytelling #HalfGeneration #Connection

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