Our family chose to stay home this year to begin our own family traditions for Christmas. We got a few down and will do better next year as more thoughts came to mind. We realized that our family needed to develop traditions of our own since we are a growing family and want to give our kids some traditions to pass down. A lot of what we did are things that we did as children and wanted to do again. So grab a cup of hot cocoa and journey with me.
First, we wanted to go back to the reason for the season. Christmas literally means the Mass of Christ. Christmas was, is, and always will be centered around Christ for us. We are not Catholic but that is just where the name came from. Gifts being given to each other are like the gifts from the Wise Men. We give a gift of gold by a gift of something the children want, a gift of frankincensen by a gift of something we need, and a gift of myrrh by a gift of something to wear. Since we usually give the gift of something to wear on Christmas Eve, we do a gift of something home made and something to read on Christmas Day.
So here are our plans for next Christmas, and things we started this year.
Advent Sundays - We will be doing a wreath with candles next year. Light a candle, read a scripture, and learn about what that week is representing.
Friday after Thanksgiving:
Hit the Black Friday Sales if there are any that are good. Go get hot cocoa, come home and put up the Christmas Tree.
December 1st:
Start playing Christmas music on Pandora and car radio. Begin the Advent Calendar. We will be buying one made of wood next spring and work on it so it is good to go for the beginning of December. The Advent Calendar will have candy for each child, a scripture, and a tidbit about the season and reasons.
December 6th:
Sinterklaas visits. Starting 2 days before, we will make sure the house is all clean and our shoes will be cleaned. They will be set out on the evening of December 5th for Sinterklaas to visit. We do this tradition because my husband spent a great deal of time in Germany. It is important to us to remember our past and things we have learned. You can read more about Sinterklaas at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas.
December 19th:
Begin holiday baking. Each child will get to pick their favorite goodie from Grandma Osborne's cook book for us to make. We will make it together as they learn the process to make their great grandmother's baking. We will also make lots of cookies to make and freeze.
December 24th:
Caroling (we didn't do that this year but have in years past) in the morning and pass out cookies & treats. Go to a new movie with family in town or just our family. This year we went and watched Sherlock Holmes while our children went with Jeremy's family to see We Bought a Zoo. Following the movie, we all go out to eat with Jeremy's family. We have done this every year for as long as I can remember and it is so nice. In the evening we will read Twas the Night Before Christmas and open one gift. This is always pajamas and we enjoy it. Starting next year we will then bundle up, jump in the car and go look at the light displays (avoiding the Plaza like the plague!). Then off to bed.
December 25th:
This is the day we don't do any big time cooking. This year we had summer sausage, crackers, cheese, candies, cookies, deviled eggs, cream cheese salsa dip and queso blanco. We went to church and then came home and took a nap. We watched Mr Kruger's Christmas and then family movies. We forgot to bake our cake for Jesus this year but will be better prepared for next year. It is when we celebrate his birthday after all. We open gifts and spend time together as a family. We do stockings with my side of the family so that won't be on Christmas day. =)
January 6th:
This is Epiphany, or when the Wise Men made it to see Baby Jesus. I am not sure if we will get to it this year, BUT I hope to learn to make a king cake for the kids to eat after a large dinner to celebrate.
So, while commercialization sure has gotten the best of most people this time of year, I so hope to teach my children that there is so much more to Christmas than a tree, presents and Santa Claus. They enjoyed their gifts this year and I REALLY enjoyed making gifts for them and celebrating the way we did when growing up. We are discussing changing the way we open gifts to be more like the way Jeremy did as growing up with numbers and waiting. It sounds fun and is a strong possibility that we will go that route. If you are looking back on the holiday and wondered where your mind was or how your pocketbook is so empty, remember to go back to the reason for the holiday, humble yourself a little, and make changes for next year. What is done is done ... what happens tomorrow and in the future is up to you. Losing important people in my life around the holidays has made it so hard to work through and keep my mind clear. I think I made both of them happy this year ... at least I hope so.
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