Can you believe Christmas is just six days away? It hardly seems like it's real. My kids can hardly wait.
In order to make our holidays a little more fun and to create some family memories, I'm trying to add to our family traditions. We always go to see light displays and we do a gift exchange, and we do Sub for Santa, and make gifts for our neighbors, but this year I wanted to try making gingerbread houses, and maybe decorating sugar cookies. I'd also like to see A Christmas Carol at our local theater. Other than that, I've run out of ideas and could use your help.
What do you do for Christmas traditions? I'd love to hear so I can add to my own.
I'm an award-winning romantic suspense novelist, but in my free time I love to review books and my fave TV shows, as well as pass along great book deals, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.
9 comments:
I would love to see some ideas for gifts for neighbors. We were planning to do ornaments we bought in bulk, but they turned out to be a lot smaller than we thought. (And no hangers.) So, we need a plan B. With our little ones, baking is probably out. Last year, there was an amazing sale on M&Ms, but we haven't seen anything like it yet for this year.
Our Christmas tradition (to be broken soon, I'm sure) is to sleep in Christmas Day, have some cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and get around to opening presents around noon. I think we'd go longer except we have to be somewhere for lunch.
We're pretty boring when it comes to Christmas and traditions, but because my husband likes to sleep late whenever he can, I came up with the idea of baking sugar cookies and having the boys decorate them on the morning of Christmas Eve. It keeps them busy, (but not always quiet.) My oldest son, now eighteen, always insists on four different colours of frosting, and really goes for it. My second son, sadly, is like me and much more into the tradition of eating them.
My Mom used to make fudge and send it with each of us to work to share with co-workers. I do that now. We would also deliver goodie plates to our neighbors.
Christmas Morning we would have abig breakfast with eggs,sausage and butterscotch pull-aparts.
On Christmas Eve we get together with my Mom's family and have a big ham dinner, and a visit from Santa, who reads the Christmas Story from the Bible, before giving a gift to each child. We exchange hand made gifts with the family.
When my kids were younger we'd bake cookies, several kinds, and take them to our neighbors. That kind of ended as the neighborhood transitioned somewhat and our kids grew up. But one traditions hasn't changed. Every Christmas Eve we open a single present, and, strangely enough, they were always new pajamas! So in the morning we could take pictures wearing something pretty and new. After a while the kids knew what was in the package I handed them, but they obediently opened them just the same. Now we've included new daughter-in-laws into this tradition. (so fun buying p.j.'s for girls)
Merry Christmas, Julie. And to everyone who posts on Julie's blog, Merry Christmas to you. My wife and I just like spending time with family, that is our tradition. I never cared for the opening a gift on Christmas Eve so our family didn't do that.
I really like when Christmas falls on Sunday, like this year. We are given the opportunity to go to church (most wards, including ours, will only hold sacrament meeting) and worship our Lord, whose name we celebrate. What a wonderful thing to renew your covenant on Christmas day.
My honey started a new tradition when he moved in, five years ago. He hides a present for each of the girls in the branches of the tree, which can't be opened until the evening when all the others are done.
Sarah: does it have batteries in it? ;)
Jon, I don't know this thing you speak of as "sleeping in." Christmas morning at our house always begins early, although in the last few years we've been able to hold off until at least 7:00 a.m. As for neighbor gifts, we usually do a neighborhood phone list with a map on the back for all our neighbors. I stick a magnet on so it can go on the fridge and everyone seems to like that a lot. We've also done creamed honey with a loaf of bread and thanked them for being "sweet" neighbors. That one was popular, too. :)
Melanie, decorating sugar cookies sounds fun! I really want to do that sometime.
Mary, your family sounds awesome! Can you adopt me? :)
Debra, I have totally loved buying for my girls this season. Great idea on the PJs!
Charlie, thank you for that. I'm excited that it's on Sunday this year, too. It seems extra-special.
Sarah, that is such a cute idea! We might have to try that. :)
Thanks everyone!
Julie, consider yourself adopted. The family party is Friday Night at 6pm in Mesa. Bring a Santa present for each of your kids (unmarried college aged too) and a potluck dish to share and join the fun.
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