Good morning, ladies!
We are swirling over here at LPM getting ready to close down for a few days over Christmas, but, I didn’t want another day to pass before I had us discussing all things traditions.
We’ve covered Christmas parties, affordable Christmas gifts, so it only seems appropriate to share our traditions with each other.
Hear me loud and clear, if you and your family don’t have many traditions or maybe you just aren’t too fond of them, no guilt whatsoever. Saturday morning I went to a Christmas brunch with some ladies from my community group and they all went around and shared some of their favorite traditions. Hearing their traditions was neat and got me thinking for what I might want to do with my own family one day. We can all learn from each other!
I did end up sharing a few things that I would losely label as traditions in our home, but I guess if you do the same thing every year, whether big or small, it’s still a tradition.
For one, my parents have served on our worship team at my church since I was a little girl. That means that the minute the doors opened at church, we were there. With that said, I can tell you the number of times we’ve missed the Christmas Eve service at church on one hand. The only reason we missed a Christmas Eve service was if we landed in Colorado that particular year to visit our family.
Secondly, and this makes our family really weird, but we open gifts s-l-o-w and l-a-t-e. It was torture when we were youngins, but as we’ve gotten older, it would be weird for us to open our gifts before two o’ clock in the afternoon. One year we went the entire day, ate our Christmas meal, visited our dear friends, then came home and opened our gifts that night. That was a one time deal, but it’s how we roll. We also open up our gifts one by one.
And that, my friends, is the extent of our family Christmas traditions.
I’m sure my mom will read this entry then proceed to call and tell me all the things we do that I left out, but for the life of me, I can’t think of one tradition we have.
Let’s hear from you, ladies. I have no doubt these are going to be some fun comments to read!
Merry Christmas, Siesta family!
We’ve developed a few traditions over the years.. on Christmas Eve my mom, baby sister and I roast marshmallows in the fireplace, drive around neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, bake chocolate chip cookies, read “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, and each open our present of Christmas pajamas. In the morning, no one is allowed to get up before 8 (thank goodness!), and then we put out spreads of fruit and chocolate oranges and funnel cake with hot chocolate. Presents come first before we trek over to gather with relatives for a late lunch and gift exchange! Our family loves ending the night with a round of “Sheep’s Head”–a very northern card game. It’s always a nice time, and even more special as younger generations get to join in!
Love hearing everyone’s traditions–so special!
We celebrate Dad’s birthday! Could that be considered a tradition(?). Yes, a birthday on Christmas day. 🙂
Merry Christmas LPM!
XO
Ganise
Our family usually puts up the Christmas tree on the Dec. 1st. Because that is our wedding anniversary, we do a lot of singing at church thru the advent season since all of us belong to one of the choirs at church. We also like to do a lot of cooking on Christmas Eve and day we always make a birthday cake for Jesus. Church service at 6:00 and 11:00 Christmas Eve and stay home on Christmas Day. This year we are trying to focus more on Jesus and less on material things Merry Christmas!
We open our presents on Christmas Eve around 9:00. Christmas music, hot chocolate,hot wassal, and we open each slowly and one at a time. I love it.
Well family changes, young ones grow up… so new traditions come.
I am just grateful to have my family home…but we will celebrate Dec 27th! Well who knows maybe that’s the real date anyway!
My husband (who is kind enough to tolerate it) and I go driving around and admiring Christmas lights on folk’s homes and lawns. I sure do appreciate the effort they go to, and some people allow us to come and walk the driveway and enjoy up close! – We do this throughout the month, the smiles those little lights cause – worth every bit of time!!!
It’s our little one’s first Christmas. We are starting the tradition of opening something on Christmas eve, and that’s going to be new PJs! I also heard the idea to give four gifts, something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. =)
We had the most magical Christmas growing up. My mom made wonderful Christmas cookies. She would bake for days! On Christmas Eve, my dad would read The Night Before Christmas and my brother and I would hurry off to sleep. Santa would come, and in our house he also brought the tree. My parents would wake us up at midnight and we’d rush downstairs to see the tree, open gifts and enjoy cookies and eggnog.
My mom, dad and brother all all gone now sadly. My dad gave me the book several years ago and when my girls were small my husband read it to them. Every year, I use my mom’s old mixer and make every one of those cookies and think of her. Keeping those family traditions are so important…
Tricia – I love how you honor your parent’s memory by keeping these sweet traditions alive ~
My husband and I open all our Christmas cards together on Christmas Eve (after church). Then we spend most of Christmas day reading the letters etc. It’s kind of an old fashioned way of celebrating. Beth, did you like the stones of Revelation that I sent to you last year at this time?
My family makes Eggs Benedict every Christmas morning for breakfast. It is something we look forward to every year and have since we were little.
We also take turns opening gifts one by one. Now that we (the three girls) are all married, we celebrate Christmas night by each making an appetizer and vote on which was the best. Tapas night!
The boys (my Dad and all the sons-in-law) go out together on the night of the 26 to smoke cigars together. It’s sort of a reward for dealing with all the estrogen.
Have a very merry Christmas LPM staff. Love you!
Just today my 8 grandchildren came to decorate my tree. Something we started years ago. The ornaments for my tree have a religious theme so each grandchild one by one chooses which ornament they want to share the meaning of before they place them on the tree. What a joy and great blessing to hear each year a deeper understanding being shared by them. The oldest are now in high school and I know it won’t be many more years til they probably won’t be here for these days, yet, I am thankful for another special day today, making memories that will carry on in their own families in years to come.
When my children were little we decided to start the tradition of having a birthday party for Jesus. We thought it would be good for them pick out the cake and ice cream. My daughter chose an angel food cake for us to make and my son chose heavenly hash ice cream. It wasn’t until we got home that we realized how “spiritual” the birthday food was. Our 3rd child came along and this tradition carried for many years to follow, even into their high school and college years.
Every Christmas eve we watch “Its a wonderful life”. On Christmas morning I cook breakfast while my husband goes to his father’s house. Later in the morning, since my children are grown now, we all open gifts at the same time!! I know, its just a mess when we get through. But its a beautiful mess all the same. I still do stockings for my grown kids & its their favorite part. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas & pray blessings on each one of you!!!
Our traditions revolve around food….and every Christmas morning we had Egg and Sausage Breakfast casserole.
One of our traditions was started with my childhood and now my husband and I do it with our 4 kids (ages 10 to 17). After we wake up Christmas morning, before we go see the stockings and gifts, the kids come sit on our bed and we all sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. I think this is a great reminder of what the day is really about, not just the gifts waiting for us. Along those lines, we also serve breakfast on birthday paper plates and napkins.
Another tradition is watching “It’s a Wonderful Life.” We LOVE that movie and I cry every time at the same part every year! Instead of forcing our kids to watch it (like we used to), I now start making cookies and put the movie on loud so I can watch as I bake, and eventually all the kids will come in and watch it.
Merry Christmas to all the LPM staff and my fellow Siestas!!
love from Colorado
We go to Christmas Eve service and then return home. We watch Christmas movies, especially “A Christmas Story” which is running continuously on one TV station, “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “Christmas Vacation” and/or “Charlie Brown Christmas” We each open one present, the one from “Santa Mom”–which is a brand new pair of pajamas for each of us to sleep in Christmas Eve. Christmas morning is relaxed, with Christmas music playing while presents are opened and the dog attacks the Christmas paper.
loved “the dog attacks the Christmas paper”! 🙂
Merry Christmas!
Our kids are teenagers (almost adults) now so our traditions have changed with the years. Now my kids like to go bowling during the day on Christmas Eve and then to Church. We also always go to one Grandmas’s house on Christmas Eve to spend the evening with family. We started buying our kids a new pair of PJ’s when they were little to get into at grandma’s house for the drive home and we have continued that tradition (but they now change at home!!). Christmas morning is always at our house with the other grandparents – gift opening and good food. I love the family time at Christmas!
My husband and I have been married 16 years. The first year we decided the only ornaments on our tree would reflect a memory from the year(s) before. So, anything special that happens or trip we take is commemorated with an ornament. It’s such a special walk down memory lane each year when we decorate the tree. Our 2 girls have learned a lot about ours lives before they came along and love seeing the ornaments that provide a timeline of our 16 years as a family.
My children are all grown and now have children of their own so many of our traditions are now being reshaped to meet the needs of our growing family that is spreading farther and farther apart (geographically that is!)
But one tradition that I still keep is I don’t put the names on the packages. Once the kids were old enough to read, they would find their gifts and somehow be able to guess what was in them so there were few surprises come Christmas Eve when we would open gifts. So I started coming up with a code. It changes every year. Once it was their birth weights, then I took the third letter in their name and came up with a Christmas movie character. Another time it was the number of vowels in their name. This year it is the number of friends they have on Facebook!!
They always have fun with it and work and work to try to figure it out. It has only been broken once!!
What a clever and fun idea!!! I suppose this means you aren’t madly wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve! : )
It was fun to read the traditions! We didn’t have them at my house – we just opened gifts on Christmas morning, until I was about 9 years old, at which time my home disintegrated. When I married and had my own children, since there had been no traditions to speak of in my home, it never occurred to me. We always tried to make our boys aware of what the day truly signified, and always told them the gifts came from mom and dad. In spite of that, we talked about “Santa Claus” and they never had any conflicts or problems with knowing the truth. Now I am an old lady with only one set of grandchildren, and several great grands who don’t live near, so there is nothing for me EXCEPT – I love my Lord, I know He came to earth and died for me, I enjoy watching other people celebrate and I love knowing that the beautiful lights that are everywhere one looks are only there for one reason and that is: JESUS. Even if some of the people who put them up don’t know that, those lights would not be there without Him! Glory to God and Merry Christmas to ALL!
Homemade cinnamon rolls! I have never spent a Christmas morning without eating a homemade cinnamon roll, and I have continued that tradition with my own family. This year, however, since two of my children and husband were diagnosed with celiac disease, I am attempting my first ever gluten free cinnamon roll recipe. I tried it this week and they tasted like playdoh 🙁 Not giving up though…making a new test batch on Friday and will eventually get it right for Christmas morning!
If you haven’t already, KingArthurFlour.com has a lot of gluten free recipes. I have used their website many times and have not had a recipe turn out bad yet. I haven’t tried the gluten free recipes but I know they have been working on perfecting their recipes for awhile. They will not post a recipe until it is good. They also have a baker’s hotline if you have any questions about their recipes.
3 traditions:
attend church on Christmas Eve
Open 1 gift on Christmas Eve
We give our daughter a beautifully illustrated children’s book each year. She’s 21 & we’ve been doing that since she was about 3. Now she has a great collection for her children. For years we read the book to her when she opened it. Then she started reading them to us. Write a note in the book addressing her growth during the year & major events in the life of the family.
INDOOR SNOWBALL FIGHTS!
Last year when my son was 11, I began to wonder what Jesus was like when he was 11. We
Iive in Colorado and my son Chase loves playing in the snow. That made me wonder if Jesus ever played in the snow. I assumed not, but would the creator of something as beautiful of snow keep it from his son as a boy? So as part of Advent, I created a “lesson” where we talked about the many gifts the Christ child brought us, including making our sins white as snow. We had a great conversation, that led us to different scriptures and a discussion about what Jesus might have been like as a boy. Neither my son or husband knew what was about to hit them…
With no snow on the ground to help the discussion “come to life”, I had prepared small trash cans filled to the top with rolled up white socks and placed them around the house prior to gathering for Advent. . I had used everyone last white sock in the house. It didn’t take them long to realize I couldn’t be more serious, we were having us an indoor snowball fight! It lasted a little over a half hour. We ran up and down stairs, took cover behind couches and counter tops. Even the dog got into it! A few things were knocked over, and we were sweatin bullets when it was over. A day later we noticed one of the socks stuck in the Christmas tree! We kept it there and indeed packed it away with the other ornaments. Yes, we put it “in” the tree when we decorated this year. Finally, we decided it would take way too much effort to match that many socks… So we bagged them all up and you guessed it…. Indoor snowball fights are now a tradition during our Christmas season. In our house, it’s all about who can ambush who first! Wish I could pictures… We have a few good ones! I’m all about making Advent lessons memorable and age appropriate, but this one had no age limit. We’ve even ambushed guest with “snowballs” of course that gives us the opportunity to share with them how and why this tradition was born. An easy way to share our love of Jesus and the gospel.
Each year while my kids were growing up, they would get a Christmas ornament-sometimes I chose it, other times they got to pick one. We always dated the box, and when they moved out, they had several ornaments to take with them for their tree. I have a smaller tree now, so I still have a tree full!
Great question, Lindsee! I love tradition, and there were none on either side of the family, so we’ve had fun starting our own. Our first was fun slippers every year. Last year we had to settle for Christmas socks since both kids have BIG feet! 🙂
Several years ago, we decided to dedicate Christmas Eve to just the four of us. No extra family, no guests – just us. I make a special (oh-so-good but oh-so-bad for you) pasta dish that I only make on Christmas Eve, and we just spend time together.
God bless you all, siestas, as you celebrate with loved ones this year!
I always buy my children/grandchildren an ornament that reflects something going on in their lives that year. We use to also let them open 2 gifts on Christmas Eve…..limited to my choosing which two…..one of which would always be new , usually red Pajamas! ( so that they looked cute the next morn in pictures taken around the tree Lol ) Now we make tons of Chex Mix for the adult kids…… lol……to take home on Christmas. And every year around the middle of Dec,. ten or so of us women in the family gather and spend the day making candies and sometimes cookies ! My children and grandchildren all get a book of some kind every year as well. Be it a cookbook, special interest, or a devotional, always a book.
Every year one, two, or however many family members we can grab all go on a walk during the first snow heavy or light, day or night. Which in Kansas took place just minues ago! 🙂
One of our other unique traditions is Eagle Brand in our stockings. One frozen spoonful on small breaks between games + visiting on Christmas day + beyond is d-e-l-i-g-h-t-f-u-l.
That’s all I got for now, folks. Be blessed and have a joyful, merry, happy Christmas–and how I pray that despite our circumstances we would cling to hope + not let this Christmas pass us by as a Christ-Miss.
See ya soon, siestas! 🙂
A tradition from my childhood that I now get to do with my three kids, is attending a Christmas eve service then when we get home there is always one present waiting under the tree for each kid. The present is always pajamas. Then my husband looks with them to see where Santa is. Once the kids are asleep my husband and I bring all the gifts into our room and wrap while we watch the Christmas Story marathon on Tbs. Christmas morning we open the stockings, then eat cinnamon rolls (or a really big breakfast if my dad is with us to cook), then we open the rest of the gifts one at a time. It’s a day of family, pajamas, and reflecting on Jesus.
Merry Christmas to every member of LPM and to all my fellow Siesta’s.
We are grandparents now … and so grateful to have these two grandsons…blessings from God. When our boys were growing up…we always had the youngest hand out the presents under the tree…we would open just one gift each continueing clockwise until all were open. I always put “thank you” notes in their stockings. I feel it is so important to show gratitude to those who have spent their hard earned money on them… thought of them …created something special with their own hands just for them… who loves on them … and prays for them.
We would have the traditional big Turkey dinner with as many family members we could gather together always around 2pm.
A new tradition that we just started this year is to make a present for Jesus and put it under the tree. This is a box made up of the gifts we want to give Jesus this year and the gifts we remember giving Him this past year. These are gifts of the heart, time, and resources. As an example, This year I want to give Jesus my true worship and I want to give him the gift of loving my husband well. We prayed over the gifts we want to give Jesus as a family and discussed ways we could love Him this year by loving and serving others. My daughter decorated the box that we placed these hand written notes in and we placed it under the tree. We plan to open it up as we celebrate His birthday.
When the kids were at home, I was working 3-11. If I happened to be working on Christmas Eve then they could stay up until I got home and open one gift. If I was off, they opened one gift before they went to bed. After the kids got into their teens and weren’t really interested in Christmas decorations, it fell to me to put up the Christmas tree. I began to watch the movie Scrooge. It came out the year my husband and I began dating so it means a lot. Now it isn’t Christmas until I’ve watched Scrooge and done it the dialogue and songs with them!
These are all such fun to read!
My family tradition was first, we had to wait until 7:00 AM to wake Mom and Dad (as a parent I understand this now – often you’re up a little late!). My brother, sister and I were often up for a few hours, quietly playing fames in my room, watching the clock. Then, more waiting, mom and dad had to make coffee (I type as drinking my very large cup of coffee, thank you Jesus for coffee!).
Finally we got to enter the living room and behold our stockings and one “big” gift for us each, which we then had to open one by one, in order of age, from youngest to oldest. Stockings first. There was always an apple and an orange in the bottom.
Imagine my surprise when I got married and during our first Christmas with my husband’s family there was absolute chaos as everyone began tearing into their gifts the minute one was handed to them: no waiting? no one by one? I was baffled.
We still honor both of these family traditions, even as siblings have married, kiddos have been born, and our families have grown in size and maturity. The best tradition, however, is just being together on Christmas Day, celebrating the birth of Christ.
***Oops: playing Games, not fames***
Each year I make picture ornaments of my children and grandchildren (we call them twinkles). After 43 years, our tree “twinkles” with hundreds of their photos. There is one photo of one of my daughters during her “awkward” teen years and her siblings delight in finding that one and placing it in a very prominent place on our tree. Our granchildren love finding their parents and comparing it to their own. It is a tradition I just love.
Traditions? I love them! We found a new one to start this year…and awesome live nativity at a local park, complete with hot chocolate, caroling, and a bonfire. We also like to visit a huge Christmas light display in another local park while eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate in the car. We attend a Christmas Eve service with my in-laws and do Christmas Day with my family.
Another new tradition I would like to start (and actually started last year), particularly in honor of the lives affected in Newtown, is to perform random acts of kindness this time of year. My birthday is 12/16 and I actually started this last year. They could be as large as paying someone’s layaway at WalMart to paying for a coffee for the person behind me at Dunkin’ Donuts. I’d like to continue this each year and encourage my kids to do the same.
We unwrap our Christmas PJ’s on the Eve! As a kid, my mom or grandma always did this for us and I’ve kept it going. My boys are now 15 and 13, but they still look forward to this tradition! Warms my heart. We, too, waited until late at night to open our gifts!!! Drove me crazy as a kid! I don’t carry on that tradition :). Another one in many Italian families like mine is cooking fish on the Eve. We’d all go to midnight service smelling like fish! The whole town did! Merry Christmas everyone! xoxo
Since I can’t remember when, my sister, who is 55, and I, 53, have tried to outdo the other by seeing who can be the first to call the other in the morning and wish a Merry Christmas. We are usually early risers so 4 or 5 a.m. is still not unheard of.
A few years ago we also decided to draw names for all the adults in our families so we each only purchase one gift for the name that we drew and we keep a $$$ limit. This has taken a bunch of Christmas stress and pressure off.
Last year we decided that our Christmas dinner would consist of a variety of homemade pizzas; complete with homemade dough. We had fun making a bunch of different kinds and everyone got to stuff themselves silly.
We are still so blessed to have both of my parents still with us and we all congregate at their house for our Christmas family gathering. Great times and Great memories.
As a child my dad was worked for the newspaper and he had to work every Christmas so we would get up at o’dark 30 and open one gift before he went to work. The old time movie camera with the nearly bright as God light would come on to our still sleeping eyes and we would open the one. Then off to work dad would go until about 11:00 a.m. and we’d go back to bed.
As a single adult I get up early turn on tree and light fire and with coffee-in-hand I give my pup and kitty their stocking treats and new toy and I would open my stocking acting all excited at what Santa brought me. It is still fun to this day.
I always buy my 2 boys pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve night and on Christmas morning. I love shopping for their pajamas.
I Christmas tradition is one I share with my Dad. Since my family is Cuban we always cook a pig and when I say pig I mean the whole thing. We have done this for as long as I can remember (and I am 30 now). My Dad and I will prepare it the night before (sour oranges, garlic, salt and a few other ingredients)while my Mom is in the kitchen getting other stuff ready for Christmas Eve (we normally prepare it in the garage…so hard to explain but it is sanitary :)). Once it’s done it sits over night (covered of course) and my Dad gets up early and cooks it in the backyard (my Dad used to dig a pit but now we cook it in a box called, La Caja China). I could go into more detail but I think you guys get the point. 🙂 It is the best pork you will ever taste hands down! It’s something I look forward to every year. We have now started to include my cousin with the preparations which is a lot of fun as well.
When I was little, we had our “family” Christmas on Christmas Eve. We got $1.00 each from an Uncle. We bought everyone in our family a gift with that $1.00. We wrapped each gift and gave them on Christmas Eve. Then Christmas morning was for Santa Claus to come. Those gifts were never wrapped. (How would Santa have time to wrap ALL those gifts). We each had a “pile” on Christmas morning, which of course never was more than a couple or three gifts and a stocking full of candy, fruit and nuts. We tried to do those same things for our kids as they grew up. We still to this day do our family time on Christmas Eve and leave each individual family to do “Santa” on Christmas day.
One tradition we have is going around the room by age youngest-oldest (10 of us) we open one gift at a time!! It’s exciting to see what everyone received. Also, makes you appreciate when it’s your turn instead of the little ones just tearing into the gifts all at once! Also, on Christmas morning we make homemade blueberry muffins and eat them hot out of the oven!! Merry Christmas!!
When the kids were still at home we would not put gifts under the tree until they were in bed christmas eve (not because they expected santa because my kids always knew it was us that brought their gifts not santa) just for the anticipation. They would get up in the morning but we did not open presents until we got dressed then we would put on the christmas tree lights and light candles and eat homemade cinnomon rolls and hot choc. then it was present time and we did like you Beth one at a time and we took our time.
Growing up, we always opened pajamas on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, my brother would come wake me up (far too early) and we would go wake my parents up. Finally we would go drag my older brother out of bed. We would all gather back in my parents’ room where my dad would do everything so slowly – go start coffee for my mom and turn on the tree. When he was finally finished, we would pray as a family and then run to open presents!
I’ve been married for 2.5 years now and have a 14 month old. We are still trying to create some traditions to accommodate our growing family while seeing relatives. I love how traditions make things so memorable and special. We have been building our daughter a play kitchen for this Christmas. I’m not sure we will make building projects the week before Christmas a tradition though! It’s been crazy!! But so worth it!
Merry Christmas everybody!!
Merry Christmas to All~
Our family tradition is to have a Birthday cake for Jesus. My mom puts a little ceramic Mary, Joseph & baby Jesus on the cake & we all sing happy birthday before we open presents. If there are any little ones around,they get to blow out the candle. Its a little reminder to us all about the true meaning of Christmas.
We are empty nesters now, but we are blessed to have our children and grandchildren nearby. Thankfully, my daughter-in-love is very into traditions. We go to church all together on Christmas eve, then to our son’s home for a family party. This includes in-laws and cousins too. Much eating, and watching NORAD to see where Santa is! Next morning, first to our son’s house then off to our daughter’s. My daughter’s in-laws will have dinner for all in their home this year! A birthday cake for Jesus is a must. Merry Christmas to all!!!
As a little girl I always dressed up and went to candlelight service on Christmas Eve. When I got home I would get to open ONE present.
I have carried on this tradition with my kids. There is something about having a church holding their candles and celebrating the birth of our savior that really teaches the real meaning of Christmas. The other one is singing Happy Birthday to Jesus before opening presents Christmas morning.
Does anybody else manage to ALWAYS get hot wax burns even though they put those little guards on the bottom of the candles? No matter what I try to do different, every year the same thing. My husband has threatened to not let me hold my own candle!
Hmmm! Can’t think of any specific traditions in my childhood, except most of the time we lived so far away from our grandparents that we usually traveled back to their home a 24 hour trip in snow and ice!
As far as our family traditions now, we will read the Christmas story together, have a Birthday cake for Jesus, and open our presents from “Jesus”!
Merry Christmas to all! My family goes to the 4:00 p.m. service at our church and then to dinner afterwards. We then go home and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Christmas Carol”. It is such a mellow night…..I love it.
Collectively, our most-looked-forward-to tradition is the unpacking of the stockings. Santa packs them as full as (s)he can, making sure there are the exact same number of items in each stocking. On Christmas morning, we take turns opening the gifts one-at-a-time and we drag it out as…long…as…we…can… Then we eat a light breakfast and unwrap the rest of the gifts before heading to Grandma’s house to gather with the extended family.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
We decorate the tree with Christmas songs on (might seem simple but it’s important to have them on)
Every year we make cutout cookies (gotta get on the ball because we’re late this year but there’s still time…life and kids’ activities gets in the way sometimes of the things I really want to do!)
This one I stole from my niece…On Christmas Eve I give each of our three children two presents to open, one is new pj’s to wear that night and their new ornament to put on the tree, they love this.
We leave oats and carrots and water (because we figure he gets lots of milk everywhere else and if it spills it’s OK) by the fireplace for Santa and his reindeer (next morning they are half eaten)
Christmas morning my husband goes out to light the tree and decorations and again puts on the Christmas music, the kids all have to make their beds and wait with me in our bedroom 🙂 I have done this since I was a child and it seems to make the first moments of Christmas extra special.
I agree it doesn’t have to be a big deal to be a tradition, just something that is comfy to everyone and missed if you don’t do it!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Our family has so many traditions it would take an hour to type them all. Just try and leave one out and the kids have a fit! My dad died in June so some of the traditions will be bittersweet this year, but we’re going to keep everything the same for my mom (and us!) A pickle ornament is hidden in the tree and the one who finds it gets to pick out the first gift from under the tree to give to someone else to open. After they open, they pick the next gift and give it to someone else. Then, one at a time, we open gifts while everyone watches. Yep, it can take hours, but everyone knows what everyone got and we love it! Merry Christmas all!