Saturday, November 8, 2008

Holiday Traditions.......



This time of year always makes me think of Holiday Traditions and I love to hear how other people celebrate the season.
I thought it would be nice to share our traditions with each other. Maybe we can 'borrow' each other's ideas and add a new tradition this year for our own families.

Here are a few of ours:

1. We try to find a holiday play...preferrably one cast with children.
In Fort Worth, we went to Casa Manana each year. One year, we went to see a Christmas program showcasing the Rockettes in Dallas.
While in OKC, we went to see a children's play and then afterwards, took in the lights at the Riverwalk. Last year, we went to a children's play in New Orleans. We always try to go to the showing closest to Christmas Eve.

2. Each year since the kids were born, I buy a new Christmas book and put it in a basket with the others, near the Christmas Tree. Then all through the month, we read them one by one...trying to get them all read by the end of the month!

3. We go out at least once and check out local Christmas light displays. We make hot cocoa, climb into Dean's SUV and drive around looking at Christmas lights. We try to go on a cold clear night....which was easier to do in OKC and DFW than here in Louisiana!

4. I make the kid's pjs each December. I make several pair and put them on their beds for them to dive into after school. They always get excited because they've been picking out fabric all year long so they usually have a lot of new pjs!
Then I make each one a special pair that I wrap up for them to open Christmas Eve.

So what are some of your Holiday Traditions...?

9 comments:

Tracey said...

Every year since my husband and I have been married (8 years now)- we buy a clear glass ornament and coat it with paint on the inside. After it dries, we paint a memory from the year to remember. My favorite memory is the Christmas that my husband was moving home to Tulsa from St. Louis (he left three weeks after I had already moved to Tulsa). His metro was run off the road by a semi and he was buried in a snowbank. A man named Harley helped rescue my husband (a very funny story you can find on my personal blog - Bear Traps and Road Maps). So, we painted a metro in a snowbank and labeled it "Harley saves Christmas '02". I love that we will have quite a collection to look at together when we are celebrating 50 years of marriage!!

gin said...

I'm in the Christmas mood too, I just posted our family Christmas traditions in my post last Thursday. Since our kids are all grown and some just married this year, we have added a few new traditions to start, but we still do the Church childrens Christmas play and participate in the Church Christmas caroling that we have done since our kids were babies. We still read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve late at night while we are all together.

Quiltingranny said...

One of our very special moments is placing the first ornament on our tree each year. My third child passed away when he was very young, Christmas just grieved me for several years after that. Than, I married a wonderful man who purchased an small angel sitting on a moon ornament to represent my son. Each year it is the very first ornament to go on the tree & is placed by myself or by the newest member of our family. From there, the tree is covered in lights by hubby and the kids have full run of the tree with no interference from the adults!

Jennifer said...

1. drive around to see the lights
2. make cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve and place them on our special santa plate
3. Elf on a Shelf- it's awesome!
4. Kids get holiday pajamas
5. Each morning we do the advent countdown calendar
6. Casa to see their christmas program and sing 12 Days of Christmas on the way there.
.....I"m sure there is more I just can't think right now!

Simple Daisy said...

Always a night with real hot chocolate from melted chocolate and watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!! And we don't even have children!!
Thanks for visiting my blog!!!

Terri said...

I wanna play!! The second week in December my son takes me to NYC to see the Macy windows and the huge Christmas tree. We do some shopping in my favorite shop, Tinsel Trades and then we have to hit the nhl shop to get the guy things.
I try to get with the guys girlfriends to bake cookies. But I think my sister and I will be baking this year.
This time of year I want to be my husband and sit back and watch all the beautiful things. Thanks for putting me in the mood. Hugs, Terri

Kellie said...

I don't have my own children but when I was living at home we always put up the Christmas tree Thanksgiving night. Charlie Brown and all the other Christmas specials were an event.

We'd have a specific order in which to visit the grandparent's houses. Which reminds me...at my Mamaw's(Mom's mom)house we'd pull up and there would be Christmas music blasting. I'm sure the neighbors appreciated it! LOL! The house would literally be bursting at the seams with aunts, uncles, and cousins. After dinner was eaten and gifts were opened, we'd head outside for FIREWORKS! Aaaah...one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Elaine said...

I have a Thanksgiving tradition with my friends,we have an early November Harvest Dinner complete with turkey and all the trimmings.
For Christmas, there is a caroling party the week before Christmas. We go caroling around the neighborhood, kids and adults, then back to a friend's house for hot chocolate, hot spiced cider, appetizers, and gingerbread cookies. We are always chilled to the bone from being outside in December so it's great to have a hot drink ready and waiting for us.
The friends get together for a holday performance whether it be the Boston Ballet's Nutcracker, the Chrisrmas Revels @ Harvard University, or the Boston Pops.

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of memories and traditions. Each Christmas my husband and I write down our memories of the past year and then open an envelope with memories from 4 or 5 years ago. Great way to reflect and be thankful!

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