Hmmm. Traditions can be interesting. They can be good or bad. Reading the story of Christ's birth around a fire place on Christmas Eve or saying you'll do stuff early this year, but still finding yourself running around doing errands last minute. Or you could be a Dickey and have the tradition of staying up most of the night getting ready. I do not have Dickey blood in me so I cannot keep up with that tradition. Perhaps you make a donation to the food bank or promise that you won't eat too much at Christmas dinner.
Although my front window tells me that it's Autumn, visiting the store this morning told me that it's Christmas. So, in keeping with the Spirit of Christmas that is fast approaching I am inviting you to take part in a Christmas Traditions Contest. I am looking for Christmas ideas and traditions. I'd love to hear about a tradition that you did as a family growing up or one that you have started as an adult. If we decide to do your tradition as a family, you will receive a personalized tree ornament . I am also hoping to hear some really cool/beautiful stories to get to know a little more about you.
You can either write your tradition(s) on my blog or on my facebook. I wanted to get started so I have time to make the ornament and get it to the winner before we are in the thick of the season. So looking forward to hearing from you!
When I think of Christmas traditions two come to mind so hope I can share two :)
ReplyDeleteFor me, a Christmas highlight was decorating the tree. Not because I love decorating but because of the story wrapped up in the whole event. Every ornament had some event or adventure tied to it and as I placed them on the tree I was able to recount the story of our family over the years and , in some cases, the memories of people no longer there. When that was done I'd lay under the empty tree and watch the lights sparkle from below (hard depending on the tree) as a child I had convinced myself fairies lived there although in later years it was my cat and a bit more dangerous :)
I also love the tradition of Christmas Eve service. Sometimes they were deep and beautiful, some were Sunday-school led, some were a bit chaotic but all had my church family coming together to celebrate hope and love. It was amazing.
Sadly, I'm at my boyfriend's this Christmas so may be time to make some new traditions.
Awesome guys!
ReplyDeletea couple traditions i remember from growing up are...
ReplyDelete- beind allowed to open one item from our stockings (to help curb the 6:30am start!! i may have to implement this one too in a few years when my kids can get up on their own!)
- an awesome brunch that my mom would prepare for us to eat while sitting around the tree, opening gifts, playing with new toys (it always had some family favourite recipes...scones, cinnamon buns... yum!!)
- getting a family gift: it was always a new board game...we would play the game the whole holidays...
a couple we've started since having our own family..
- each person getting a new pair of pj's as a family gift, opening them Christmas eve, so we can each wear our new pjs for Christmas morning
- jeff and i make a point to watch Elf - we can't get enough of that movie..its hillarious!!
- having a birthday cupcake to celebrate Jesus' birthday!
My friends and I here like to go Christmas Caroling. We each pick two friends that we are trying to reach out to. We than spend the afternoon at someones house preparing gift baskets and watching a holiday movie. The baskets are filled with homemade cookies, fruit, a craft project that one of us made, an empty picture frame and a letter explaining the holiday with a typed out version of the true story of Christmas in their own language.
ReplyDeleteIt is a crazy made rush of an evening trying to take buses and taxis all over the city. At each house we go to... we stand in the door sing two songs, one in English and one in Uyghur. When we are done we snap a quick picture of all of us with the family and promise to print it up and come back for a longer visit next week. It is a great way for us to do a very traditional North American celebration...as well as a great way to encourage our friends and get the good news out there.
Watching A Christmas Carol (black and white version from 1951) at midnight Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Tacos on Christmas Eve in remembrance of the one Christmas we forgot to turn the oven on when the turkey was in it and ended up having Christmas tacos instead of Christmas turkey.
Modelling our new Christmas undies on our head after opening them... ya, we're weird. lol.
Spending the 2 days before Christmas making all different kinds of Christmas cookies and squares to pig out on later.
Pumpkin Pie with whipcream & Dutch apple pie are a Christmas tradition in themself and eating our Christmas feast with all our loved ones amongst us.
What we do for Christmas to try and keep the focus on Christ (at least last year, and the kids asked to do it again) is create our own countdown, rather than chocolate, we made paper rings connected, and each ring had a passage relating to the Biblical account of, and leading up to Jesus' birth. It was a really cool way to refresh our minds of what happened and see Christmas getting closer as the chain got shorter:)
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