Christmas Traditions
When I think of Christmas, I remember family gatherings around my grandparent’s dinner table. I also think of times my family spent together, creating our own special memories. For example, one year I received a tape recorder. On Christmas Day, my mother, father, brother and I recorded stories, changing our voices to fit our various roles. While I no longer have the tape of our recordings, the memory of our fun is something I’ll never forget.
Think back. What are some of your favorite Christmas memories?
Perhaps you may remember a few of the special gifts you received, but most likely these memories have nothing to do with presents.
“One of my favorite traditions with my small children were to create gingerbread houses and gingerbread men,” says Linda from New York. “Also, on Christmas Eve, my husband takes the guitar out and we turned off all the lights and sing Christmas carols by the tree.”
“My children and I baked a birthday cake for Jesus for Christmas Eve,” says mom Eileen.
Martha, another mom, also likes to focus of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. “One of the most meaningful things for our family at Christmas was around the Crèche,” says Martha. “We put out the Nativity scene the first week of December. Then, after attending the a candlelight church service on Christmas eve, we read the story from Luke and let the youngest one in the family place the baby in the manger to signify the wonder of His birth. It’s a great way to make the Christmas story really meaningful for children.”
These are great ideas for you to try, but no matter what types of traditions you want to start, remember these principles:
- Think back on your favorite Christmas memories. Try to create these kind of memories for your kids.
- Check your attitude. Your attitude will set the tone for the whole event. If mama is happy, your kids will be happy.
- Be flexible. Rigid people are brittle and break easily. What type of memory do you want your children to have, a happy mom or uptight mom?
- Have child-wonder. Kids don’t care about a perfectly decorated house. They think that laughter and fun times top that any day!
You can make Christmas a wonderful time for you and your child. Remember, perfect memories top any “perfect” gift!
12 Days of Christmas Giveaways Day 4
I’m celebrating Christmas with my favorite blog readers by giving away a different book pack each day! Today’s book pack is the Big Sky Pack, which includes: Besides Still Waters, Along Wooded Paths, and Beyond Hope’s Valley. Winners will be announced on my blog on Christmas day!
Our big church dinner followed by a candlelight service is probably my favorite Christmas tradition.
Listening to my Dad play Christmas Carols on his harmonicas.
We have a lot of Christmas traditions, but one of my favorites is driving around looking at the Christmas lights. Another favorite that really makes Christmas is our traditional sticky bun breakfast. It’s just not the same if we don’t have them.
Opening gifts on Christmas Eve with Mom and Dad and then getting our stockings from Santa on Christmas morning and then going on the visiting rounds to see the rest of the family on Christmas Day.
Going to mom’s with all the family being there.
I just enjoy spending time with my mom and seeing the joy when people open their gifts.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions was the choir concert. It was so wonderful to practice for weeks, and then walk into the church holding candles and singing. It has always been my favorite way to mark this wonderful season. Unfortunately I have not been in a church with a choir in many years, but those memories are very dear to me.
I love the meal time togetherness, talking about old times & those who have gone before us to be with Jesus. I love the unwrapping of presents with the grandkids, nieces & nephews. Making new plans for next years festivities.
My favorite Christmas tradition is getting into the car, grabbing a treat and looking at the beautiful Christmas lights with my family the night before we have our Christmas.
We always go to the Christmas eve candlelight service at church and then go look at christmas lights on the way home
Driving around looking at Christmas lights after Candlelight Service at church. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
My favorite Christmas traditions are the candlelight service at church, eating Christmas cookies and, of course, seeing the look in my kids’ eyes when they see that Santa was here!
One of our favorites is picking out our Christmas tree together. 🙂
I love going to my grandma’s house for Christmas!
Being with my family. enjoying just a day of being together.
Baking goodies with my boys to give to others!
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is attending the Christmas dinner theatres at 2 different churches in my town.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is being in the kitchen, cooking with my children. We make cookies and candy to give to their teachers as Christmas gifts. Spending time with my children is very important to me and I hope it makes some great memories for them.
We do one present for Christmas Eve and amazingly it’s always Christmas pjs
My favourite Christas memories are as a child getting up on Christmas morning, opening presents then going to church to celebrate Jesus’ birthday with my parents and brothers and sisters and church family
Getting up early Christmas and heading over to my Son’s to watch my Grandkids open their gifts. I love spending time with them!!
Our Christmas traditions have changed over the years — when our children were young, we spent some Christmases with the grandparents in different states -and each had their own tradition. And we spent 8 out of 11 years in Europe, so those years, some were just our family, some with friends. Then as our children left the nest, our daughter especially began a new tradition with her daughter – Christmas Morning AT HOME – and we joined in with that as much as we could. Now the granddaughter is grown, and we’ve made some other moves, so I don’t know if we really have any *traditions* left.
Christmas Eve service is one thing that is important — of course, hubby is now a pastor, so he does the service.
Going to pick out a tree after Thanksgiving and decorating it.
On Christmas Eve, my Grandma and me used to make homemade haluski, perogies, and stuffed cabbages for Christmas Day dinner. She is no longer with us, so sadly, it is just a wonderful memory.
We always had the big dinner with others or by ourselves no matter where we were!!!! Lots of food and full bellies!!!!
My favorite tradition: Christmas with my family, siblings & their families, and my Mother on Christmas Eve
We had a tradition when i was a child that I always think about at Christmas. In the fall, my Mom would save all the dead iris leaves and beginning in Dec. We would place a bundle in a little wooden box (aka manger) every morning. We got to put extra ones in if we were really good or helpful! Come Christmas morning there would be enough to cushion it for baby Jesus (aka my baby doll), I always think of this when my iris’s are done blooming for the year.
My favorite Christmas tradition is to have a family gathering on Christmas Day at the home of one of my children. They take turns. I have a large family and it is such fun to see my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Listen to their chatter and laughter. And, to get lots of hugs. This is where I see some of the grands more than other times. Makes me so happy. I am blessed! I already have 19 great-grandchildren. So we have several 4 generation families there. I also love the decorating tho I can’t do as much now since my kids don’t like me to be climbing. I would like my name in the drawing. GOD BLESS! When my children were growing up, I had these gatherings with 3 of my 7 siblings. Didn’t live close to my parents and no time or money to go so only had a few Christmases there after I married and moved away.
MAXIE email address: ( mac262(at)me(dot)com )
My family always opens 1 gift on Christmas eve!! My mom ,Daughter and I always makes candy & cookies and caramel cakes for Christmas together
Every Christmas Eve we all pile into the car and drive around looking at the lights while drinking hot chocolate and listening to Christmas music. Then when we get home, the kids open one gift, which are always homemade jammies. Then we curl up on the sofa and read “Twas The Night Before Christmas.
Before we open presents, we gather in the living room around the fireplace and my brother reads the Christmas Story from the Bible.
Some of my favorite traditions are watching Christmas movies and reading the Christmas story out of Luke.
During my childhood and throughout teen years all my relatives would get together at my grand parents for Christmas Eve get together. It was a good time and makes a great memory. I miss that now that most of them have passed on. To try to carry that on in a new generation we try to get together for Christmas Eve services
Pj’s on Christmas eve and reading the Christmas story.
We go to each others houses over a few days and exchange gifts that way we get to spend time with everyone
First, I loved that you talked about getting a tape recorder. I got one for my birthday when I was 10 years old and I made up radio shows all day long. Loved it. 🙂
My favorite Christmas tradition is when we watch A Christmas Story while stringing popcorn and cranberries for our Christmas tree. It just brings it all together for us. Second would be for when we go to town to watch the lighting ceremony in the square. It is so pretty but also totally cold. 🙂