Did you always get a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve?
Did you have a "baking Saturday" where you got together with friends and family to make special Christmas treats?
Did you have an Advent calendar or light an advent wreath? (Can I just say here that the calendars that came pre-filled with chocolate were horrid? Probably the most disgusting chocolate I've ever tasted- I would usually eat the first two days and then pitch the rest.)
Did you have your own tree in your room?
Did your family have a cd that you listened to over and over again and that everyone would sing along to in the car?
Did you get an ornament each year that represented you?
Did you attend mass (church, services, whatever you call them) on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Which of these (or any other) traditions will you pass down in your own family? Do you have specific things that just "are" Christmas to you? I know one thing we will always do is watch The Muppets Christmas Carol. It's B's favorite holiday movie, and it's "his" Christmas. I also want to give our children an ornament every year, so that when they strike out on their own, they'll be able to outfit a (small) tree. I can't guarantee we'll always be in our house on Christmas morning (in fact, I'm pretty sure we won't ever be), but hopefully being "home" won't matter nearly as much as being together and celebrating the birth of Jesus.
So, tell me, what Christmas traditions made the biggest impressions on you?
We got an ornament every year too. One from my mother and also one from my grandmother. My mom still does this, and my tree is very special. I just love remembering each year as I add the ornaments. Now, my husband and I have a tradition where we buy an ornament on every vacation as a nice way to remember it.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, we had an Advent calendar, as well as Advent wreath where we said prayers and lit the candles. We continue to go to Mass on Christmas Eve, now with our kids and head to my uncle's afterward for dinner. We've also started Shelf on an Elf with the kids, which makes for a fun pre-Christmas activity. And, I play Christmas music in the kitchen each night. :)
ReplyDeleteI get a music box each year and my sister gets an ornament. It is a very special tradition that we both still look forward to so much! Also, we celebrate each year at my Parent's house, we are the only children in the family and it was more relaxing to be in our own environment and have everyone else come to us!
ReplyDeleteI loved advent calendars...but we never got the chocolate ones. I was a little jealous of my friends that did.
ReplyDeleteChristmas morning we had to sit on top of the stairs and wait for my dad to check if Santa came(and still have to!) Then we would run down. But, only one present at a time!
Christmas Eve on Seaseme Street was our go to Christmas movie!
We also had a BIG Christmas breakfast of Country ham, grist and biscuits. I look forward to it every year.
We definitely did the Christmas Eve gift of pj's...a tradition that I'll carry on to my kids! I also think that, as we did, I'll present each child with an ornament each year (I'm a picture ornament kind of girl). My husband's family does silver bells engraved by the year. They are beautiful on the trees! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteMy mom has and still does buy us ornaments each year. My husband's step mom does the same, so we have quite a collection going.
ReplyDeleteMy sister and I used to "slumber party" on Christmas Eve so that whoever woke up first on Christmas morning would wake the other!
Christmas traditions: new ornament every year, church on Christmas Eve followed by gorging ourselves on the Cookie Tray followed by presents, by my favorite was my mom made a wooden manger in my dad's shop, lined it with gold garland and every year we would combine three generations of baby dolls to choose one to be Baby Jesus (even if it meant Jesus was a blonde hair blue eye girl).
ReplyDeleteWe always get a new ornament every year and a new pair of cute flannel pjs.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition are our Christmas stockings. My grandmother knitted one for her kids (8 in total, my mother being one of them) and grandkids before she passed a few years ago. My aunt keeps the pattern and knits new stockings for additional family members...like spouses and new babies.
Great post...thanks!
Advent calendars, Christmas Eve pageant at our church, dinner at a particular restaurant on Christmas Eve. I always left Santa a note, and he'd write back. I've kept those notes -- they are hysterical! My brother and sister and I would sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve. We had to wait till 7am to wake the parents, and open our stockings on their bed. I also loved making Christmas cookies with my mom.
ReplyDelete