One of my favourite Christmas traditions is a silly thing instituted by accident a few years ago. Half of my family lives on the west coast, so we almost never see them over the holidays. A few years ago, the west coast bunch sent a package that included a clutch of little silk coin purses found in a shop in Chinatown. My aunts and uncles had tucked funny little paper "fortunes" inside. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but the next year, everyone from the Ontario side wrote new fortunes and sent them back. An accidental tradition was born. As the years have passed, our families have grown and new "cookies" have been added to include new babies and spouses. The fortunes, which we read out loud at Christmas dinner,  have included sincere good wishes, dreadful jokes, and even an announcement about a new addition to the family ("You will become a great-aunt in 2006" ). They're fun, inexpensive and full of surprises, and I love how they connect our family across the miles. I can't wait to see what my fortune brings this year. What's your special holiday tradition?