Holiday traditions and memories
Posted on November 10, 2009 by FoBaM-Jamie
Halloween is behind us, and the holiday season has officially begun. It’s time to put away those pumpkins and try to remember where you stored the holiday decorations. I sure hope you packed them up neatly this year … not like last year when it took you and three cousins four hours to untangle the outdoor lights.
The holidays are a time to enjoy friends and family as we relive the traditions of our own childhood through the eyes of our kids. During this time of year, more than any other, we strive to create special memories for our children. We prepare foods from old family recipes, tell stories, create crafts, share secrets, and generally spend more time together. We let the kids stay up late, regale them with tales of when we were young, and (after the little ones are in bed) reminisce among ourselves about the way it used to be. Of course, we document the entire season with hundreds of photos and hours of video footage.
When I was growing up, my parents went to great lengths to create memorable traditions. I still remember the year they made a treasure hunt for me and my sister. We followed the clues from a series of notes (written by elves, of course) until we located the final clue clutched in the hands of a stuffed mouse which was perched among the branches of our Christmas tree. My beau tells the story of the year he used baby powder to simulate Santa’s snowy footprints across the living room rug. I also have a friend who nearly broke his leg climbing on the roof to impersonate eight tiny reindeer. But, traditions don’t have to be complicated or showy to be special. Some of my favorite traditions are the simplest – like the package of mini cereals that my parents give me and my sister each year. I just love those tiny boxes of Chocolate Rice Krispies and Frosted Flakes!
Whichever holidays you celebrate at your house, the season is sure to be full of traditions both old and new. We’re curious – if you had to pick a favorite – what would it be? Your Aunt Martha’s famous apple crisp? Lighting candles? Caroling? A moonlit sleigh ride through the woods? The joke gifts you exchange with your siblings? The big holiday meal? Calling relatives who live far away?
Whatever makes your holidays complete, we hope that you’ll have plenty of opportunity to enjoy it with your family. We look forward to sharing the season with you!
When I was a little kid, we always read the Nativity Story from the Bible before opening our gifts on Christmas morning. This is a tradition I have continued with my own three children, so that they will not forget the real reason for the season.
Every year my family gets together & we go chop our Christmas tree down. Then we go to my Aunt’s for soup or chili. -We also always get together on Christmas Eve-all the kids open their presents from grandma & grandpa. It’s always fun getting together with the family, especially on the Holidays!
Like the PP, we started reading the Christmas story from the Bible to our son on his very first Christmas. This year is third Christmas and I would like to add another tradition of a special breakfast and possibly and advent calendar.
Our tradition is to have a Christmas Eve brunch with all our family, then go to church together. When we get home, our children will find a new pair of pj’s on their pillows, it helps them to get ready for bed and for Santa to come!
On Christmas Eve we have a mini family party w/ all finger foods (nothing too hard to cook & few dishes); we listen to Christmas tunes, then just before bedtime, we take turns reading 1/2 of The Christmas Story, then the kids open their Chritsmas PJ’s, put them on and go to bed (all in one room for easy Parent monitoring~ 1 can’t sneek out w/o the other 3 giving them up
Mom & Dad “help” St Nick wrap & place the remainder of the presents under the tree while having some adult beverages (a fun date for M & D); in the morning we finish the Christmas Story & the kids are picture perfect in their new jammies ready to open presents
Our Christmas tradition is getting the family together to put the tree up and decorate, with a big dinner intact. It’s normally a whole day event, usually a couple of weeks prior to Christmas. Although it has changed a bit due to my divorce, my daughter always comes first and her father always makes sure that he’s here on that day to continue the tradition for her. He might not stay for dinner, but the day belongs to her and it’s a day she gets both of us.
When I was young there was a neighborhood party each holiday season. Everyone would dress nice for Santa to show up. Santa would come and give one gift to each child. He would remind us to be good so we could get the rest of our gifts at Christmas. We would all eat food and sing songs together after our neighborhood “santa” left.
When my sisters and I were young, we ( our parents too) got to open 1 gift on Christmas Eve. It was always a new pair of PJ’s made by our Aunt. In the morning we all woke up in our new jammies to eat breakfast together and open gifts. This is something I do now with my own kids.
when i was a little girl my Dad would go to the grocery store & buy candy, nuts of all kinds, & lots of different kinds of fruit. this was always special because my Dad never went grocery shopping by himself at any other time of the year. my Mom usually made a coconut cake during this time. (from a real coconut, not a can or packaged) my favorite part of Christmas would be after we would open our presents on Christmas morning; we would take our favorite presents & go to Grandma, Granddaddy, & Uncle Travis’ house. (and Uncle Travis would always give the coolest presents.(he didn’t have any kids of his own.) they just don’t have Christmas like they used to. it’s supposed to be about Christ & family. now it’s more about how much money one can spend & getting the most expensive toys.
My brother and I always got to open one gift on Christmas Eve. I drop raisins in my daughters room and tell her it’s reindeer poop. She says “Put they are supposed to be outside!!” and I’ll tell her that they just had to come in and see her sleeping. We then sit and talk about which reindeer it probably was.
Every year I leave presents to be wrapped so on Christmas Eve I can sit on the floor in front of the TV and I turn on TBS and watch a Christmas Story. I will not watch the Christmas story until that night. I love it and I have been doing it for years.
The pictures actually sparked one of my holiday memories. When I was a kid my mom would not buy us sugar cereal, which we always wanted. So, on Christmas my brother and I use to get a box of sugar cereal from Santa. We also use to get new PJ’s for Christmas Eve so we would have them to wear on Christmas morning. My husband has helped to keep this traditions alive with me and this year we are excited to pass them on to our son.
There are a couple traditions that I look forward to every year. The first one carried over from childhood. Every Christmas Eve the kids open a brand new pair of pajamas. I’ve added a book to the deal, too. The second tradition is one I started when I had my first child. I gather up 24 Christmas stories and wrap them up. Then every night one child unwraps a book and we read it together as a family.
We have a couple traditions… We put our Xmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving while listening to Christmas songs. Then we let the boys write Santa their wishlist and take it to Macys to drop off in santas mailbox. On Christmas eve we have a finger food dinner and make popcorn garland. Afterwards we let the boys open one present (which is always new pajamas) then sing Christmas carols. After they get their new pj’s on, we read twas the night before Christmas and put carrots outside for the reindeer and milk and cookies for Santa. Once the boys are in bed, hubby and I finish wrapping the gifts and have some special time. On Christmas morning, we get up about 7 am and open gifts then I make a big Christmas breakfast. We enjoy the day by watching A Christmas Story, playing with new stuff, a big dinner, and enjoying the wonderful time together. We always make Jesus a bday cake on Christmas afternoon and light candles and sing him Happy bday (cause afterall, that’s why we celebrate the special day)
Happy Holidays all! It really is the most wonderful time of the year!
My favorite tradition from when I was a kid was opening our stocking presents on Christmas morning at the breakfast table while we ate freshly-baked cinnamon buns.
It’s a tradition that I’ve continued with my own kids. Last year, my daughters helped me make the rolls on Christmas Eve, and have asked me if they can help me again this year.
When I was a little girl we always got to open one present on Christmas eve, and it was new jammies! Now, I do the same for our 3 children and have added to it a bit…I also get the kids a new ornament every year, so that when they are grown they will have ornaments to start their own tree. We also read Twas the Night Before Christmas before we put out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer! Christmas is one of my favorite times of year!
My dad, and before him my grandfather, have to “run to store quick” everytime they leave Santa shows up! Santa comes in and sits down. All the kids bring Santa the presents under the tree and Santa calls your name to come get your present. After the gifts are dipursed he leaves so he can get to your house later to drop off your presents. He also carries with him 125 year old sleigh bells. Each year the kids take turns shaking them. Truely a tradition I will never forget and never stop doing!!
When I was a little girl, my parents didn’t do any decorating or gift wrapping before Christmas. Somehow my dad always got the live tree and hid it, and my mom must have wrapped and hidden the gifts. My sisters and I would go to bed with no signs of Christmas, but in the morning the entire house was transformed into Christmas. It was very magical. As an adult, I can’t even imagine the late nights they had.
Everyone would pile into the car on Christmas Eve. Then we would drive around and look at all the lights. When we got home home, I was allowed a cookie and milk before having to go to bed for Santa. I would fall asleep to Mom and Grandma watching Midnight Mass on tv and cooking.
Every year at Thanksgiving, I purchase a new ‘Christmas’ themed puzzle. A big one that has at least 1000 pieces. As a family, we very leisurely work on it throughout the month of December with the goal of finishing by the holidays. Sometimes we work as a group, sometimes there will be whole areas done overnight! It’s a tradition that all of us enjoy and I hope will be carried on with my children’s own families.
I just remember all of us being together and having a nice dinner and converation and when the boys were small their faces when they opened their presents.
When I was a kid (still to this day), my mom went out of her way to hide the gifts from us until Christmas morning so we would think “Santa” had come in the middle of the night. She made muddy foot prints (who’s footprints?-she still won’t tell), made sure the cookies and milk were eaten. Now, I have 6 children of my own, and I am sooooo proud to do the same for them as she did for my brother and me. It might be a little harder hiding six kid’s gifts, but Santa is magic.
My family and I love to drive around and look at Christmas light displays. We visit some big displays in parks, but we also enjoy finding the quirky, extravagant, and sometimes beautiful displays that people put on their homes. The light is a great reminder of hope during the dark days of winter!
What special traditions everyone has!!! I am Cuban so Christmas Eve is very important more so than Christmas Day. They call it Noche Buena. When I was growing up their was a big big feast on Noche Buena (Christmas Eve), always roast pork of some kind with all the fixins’. We would stay up feasting and all dolled up until midnight hit and then we would open up all of our gifts. I am not sure how I am going to impliment the Cuban tradition into my future Christmases since I am married to an American man. Although we will make our own traditions with our new daughter. God bless you all!
Thanks for sharing all your wonderful stories! Reading about your special celebrations is inspiring a lot of “Oh! We used to do that!” and “Wow! What a great idea – I’m going to do that this year.” Love it! We’re especially enjoying learning about other traditions (thanks, Linda, for sharing about Noche Buena – sounds marvelous!).
So many memorable ways to celebrate the season, and now – because of your stories – we’re really getting into that holiday spirit!
Reading these stories are great! It brings back many memories. When I was young, we always got to open the presents from Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas Eve, it was pj’s! In our stockings, Santa there was always the Little Story book of LIfesavers! (remember these!) We read the Christmas story and Twas the Night Before Christmas every year and they still get to open the presents from Grandma on Christmas Eve.
Well this is kinda funny it started a few years ago when my husband took my son the the store to buy me something for Christmas. My son, who was 3 at the time, wanted to get me a giant bag of gummy bears and my husband let him and I messed with my husband for a year about. Well the next year I bought my husband a bag of gummy bears but little did I know he had also bought me another bag of gummy bears. So as a joke we each buy a bag of gummy bears for each other every year.
Every year we go to a local Christmas tree farm and visit the Reindeer there with our Children. We also read Christmas stories every night of December to our children. Oh I could go on and on…. When I was a kid as PP wrote we got the little sugared cereal boxes in our stockings also since sugared cereal wasn’t a staple at our house : )
Many years ago when I was very young, my entire Family got together. We all brought dishes of food ranging from Turkey to Ham to Italian food… etc. We exchanged loads of great gifts……. We Laughed and talked… There was always so much fun. Now we are much older and spread around the country. Soon My Small Family and I will be spending our First Christmas with our Little Treasure, our Daughter. We will start making our new Family Traditions this year!!
Each year since my oldest who is now 5 was born we go to a tree farm and cut down our christmas tree 2 weeks before christmas. The whole family goes to church together on Christmas Eve. My kids favorite is baking a birthday cake for Jesus, we even put candles on the cake and sing happy birthday to him on Christmas Day. As soon as the holiday season starts we make sure to keep reminding our kids that the most important part of Christmas is that it was that day our Savior was born.
I love this article and all of the comments. Christmas has always been a special time for me. I really get into the decorating, shopping, baking, everything. Your memory of the treasure hunt your parents put on is great! I want to let your readers know that they don’t have to be super creative to make a special memory like this for their own children. http://www.mastersofthehunt.com/christmas-scavenger-hunt.php sells one that is as easy as printing out the clues and writing in your customized locations. I did it last year when “Santa” brought my son his first bike. It was great!
I remember waking up Christmas morning and my 2 sisters and I would wake up my parents (probably VERY early). My parents would go downstairs and we would have to sit and wait at the top of the stairs until they said we could come down. I remember being SO excited sitting there waiting so see what Santa brought me! I’m not sure what my parents were doing but I know they loved being able to see all our faces as we came down and saw what was under the tree.
great blog =)