Christmas traditions

I was just wondering what Christmas traditions you have with your family that makes Christmas special, especially ones that would be great for kids. We have some set ones but I am always looking for new ideas.



One of the things my kids enjoy every year is playing "Secret Santa." We select a family that we know and anonymously give gifts by knocking on the door and running. My kids love that. We usually make simple craft things from homemade hot chocolate with mugs or a candy Christmas tree etc. Then on Christmas eve we drop off a bigger gift. Depending on the family, we can get little individual gifts but this year we have a family with 5 children so we will probably buy one gift like a nativity set or something. Anyway... my kids love it because they get to help with the crafty projects and then (the best part in their eyes) is sneaking up to the door, ringing the doorbell and running. It is something fun that my kids look forward to every year.



We also buy a big box of chocolates and we each get a piece of chocolate every night until Christmas. We start the daya after Thanksgiving. My 2-year old REALLY likes this tradition. I laugh because it seems like most of our traditions have to do with food!



These are just a couple of things that we do. I would love to hear what you do with your families or what you did growing up that brings back great memories.



Robin

Those are great traditions Kris!!! I am so excited for you to go and cut down your tree! I have such fond memories of doing that as a kid! I am from Oregon so there used to be TONS of trees to choose from and we would trample through the snow looking for the absolute best one and then have a huge cup of hot chocolate to warm ourselves up. I loved the smell of having a fresh tree in our house! That is a wonderful Christmas memory for me.



Some of the other things we do ... we also have a special day decorating the tree and house while listening to Christmas carols. I love seeing the Christmas ornaments that the kids made the year before.



We usually have ham for Christmas being that we had turkey for Thanksgiving. Personally, I would rather have turkey for Christmas too but Russ loves ham, and for that matter so did my dad so it has sort of become a tradition.



On Christmas eve we usually have a simple dinner (the last few years we have made clam chowder which I loved but my kids didn't care for it as much as the adults did! ) We then sing Christmas carols and Russ will lead the kids in reading the Bible of the birth of Christ. Then we have a couple of special books that we like to read. One of them is The Polar Express. We read that and then the kids are allowed to open one present which is from us. It is always a new pair of pajamas so that they look adorable for the next day!!! Jacob is now old enough where that isn't the most exciting gift to open so we also let the kids open one present from each other.



I loved how Thomas dressed up as Santa! What a hoot! We haven't tried that. We do the typical thing of making goodies and then leaving a plate of goodies for Santa.



We actually are trying to focus Christmas a little more towards its true meaning and have a Christ centered advent calendar and the baby Jesus isn't put in the manger in our nativity set until Christmas morning and the kids run out first thing in the morning to see if the baby is there.



Believe it or not, we have a fireplace in our house (here in balmy Arizona) and we do like the kids to see that Santa went up the chimney by putting a little bit of soot on the hearth. My then six year old swore that he saw Santa come last year and he was extremely convincing to his other brothers. Everone was quite jealous!



Okay... I have been skipping around a lot. This is definitely my favorite holiday and I get a little too excited about it all! Hope that everyone enjoys getting ready for the holidays! I love hearing about Christmas traditions.



Robin

What a great topic, Robin.......we are trying to create new traditions with our own family. Right now, the Friday Family Fun Night crafts are all christmas ornaments that we paint...I think they'll make grade memories for years to come....



One of our traditions is me putting out my german nutcrackers and other german decorations...we put the lights on the house and have a certain tree decorating day where we listen to Christmas music and put up all the decorations...



On Dec. 24th we all go to the candle light service at the church (well, all but my dh ) and then come home and open a gift (or two ) Then it's off to bed.



Last year, Thomas dressed up as Santa after the kids were asleep...my mom was visiting and we pretended to be asleep. We woke up and then woke up the kids to let them have a peek...Alex (then 1) had a picture with Santa....Finny was terrified he would see her and ran right back to bed and Andrew wouldn't wake up None of the kids remembered it last year....we're thinking that we'll do it a bit earlier this year



Usually, I make Turkey on Christmas...but Thomas has put his foot down about sharing holiday traditions...he "let" us have turkey for thanksgiving, so we'll be making a "Braten"(roast) for X-mas this year.



In terms of new traditions that we are trying to usher in: We'd like the kids to remember the holidays as a time of sledding, etc (now that we are around snow!) so this weekend we started a sledding 'tradition' (it worked out nicely with my back !)...and this year....here is my favorite part...



We are going to go to a tree farm that is on acres and acres and CHOP down our own TREE!! I'm so excited!!!!!!



I love Christmas



Kris

[DCJenn]

We had so many traditions growing up that it's hard to remember them all. First, there are tree rules- it must be up by my parent's anniversary (12/21) and cannot come down until after my mom's birthday (1/4). Apparently the year they got married there was quite a heated discussion over tinsel vs. relflectors (remember those things you screwed on with the big tree lights?) so they compromised and use beads but they must be GLASS beads. Usually decorating the tree is a famly affair- and then my dad and I do the beads. (and there's usually a big fight between my dad and I at some point that day- but it's a tradition!) They still hang the angel I made in kindergarten and a clay thing my brother made in nursery school.



We used to have chili every Christmas Eve like my dad's parent's did- until my mom realized that none of us really liked chili- including my dad. So now, we have steak fondue, bread and what we called 'build your own salad' essentially a salad bar set up on the kitchen table. We've done this for probably 25 years.

(and each of us got a fondue pot as a wedding gift to ensure that no matter where Christmas is- the tradition can continue!) We eat in the family room, on the floor in front of the fire and listen to music or watch whatever special is on TV.



My mom used to make a ton of different cookies, now she just makes each person's favorite- it helps that my husband and my sister-in-law pick the same ones. (which my mother now calls "Barbara's Damned Cookies" as they're a 15-step process)



My dad also has rules for Christmas morning but they've changed somewhat now that there aren't any kids. We usually have a bottle of wine or two too many with the fondue- so now it's my job to wake up first and make Bloody Mary's (little hair of the dog!) It's to be chilled and ready to go and then I have to go back upstair and let my dad know. Then he goes downstairs, get the paper, starts the coffee, lights the fire in the fire place, turns on the music and the tree lights and turns on the train. Then and only then are we allowed downstairs! It's so funny to see my 30ish brother just sitting on the steps, waiting for Daddy!



We used to get new PJ's (matching, of course) on Christmas Eve, too. Two years ago I got the girls red slippers and the boys green slippers (Lands End, $19!) and made them open them on Christmas Eve. It was a hit.



We never went to church- my mom didn't want us to be hypocrites- we never went any other time of the year!



That's some of it!



now I'm totally homesick!



Jenn

[Meenah]

Jenn,

You made me homesick too!!! What great traditions you have.

Luanne