Now that a lot of us are starting little families of our own, I thought it would be fun to ask what traditions you've been carrying on or starting. My favorite that we've done is buy an ornament for the kids every Christmas that reflects their interests or personality for that year. We actually just started last year. We have them open them on Christmas Eve. Lucy got a Cinderella slipper (her favorite princess at the time). It was Graham's first year, so we bought him this cute little letter 'G'. Lucy was so excited when we pulled out her ornament and she talked about opening it last year. I think it'll be awesome when she has a bunch to look through and put on the tree. They'll be little representations of her during that year. 
This year I'm hoping to start a new one. My friend gave me this binder that has a scripture, song, and story for the 24 days before Christmas. I still need to run off the copies and get a binder, but hey.....I have 2 more days, right?
Anyways....what are some that you have started? I really want to make the season magical and exciting for my kids. I'm hoping to make it a peaceful time to that we can talk about the Savior often and have the spirit in our home.
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We wrap 24 Christmas books up and then open one each night to count down the days until Christmas. Also I got one from my friend where you hide an elf or a small Santa Claus each night. The next day the kids try to find the Santa. You remind them that Santa is always watching. You could do this with a baby Jesus to make it more spiritual. I also want to start a Christmas activity count down. I want to make a flip book that has 24 Christmas related activites. Each day you flip to the next day and complete the activity. This would be done in the day while Dad is at work and then the book one is when he is home. Since you just reminded me that I have two days until December, I'd better get cracking! I wanted to do this last year, but we moved two days before Christmas so I was a little busy with other things! Plus, Kenedy was too young. This year she might enjoy it more. She will like it even better when she is older, but I want to start my traditions now, so we keep doing them each year! I am looking forward to what others say about this! I love new Ideas! I love your ornament tradition
What a fun tradition. We've bought a new ornament each year we've been married, but I like the idea of the kids opening one on Christmas eve.
Can the home made gift I'm sending be not home made, but looks home made??!! Just kidding. I think I know what I'm sending you. Just have to get it done. Email me your address, and I'll try to get it to you before 22 sleeps. If not maybe we can meet up in Utah over the holidays. That would be fun.
Great idea Maggie, I can't wait to read what other people are doing because it sounds like I'm in the same boat as everyone else--new family, new traditions.
One thing I've started is making an advent calendar with the kids each year the day after Thanksgiving. This year because Thanksgiving was so early, our calander had 31 pieces of candy for the kids to eat each day. They've already loved eating one each day and counting how many are left. All I did this year was help them cut out a Christmas tree out of a piece of green felt and we hot glued 31 pieces of candy and then some sequins and other stuff to decorate it, simple, but it does the job.
Another thing we do is something I did as a kid. On Chistmas eve night for dinner we have food that Jesus might have eaten. So that usually means fish (which I hate, but I down a little for the experience) we try different types of cheeses and olives and last year I bought hummus (I read somewhere Jesus ate it, it wasn't a big hit at our house). One year my dad even managed to get honeycomb somewhere. You know, growing up I dreaded eating fish for dinner and we usually had to have a treat that night to fill us up, but it must have had a good effect on me because it's something I want to carry on with my kids.
My mom and I do allot of cooking together. It is sad that the more times change the more and more women are losing their domestic skills in the kitchen. Every year the night before Christmas and Thankgiving too. She and I stay up till about 1-2 am cooking and getting everything ready to just pop in the oven the next day. That way we aren't stuck in the kitchen while every one else is having fun relaxing and enjoying the holiday. I especially liked this time cause it was one on one time with my mom. She and I would put on holiday music and of course the best part taste test everything while we were making it. It just brings back allot of good memories. We also do this drink we call our "Holiday Drink" You freeze pineapple-orange juice in ice cube trays then when they are frozen we take them and put them in the blender and then add some Gingerale to it. It is like a fizzy slushy and it is SOOOOO GOOD! Everytime I have them it just takes me back.
We do a version of the 12 days of Christmas where we have an activity for the 12 days before...kind of like Heidi's flip book. For example, one day is red and green day and dinner is only those colors, another night is to drive around and look at Christmas lights, another night is a service night(we have made cookies for neighbors or gone through clothes and toys to donate), & the kids favorite one is sleep by the tree night...that is usually the 23rd.
I love reading other traditions because I always want, new, "doable" ideas! Good post Mags!
Our traditions are Christmas Eve at Kevins parents, reading the Christmas Story out of the scriptures while the grandkids do the nativity.
PJ's on Christmas Eve.
This year I think I also want to start a tradition on opening a book to read about Christmas on Christmas Eve, hopefully spiritual.
I love the ideas- like the fish for dinner. I don't like fish either but luckily the rest of the crew LOVE it!
I really like the ornament idea...totally stealing it. Bryson loves to count down until time to go visit family for christmas so we make a paper chain to help him understand what "22 sleeps" really means. He totally loved it last year and yesterday asked me when we were making our christmas train.
I also have a book that has a story for each day in December that we read...the stories all have a good message and tie into the Savior. I like Lichelle's idea of incorporating activities into that. Good post, good ideas! Thanks Mag.
Maggie, I love your tree! We are putting ours up tomorrow (I hope).
We have many traditions that I have started as well as carried on from my family. Kyle's family never really had any traditions, so it's a fun chance for us to start some with Caylee.
We do things all Christmas season to celebrate. I think I have that same binder you were talking about to count down for Christmas! Hopefully I can use it this year. It wasn't put together last year. I made Caylee an advent calendar this year. It's one that she can use over and over. My mom had one for each of us kids in my family growing up, and I looked forward to it every year. We also give Caylee 1 ornament every year for her to hang on the Christmas tree. That way when she's married and has a house of her own, she has 18+ ornaments to start off with. Kyle and I also get an ornament a piece so that when all of our kids leave home, we're not left without any! We get together with family and friends sometime during the month to make candy houses. The kids have a great time with that! I also do a lot of holiday baking: cookies, fudge, divinity, sugar cookies, and cinnamon rolls (usually 2 nights before Christmas). The cinnamon rolls are what we leave for Santa. Again, something my mom started when I was a little girl. We do a family nativity every year on my grandparents' wedding anniversary (Dec 23). The kids get decked out in costumes and we act out the nativity to narrations and songs. Then my grandpa dresses up like Santa and hands out presents to all the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids from he and my grandma. We eat our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, and have leftovers the next day so we can just enjoy spending time as a family without having to worry about cooking anything. We started doing pj's on Christmas Eve last year with Caylee. I think it's a tradition we're going to keep. We usually watch the Nativity movie the church put out a few years ago on Christmas Eve right before going to bed.
With all the emphasis on presents (it seems) now days, Kyle and I are trying really hard to teach Caylee that it's really about giving and baby Jesus' birth. We bought her a little nativity set she can play with, and a little book that talks about the real meaning of Christmas.
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