Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Christmas Traditions

Tradition: the handing down of belief, statements, legends, and information from generation to generation

Since Lance and I have been married we haven't really started any of our own Christmas traditions together, I had some growing up as well as him and we have done some of each others but I think it's time we decide what traditions we want to continue in our family and some new ones we want to begin to carry! So I decided to write all of our traditions that our families started and then some possible new ones and go from there!

Christmas last year in Cali!

Old Traditions

Tradition #1: We always got an ornament every year since I was born and the year Lance and I got married my parents boxed up my ornaments and gave them to me to decorate our first tree..(I think I like this one for Bowden.)

My newest ornament that Lance got me from his trip to El Salvador
Tradition #2: We decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving...(I think we will keep that one...you have to decorate the tree sometime might as well be then :)

Tradition #3 Lance always got Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve and then on Christmas Day everyone would wear them and take pictures...I think that's cute and since we have been married they still do it (I think there was only 1 year we didn't get jammies and it was a big deal!)

Tradition #4 Our family would go to breakfast on Christmas Eve morning and then to the Candlelight service that night.....(Candlelight service is a definite keeper)

Tradition #5 Growing up us kids would get one "big" present that was the ultimate present and our dad would hide it and put the the first clue in our stocking and it would lead to more clues and then eventually to our present. I'm pretty sure we did this til we were in high school, then we got too smart for my dad's clues. (Maybe when Bowden is older we can do this)


New Traditions 

Tradition # 6 Get the kids a new Christmas book each year and read it to them and then read the the real Christmas story on Christmas Eve or Christmas day (We will definitely read the Christmas story)

Tradition #7 3 Gifts- I read this in a blog that a family does 3 gifts only, to represent the 3 wise men and another family I heard does 3 gifts: a "Want, Need, and a Surprise" I like this maybe combining the 2 ideas. Then kids won't get to greedy and it keeps it simple. (I'm not sure we will do this one but it's a good idea.)

Tradition #8 This blog has some creative traditions to do like sprinkle magic reindeer food on the lawn so santa knows where to lead the reindeer (magic food is oats and glitter) that's a cute idea

Tradition #9 This site also has some great traditions like having a baking party and delivering the cookies to local fire station or hospital. 

Tradition #10 Baking a cake to celebrate Jesus' birthday (I love this one)

So many great traditions out there, it's hard to choose! I know that this time of the year gets really busy and sometimes it's easy to loose sight of the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Lance and I went to the ice display a couple weeks ago and it's all decked out in Christmas but our favorite part was the last scene and it was an ice sculpture of the nativity scene and it was beautiful and it made my heart happy to see it! 

Then last night Lance got us tickets to see the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular for our anniversary and the show was amazing but the best part was the end, they told/sang the Christmas story and at the end people were clapping and saying "Amen". I loved it! All that to say, is we love traditions and will probably do most of these and maybe add more but the one tradition that we will carry on is making sure we celebrate Jesus' birthday and not forgetting that this is what Christmas is all about!

I don't care what people say "Jesus really IS the REASON for the SEASON"



1 comment:

  1. Awesome! Love the idea of traditions. My family was not a traditional family. We kinda just did whatever we felt like, but now I want traditions. Fun things to look forward to for the family. Can't wait for the following years when Ashdon is older and can understand more.

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