When thinking of Christmas the word LEON doesn't often come to mind. In my family it's the first word we think of.

The tradition began over 50 years ago when my grandparents first married. My grandmother received a set of bells that were angels holding letters spelling out NOEL. My grandfather—being my grandfather—switched the angels around to spell out LEON. This aggravated my grandmother and so my grandfather has been doing it ever since.

I came along after 25 years of this constant battle over the bells. I followed my grandfather around everywhere. I did whatever he did. He taught me from my first Christmas on, that NOEL was really LEON. I would sneak up to the bells perfectly displaying NOEL and change them around. I would refer to the house with the big NOEL in lights on the roof as LEON.

Now that I am grown and married, I have brought LEON into my Christmas traditions. The first year my husband and I were married I received a set of four stocking holders that spelled out LEON. Not knowing about the tradition in my family, my husband proceeded to correct my 'error.' Now that we are coming up on our third Christmas together, he is not only accustomed to LEON being in our home during the Christmas Season, but he, too, has embraced this tradition. So from our family to yours, have a Joyeaux Leon!!!

~Rachel