Saturday, December 20, 2008

Christmas Traditions (Help!)

Now that my girls are getting to an age where they can actually understand and enjoy Christmas a little more, I'm really wanting to start introducing some new family traditions. So... I'm hoping you will give me some ideas of what you do (or what you did growing up!)
I'm going to spread this over the next couple days to cover a few different areas. Right now, I'd like to hear about your Christmas Eve traditions. I'm always curious to see if people do gifts the night before or only on Christmas day. Growing up, we always got to choose one gift to open before we went to bed (I think Mom hid our "big" gifts so we wouldn't choose them!) In Josh's family, they always opened pajamas to wear that night, so that's what we have started doing with the girls. This year I found some super cute ones at the Gymboree outlet for $10!
Other than that, we usually just watch a Christmas movie together and Josh reads the Christmas story from the Bible. Kaylee has been asking me for a month if we'll be making cookies and milk for Santa, so I'm sure that will be on the list too!
SO, WHAT IS CHRISTMAS EVE LIKE IN YOUR HOUSE???

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

A couple weeks ago I saw a sitcom where they had one of those big trains that goes around the tree and it had a little flatbed car on it, they put each person's present on it and let it go around the tree until it got to them. Thought that was cute!

Andrea said...

Growing up we went to my G-mas and we opened gifts from her and the cousins on Christmas Eve.

Something we are starting this year is baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. Chocolate Chip, because they are easy, and the boys can both help.

This is our first year of Cody totally getting it, so I'm struggling a bit to make some traditions to continue each year.
Can't wait to see what people do.

Anonymous said...

I apologize for the legnthiness

here are some things we do every year-

we load up in the car with some yummies and pick up some hot chocolate and drive thru the neighborhoods looking at the christmas lights

when the kids get their picture with santa and i always make a frame for it and use it as decoration.

during the first week of december the kids go and pick out there own ornament and i get a new family one.

putting up the tree is an event itself. we have finger foods, cider and listen to christmas music. the kids put up the ornaments with our assistance and the kids take turns putting on the star. we just snack all night, sing songs, and enjoy our tree.

the kids get new christmas pj's. not neccesarily x-mas themed but new pj's. this is the only present they get to open x-mas eve.

so for us santa never wraps anything and he only brings one thing for each of them and one thing to share. he always puts stuff in the stockings, so they are empty until x-mas eve.

we always leave cookies out for santa and sprinkle reindeer mix on the lawn.

speaking of stockings, i always get a couple of the same things every year: toothbrushes and the life saver books.

we have the same special breakfast of our favorites every year.

we wake up and do our own x-mas and enjoy the morning. then we make plans to meet up with everyone around lunchtime.

you just need to do what feels right and be consistant. these little things will make the biggest memories.

Anonymous said...

Two questions for the last post... what is reindeer mix and what do you make for your special breakfast?

Anonymous said...

Reindeer Mix: We just mix oatmeal with some glitter and sprinkle it on the lawn. You can also find many different 'snack mix' recipes called reindeer mix that the kids will love to eat too.

Our favorite christmas morning breakfast: sausage pinwheels, cowboy coffee cake, cinnamon rolls, and an egg-ham bake.

Warm Winter Blessing to you and your family.

Malissa said...

Those are wonderful ideas everyone... thank you!