The Clarke family has always had its various Christmas traditions, but one in particular stands out - the baking of the Christmas Cookie! Whether it's gingerbread, molasses, or in our case the sugar cookie, this is a tradition that is shared by many families. Everyone gathers in the kitchen, flour ends up going everywhere and a good chunk of the dough ends up getting eaten raw and never actually makes it to the oven. When I asked my mother she recalled those simple cookies as something much more. During her childhood, sugar was a luxury item and was in short supply, but her mother always made sure that she would put just enough aside for the Christmas season so that her children could share in the sugar cookie experience. She has passed this tradition on to us, and today, even after the three children shown in the picture have moved away, we each continue on with the tradition, and will pass it on to our children and share the story with them.   Submitted By: Adam Clarke