Christmas/Holiday Traditions

[ColoradoMom]

Come on - let's hear them! What traditions make your holidays special? And - if you had no money for presents (and I'm sure many of us are feeling the holiday pressure this year) would these traditions make up for that?

 

Christmas Carols and Christmas Cookies - Our favorite Christmas tradition was started after I became a single mom and money was so very tight. I'm talking food bank turkey tight. I always make very special Christmas cut-out cookies from an old family recipe - this is a one time a year occasion, it is very special. So every year we would make cookies while listening to Christmas carols on the intenet radio. My kids loved the carols on the computer and the day after Thanksgiving we would turn them on for homeschool and listen until the holidays were over.

 

Christmas Eve Dinner - My second one is the baked potato soup for Christmas eve. My kids start talking about it in September - in fact my son just said last week "It's almost time for potato soup!"

 

Wrapping presents on Christmas Eve - there are NO presents under the tree until Santa comes - even though my kids are now 21 and 13! :D

 

I think our traditions are what make Christmas special - and while my kids are materialistic and want presents - if we had no presents but followed our traditions it would still FEEL like Christmas. On the other hand, if we had presents but no traditions it would NOT feel like Christmas at all.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt

This includes my 2 sibling's large families, so about 28 people are involved. I make complex clues and have them in 4 teams. They are running around the house looking up Biblical references for clues, trying to identify phrases from Christmas Carols, singing carols in harmony, finding props for an impromptu skit etc. I have more fun than they do because I get to watch all the chaos.;)

 

It takes about 45 minutes. I have a prize bag that makes winning worth it. I collect things for this bag all through the year: free "gifts" with purchases, buy one get one "free" things that I don't need two of, etc. The losers all get a gift from the dollar store.

 

Christmas Brunch

After opening presents and finishing our Christmas devotions, we start making brunch as we sip coffee and nibble on breakfast rolls. My older dc, dh, and I all have a special dish we make, so it's not too much work on one person. We invite friends and/or family to arrive around noon. We serve a fancy gourmet brunch using our best china and crystal. We've got special Christmas brunch table decorations, so those who came on Christmas Eve see a transformation. After brunch, we play games and snack on appetizers the rest of the day.

[RobinM]

Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt

This includes my 2 sibling's large families, so about 28 people are involved. I make complex clues and have them in 4 teams. They are running around the house looking up Biblical references for clues, trying to identify phrases from Christmas Carols, singing carols in harmony, finding props for an impromptu skit etc. I have more fun than they do because I get to watch all the chaos.;)

 

It takes about 45 minutes. I have a prize bag that makes winning worth it. I collect things for this bag all through the year: free "gifts" with purchases, buy one get one "free" things that I don't need two of, etc. The losers all get a gift from the dollar store.

 

 

 

 

What a great idea... Can you share more about it? What are some of the clues that you come up with etc...? We like scavenger hunts but haven't done anything like this... it sounds so fun!

[RobinM]

Just last year we started a new family tradition... I have struggled so much with the idea of how to teach my children the true meaning of Christmas. It can be difficult when our culture is so focused on material things. So, I decided that as a family we should think of Christmas as a time to reflect: "what can I do for others?" instead of "what will I get for Christmas?".

 

We will still do some gift giving... but I want the kids to understand that there are so many people out there in need. Last year we sent healthy snack baskets to various children's hospitals. We also went through clothes and toys and donated to our local shelter. We also 'adopted' a local child who was in need of gifts for Christmas. We packed up a big box with clothes, shoes and toys... some new things but others that were used b/c my son wanted to share with a little boy who didn't have as many toys and clothes. It was very sweet and I could tell that his little heart really was touched by that act of giving.

 

My children are only 5 and 3 so this is a very new idea... but as they grow I'd love for it to turn into the true focus of what Christmas is about for our family.

 

Along with that, though, I love the traditional stuff... making cookies together, spending time with family, playing games together, laughing together and sipping hot cider! I can't wait.... :001_smile:

 

One other thing I remember....when I was a kid there were a few Christmases when money was tight so we decided to do handmade gifts. I was probably 10 or 11 but I came up with some neat ideas. As the kids get older we may try to incorporate something like that also... They can plan and think about what they want to make in advance and really make a neat project that will cross over into their school work also.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

What a great idea... Can you share more about it? What are some of the clues that you come up with etc...? We like scavenger hunts but haven't done anything like this... it sounds so fun!

 

I happened to have one of them stored on the computer. Explanations are in blue. All the teams receive their clues in different orders so they aren't running into each other.

 

1. Here’s your first clue: Matthew 13:55.This verse mentions Jesus as the carpenter's son. The next clue was hidden in on the workbench.

 

2. Your next clue: Matt 15:27 This clue mentions dogs eating; the next clue was hidden in the dog food bucket.

 

3. Go to the master bedroom. What Bible verse is depicted? _____________Here I had a stuffed lion and stuffed lamb snuggled together on the bed. The team was to come to me with the Bible reference: Isaiah 11:6 Some teams had a little trouble with this one. ;)

 

4.Come to me with the right verse from clue #3, and you will get your next clue: Luke 11:3. This verse mentions daily bread; the next clue was hidden in the bread box

 

5. Your next clue: Proverbs 31:17. This verse says she strengthens her arms. The next clue was found by my set of free weights.

 

6. Your next clue: Genesis 37:3.This verse mentions the coat of many colors. The next clue was in the coat closet.

 

7. Your next clue: Isaiah 56:3.This verse mentions a dry tree. We have two Christmas trees. The next clue was in the artificial tree.

 

8. Identify the carol titles that contain these lines. When you complete this quiz, come to the family room and sing one verse of one song below in four part harmony.

 

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep_____________________

 

That glorious song of old_____________________________

 

Born the king of angels _____________________________

 

Veiled in flesh the godhead see_______________________

 

Star of Wonder, Star of night __________________________

 

9. Your next clue Ezekiel 33:32.This next verse mentions playing well on an instrument. The final clue was hidden in my dd's violin case.

 

 

10. Find three props in the house to enhance this song (copy given of different song each year) Come to the judges and perform your song with actions and props.

Edited November 4, 2010 by Leanna
clarity

[twoxcell]

We celebrate advent by have a special activity daily starting Dec. 1st, and ending on Christmas. I type up little notes to put in our advent calendar. Most things are either free or very inexpensive. Some things we do: bake cookies, drink cocoa with candy canes, watch a new Christams movie, go and see a live nativity(we went two two last year, one that was fully interactive, and super neat.), drive around and look at lights, make paper snowflakes, go to a local light show(we can get in free two differnt nights with some local memberships we have). Light parades, make ornaments, etc. We also read a few verses of the Christmas story each night.

 

We also do operation Christmas child every year. I need to type up our list for this year soon, and I want to add in a few more service orriented activities.

[Mom in High Heels]

We decorate our tree on St. Nicholas Eve and Indy leaves his letter to Santa, which St. Nick kindly delivers. St. Nick brings candy, and small gifts and always a clementine.

 

We pick an angel from the Angel Tree and shop for that. We bake pumpkin bread and cookies and make fudge for our friends and neighbors, which Indy loves. He really likes to help bake the pumpkin bread. We string popcorn and cranberries to decorate Indy's room (he gets his own little tree each year) and we make a gingerbread house each year (this is so much fun). We also watch Christmas movies and drink hot chocolate snuggled up under blanket. Oh, and we do an Advent calendar.

 

He'll forget the presents, but he'll always remember the fun things we did together before the holidays.

[annlaura]

We start our decorating the first Sunday of Advent, which includes getting out Christmas dishes. Every night after dinner, we turn out most lights, light the appropriate Advent candle(s), and sing the corresponding verses of an Advent song. Then we go around the table picking carols to sing. After however many rounds, we light the candles on our angel chimes and sit quietly, listening and watching the shadows on the ceiling. Each Sunday of Advent, there is a small treat on the dinner table for each boy, sometimes including DH.

 

I plan to implement St. Nicholas Day traditions this year.

 

I have a small fake tree that goes in DS's room. He has a few safe ornaments to decorate it with.

 

On Christmas Eve at dinner, we open the little gifts from each other that are in our stockings. Then we put them back up for Santa.

 

I have always wanted to hang cookies or candy canes from the tree for children and adults to help themselves, but the tree would just get mauled by the dog. :lol: Maybe someday when she's old and lazy.

 

Last year I took the boys downtown on the train to the Christkindl Market. I think we will make this a yearly tradition.

 

And we celebrate Three Kings Day.

 

ETA: DS and I also use potato stamps and a roll of brown paper to make our wrapping paper. And we play lots of Christmas CDs and read tons of Christmas books.

Edited November 4, 2010 by annlaura

[amey311]

We do big dinner on Christmas eve. I tend to wrap most of the gifts that night.

 

Filled stockings are left on the end of your bed (this helps mommy and daddy sleep in a little later ;) ).

 

Christmas day we have fun breakfast (this is often when I'll make cinnamon rolls from scratch or something), we open gifts and then we just hang out.

 

Christmas afternoon is for a movie and going out for Chinese. This is the only time we get the PuPu platter and my kids think we're the best parents EVER.

 

We do use advent calendars/Count down to Christmas calendars. I'm making one this year that's little felt pockets and I need some ideas of what to put in the pockets. Each boy has one and I'd like some non-tangible ideas in addition to tangible ideas.

 

On New Year's Eve we have appetizers for dinner (potato skins, tiny egg rolls, pigs in blankets, etc)

[Liza Q]

We do a few different Adventish things. The wreath and candles for Sunday nights. We have 3 different Advent calendars and the Jesse Tree ornaments so each child does something every day. We have a schedule typed up so each child rotates through the different calendars every few years - it is a big deal, even to my teens! My husband reads either Jotham, Bartholomew, or Tabitha after dinner. If we are super busy we will skip a night of calendars/reading and then double up. This happened a lot last year but we got it done! A few nights a week we light a bunch of candles and sing Christmas carols together. An average December night has about 20-45m of Advent "stuff".

 

We also celebrate St. Nicholas Day and Three Kings Day. My husband's grandparents were born in Germany and mine were born in Puerto Rico so we make a point to have some special things on those days. We (we pretend that it is St. Nicholas/the Three Kings but it has always been a game) leave little gifts and some candy in their shoes (my aunts tell me to use shoeboxes and hay but that is a little too much work!) and I make a special meal - usually Sauerbraten on St. Nick and Carne Guisado on 3K. Oh - some great desserts as well!!

 

Christmas Eve has special treats - lebkuchen (from the German deli) and Petit Fours (from Swiss Colony). My MIL used to live with us and these were the things she liked and I learned to like them too! We usually go out to eat so it has become a tradition to have only storebought things that night. And I bake a Blueberry Coffee Cake every Christmas morning - I wish I could remember how that tradition started!

Edited November 4, 2010 by Liza Q

[Excelsior! Academy]

Christmas Eve we have egg nog and cookies and read The Night Before Christmas. Christmas Day you get your stocking upon waking and before breakfast. Presents wait until after breakfast and everyone is gathered around.

 

I've always wanted to do the matchy-matchy Christmas pajamas that everyone opens Christmas Eve. It would make for really cute Christmas Day photos!

 

Shouldn't this thread be in general?