What are some Christmas traditions you and your family do during this season? Are there any that don’t bring you joy? What are the ones that do?
Some traditions are passed down, others are made by society, still others are created by ourselves over the years.
I’ve kept several from my family. Some are putting up a tree, but we do a fake one and my parents always did a real tree. Stockings are hung and filled for Christmas morning. Santa will come for the children.
I’ve always enjoyed baking cookies and making a gingerbread house with my family and children.
I do miss holiday parties as I don’t work outside of the home and it would be nice to have at least one small holiday party.
This year our family is parring down extremely in the gift giving department. Over the years, we haven’t exchanged much with extended family as they moved further away. For awhile we all did a drawing as we had a large extended family, then we stopped doing that. I still love to send and receive Christmas cards, letters and pictures. I feel this is enough for us. For my children, this year we are trying to not focus on the gifts they will receive Christmas morning. I’ve been wanting to implement this for several years, but just haven’t. With us wanting to travel in an RV, this has been a catalyst in making this happen this year. We are going to still do stockings, but only have one or two small gifts. We are going to take the three girls to an American Girl Doll store to pick out a few items and spend the day there enjoying the things they offer(bistro or desert bar and activities).
One thing that my children enjoy and that I do as well, is Christmas sticks. These were originally made at a mom’s group I was in several years ago and they have evolved. This year I bought new, large, colorful popsicle sticks to write on and updated some of the things to do on them. One thing I do is remove the more time-intensive activities during the week and add them in on the weekends. You may write whatever activities you would find joy doing.
Here is a list of what we have currently:
Open one present early
Write a letter to Santa
Make Christmas cookies
Watch a Christmas movie
Go see Santa
Color Christmas pictures
Decorate tree
Set up nativity
Pay “find the wiseman”
Make a paper chain or snowflakes
Make reindeer food
Hot chocolate and Christmas lights
Shopping trip with mom or dad
Christmas crafts
Christmas music dance party
Make Christmas colored pancakes
Read Christmas books
Family pizza night
Take goodies to neighbors
Trip to library for Christmas books
Make homemade hot chocolate
Special family outing
Build a gingerbread house
Bake cookies for santa