Santa listens intently as Jennifer Graham whispers her Christmas wish list to him Christmas Eve morning during the annual Christmas Eve community breakfast sponsored by Mount Olive Masonic Lodge No. 208. Her sister Madelyn Davis, 7, waits to talk to Santa (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
Masons Tom Ferrell, left, and Chris Grady cook eggs for the Mount Olive Masonic Lodge 208 Christmas Eve breakfast. Bitter Arctic temperatures didn’t keep people from attending, but did force some of the cooking to be done inside (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
People prepare their plates during the Mount Olive Masonic Lodge 208 Christmas Eve breakfast (Steve Herring|mountolive.com)
Three generations of the James Dills family prepared the biscuits for the Mount Olive Masonic Lodge 208 Christmas Eve breakfast. James Dills, center, has handled the biscuit cooking for many years. Helping this years were his son, Ricky Dills, right, and grandson, Jordan (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
Steam rises from cooking country hams for the Mount Olive Masonic Lodge 208 Christmas Eve breakfast (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
Bitter Arctic temperatures didn’t keep people from attending the Mount Olive Masonic Lodge 208 Christmas Eve community breakfast.
Named in memory of the late Fitzhugh Smith, who was a long-time lodge member, the event dates back to 1984.
Prior to that time, Masons had gathered at the Southern Belle Restaurant. However, the restaurant was closed that year so lodge members decided to continue the country-style breakfast by preparing their own meal.
Some years later, the breakfast was later opened to other lodges and to the community as a way to give back to the community.
