Happy Christmas Eve-Eve! Historically, this is one of my favorite days of the year. I think it’s because Christmas Eve and Christmas are SO close and the excitement is at an all-time high. I also remember a few years in a row, my sister and I would stay the night at a friends house on the night of the 23rd and then wake up on Christmas Eve so excited. It’s just that time of year I guess.
For many people, Christmas is all about traditions. We have a lot of them. They’ve changed over the years as family members have passed away, or new members (husband, babies, etc.) have joined. Today I’m sharing five of our favorite holiday traditions.
Baking Cookies
Each year, my sister and I (and the girls) pick a day in December to go to my moms for a day of Christmas cookie baking. We used to do this annually at my grandmas with all the women in the family, but as she grew older, and has now passed, we meet in my mom’s kitchen. This year, almost all the women were there and it was a fun (and fattening) day. The little girls love to be involved with every part of the baking and the recipes have been used for decades. It’s become a special part of Christmas for me.
Advent Calendar
If you don’t already do an advent calendar, I highly recommend it! Not only is it a fun countdown but, for us, it’s a way to connect each evening and get excited for Christmas. The chocolate ones are fun but because we do our calendar at night, we steer clear of those. Currently we are using the calendar my sister and I had when we were little. It’s a wooden tree and each day you open a flap and place an ornament on the tree. I will probably always keep this one because of its sentimental value, but once the girls get older, I’d love to incorporate a daily task or good deed. I linked a few Pinterest faves here, here, and here.
Polar Express Reading
Each year on Christmas Eve night, we read the Polar Express. My mom used to read it to my sister and I, and now we take turns reading it to my girls. It’s another tradition that has become a part of Christmas. A fun idea is to give each child a bell after reading the story. My mom used to do this with her class when she was teaching.
Making Gifts
Since having kids, I have a new-found appreciation for sentimental and handmade gifts. I love to look back on the little crafts and memories of Christmasses past. The creative in me loves coming up with (aka- finding on Pinterest) fun, handmade Christmas gifts that incorporate the girls. In the past we’ve made: hand towels with footprint reindeer, a canvas with handprint cardinals, and hand ornaments. This year’s gift: handprints on wood in the shape of a tree. The kids enjoy making the gifts and it means a lot to family and friends. This is a new tradition I’ve started with my little elves.
Christmas Breakfast
We always have an amazing Christmas breakfast. The main course is a sausage-egg casserole that we pretty much only have at Christmas. I’m not kidding when I say I look forward to the breakfast almost as much as all the other festivities. Most importantly- it’s a time on this special day that we all sit down (early,and without all the chaos of presents and other guests) and just be together. The special people and the yummy menu make it a treasured Christmas tradition.
What are some of your favorite holiday traditions! I’d love to hear about you “holiday”. Merry Christmas!
