Saturday, December 17, 2011

Christmas Traditions

When I was a little girl, we had certain Christmas traditions. Christmas Eve was always special. We would sing Christmas carols - as many as we could remember - and then when we couldn't think of any more, we would end with The Twelve Days of Christmas. Then we would open one gift on Christmas Eve and have Christmas cookies. Christmas morning we would wake up early - no coming down until 6am! - and then tear into our stockings. I have fond memories of my Christmases growing up.

Then when Dave and I got married, I assumed (incorrectly) we would do those things that my family had done growing up. But, you see, Dave had his own Christmas memories from when he was a child. They always went to a candlelight service at their church on Christmas Eve. They also did not open any presents on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas morning they did stockings, of course, and had cinnamon rolls in the shape of Christmas tree. So, hmmm, what were Dave and I to do with our family? Well, we had to make our own Christmas traditions.

We do have our own traditions, now. Some we borrowed from each of our families and some we introduced ourselves. We almost always go to a candlelight service on Christmas Eve now and stockings are a big part of our tradition. Our kids aren't supposed to come out on Christmas morning until 6:30am :) and we usually make them suffer through a picture of them all by the tree before they can open their stockings. (Another tradition Dave's parents started years ago.)

Several years ago, we started watching A Charlie Brown Christmas during dinner a bit before Christmas. We would usually do it on "pizza night" (Friday nights in our house) and I would usually pick up some Tony's pizza for that particular meal. So last night was our "Charlie Brown Christmas evening."

 The kids watching their movie and eating their Tony's pizza :)
And Sarah asked if she could take a picture of their stockings hung on the wall with care. (Sorry - no chimney here in FL.)

What are your families traditions at Christmas? I'd love to hear them.

3 comments:

  1. We ate cinnamon rolls in the shape of Christmas trees? I do not remember this! We have a tradition now of taking a picture of the kids in the empty tree box each year. It's pretty funny how much they've changed from year to year!

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  2. Our traditions are to travel to either Seth's parents' house or my parents' house and participate and whatever their Christmas traditions are. :o)

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  3. how about a progressive dinner every year as a new tradition :)

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