Now that I have my own cute little family, I really want to start incorporating our own family traditions during the holiday season. Rocklin will be almost a year at Christmas, so he will not yet understand the reason for the celebration and presents and such, but I want to start now while he's young with some of our very own family traditions. Something my child(ren) can look forward to year after year.
I remember growing up and always reading the Christmas story in Luke 2 on Christmas Eve and getting to open one present (sometimes two...depending on how convincing we could be). Then Santa would come that night and we'd get to open the rest of our gifts the next morning. I also remember the year our family bought some gifts for less fortunate friends of ours and left a big bag of presents on their doorstep and ran so they would be surprised.
What kind of traditions do you have in your family now? What is your favorite holiday tradition memory you have of growing up?
And since no post is complete without a picture, he's the latest of little man modeling his new Christmas gear (minus his pants):
12 comments:
I can't stand it! He is SO cute!!!
Our Christmas traditions...
Pixies - gift exchange on Christmas Eve. Tapioca Pudding - a McLean tradition. Charlie Brown Christmas on Christmas Eve - thanks to Phil! Secret Santa. Watching Joy to the World on Christmas Eve too... wow the list really could go on and on!
Oh my goodness!! He's too cute! We haven't started our traditions yet, but I'm wanting to do the same thing. With Ellie being so little she won't understand, but I loved the traditions growing up too! Oh, and don't worry...we're ready for number 2 already!
Making Santa cookies on Christmas Eve, eating a Christmas breakfast casserole (make it the day before and just put in the oven in the morning), reading "T'was the Night Before Christmas" before bed. Jared and I want to have a tradition of going for a drive looking at Christmas lights the Saturday or Sunday evening before Christmas. I want to take a picture of Chess (and future children) in front of the fireplace or Christmas tree with their stockings every year (and Santa pictures of course). Wow, think that's enough for our first Christmas?!
First Christmas with Chess, that is!
I have a whole list of things I want to start doing come next year!
One of them is collecting Christmas books, wrapping them all up, and opening one each night in December for a bedtime story.
Another one is doing a modified "Elf on a Shelf" type tradition... where the kids think Santa sent an elf (just a stuffed one) to watch them to make sure they're being good. The elf will leave them little treats, or do funny things around the house while they're sleeping, for them to find out the next morning.
Right now, our main tradition is spending a night downtown in December... having a fancy dinner, seeing a show, seeing the lights down Michigan Ave, and going shopping the next day.
fun ideas for traditions!
We had so many! I personally loved the light-viewing and carolling "hayride" we went on every year. When we were teenagers, we started inviting all of our friends and it became even more fun.
Making my Nana's peanut brittle.
Rocklin's picture is too cute - I think he looks link Uncle Kevin there!
I feel the same way! Traditions make life so great! We always watch the Christmas Carol with George C. Scott on Christmas Eve. And somehow I never get sick of it!
The Coppels have a tradition of making graham cracker houses on Christmast Eve. They go all out - using hot glue for main construction - and build all kinds of things (including a Taco Bell and the SLC Temple).
We read the Christmas story out of Luke and acted it out, dressing up as the 3 wise men, shepherds, and Mary and Joseph (we had multiple costume changes). One year Lisa was baby Jesus.
My friends do the elf thing - they have little stuffed elves that create mischief in the middle of the night. Last year the entire interior of the house was TP'd! Of course, the kids are responsible for their elves and have to clean up their messes, but they LOVE IT!
One my favorite Christmas traditions growing up was getting a new pair of pj's on Christmas Eve.
Kristen,
Love the blog!
One of many tradiitons - my dad reading a story he wrote when
I was in high school and his work van was broken into. All his personal tools he used to make a living were stolen, as well as many of our christmas presents. The raw emotion he put into that story, and the fact that Christmas went on, makes hearing that story being read every year something I look forward to. We were the "less fortuntate family" that year, with food and toys delivered to us from a local church. Actually we were most fortunate to have each other, and still are.
Love you girl!
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