Traditions are so fun. Every year they bring a sense a spirit to the holidays. They can be as simple as hanging up each Christmas card on our wall for everyone to enjoy, or as complex as traveling long distances to see extended family like I did as a child almost every year for Christmas. I have thought at length about the type of traditions I want to create with my family. There are a few things that we do that have just become traditions naturally, and others that have taken greater effort to repeat year after year. Here are a few of our favorites:
Instead of the Advent calendars with the little pieces of chocolate counting down the days until Christmas, each year I pick 24 Christmas classics to read to the children. When our pile of books is gone, Christmas has arrived! This has been such a fun tradition. There are books we pick year after year because we love the stories and we can't imagine not reading them during this time of year. Above is my all-time favorite Christmas story by Patricia Polacco, "Christmas Tapestry." See if your local library has a copy. I can't get through this book without getting teary (and for those of you who know me well, that is saying a lot!). It is a beautiful story about Christmas miracles and true love. On Christmas Day we torture the children by reading the account of Christ's birth in Luke before we open presents. It's short...and they survive!
Other traditions that have happened more naturally include enjoying our big "Christmas feast" on Christmas Eve and inviting the missionaries to join us. I do enjoy cooking but I don't want to spend my entire Christmas day in the kitchen. I always make extra food on Christmas Eve so we have plenty of yummy leftovers for Christmas Day, and we can all relax. This year we are having spinach lasagna with Caesar salad, whole wheat Tuscan garlic bread, and apple cider. :)
We also do our dream posters every New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. The kids love this craft, and it's fun to project all the goals and growth we want to achieve the following year.
And lastly, this year I am starting a new Christmas tradition. This is one that many families do, but I think it is practical and fun (two of my favorite words as a Mom!). We are going to allow the kids to each open one present on Christmas Eve night- it will be some comfy, new PJ's. Kids always need new PJ's, and it will also be great to have them all in PJ's that don't have holes or stains for Christmas pictures the next morning! Ah...you see my genius??
Merry Christmas, again! I am feeling so grateful and excited for this holiday! I can't wait to share all of our pictures and festivities!
Dec 22, 2011
1 comments:
We get an ornament for each kid each year - the first few years we picked them out, but now, with a little guidance, they get to choose. This could be adapted into making them too. I've thought about that.
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