Fri 27 Nov 2009
four days until december.
i know some of you have already done all your shopping and are ready to go.
not so here.
i’d like to keep it simple this year. that can be difficult with young (or not-so-young) children who have certain expectations.
so i’d like to pick your brains.
what do you do–individually or as a family–to keep christmas–keep it simple and yet still keep it well?
also:
if you had to pare down your christmas traditions to just three, which favorite traditions could you not do without?
November 28th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Eating by candlelight every evening in December.
Mulling spices for the stove – it’s the very scent of Christmas.
And making pajama bottoms for the kids to wear to bed Christmas Eve.
****
I’ll be checking back to see what others have to say about keeping it simple and keeping it well. I’m lousy at that. I mean, I have good intentions but somehow I tend to cave to the expectations.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:07 am
Well, my kids are still young enough to not have any expectations other than a few presents and a stocking. So I’m basically no help on that…
The traditions I will always keep are making homemade candy (caramel, toffee, divinity, fudge) because I used to make it with my mom as a kid. We also read A Christmas Carol throughout December–we love Dickens. And our newest tradition that we will keep doing is to have a Christmas goose every year.
This year we are keeping it simple in the way of how many events to attend–family parties, community stuff, etc. I think the bustle of it all detracts from how I really want Christmas to be spent–with my kids enjoying the days of December.
Also, we adapted Design Mom’s giving advice for the kids–something to read, something to wear, something to play with, and something to watch. It does work out well. Our kids just can’t see what other kids get yet or we’re sunk.
November 28th, 2009 at 8:31 am
We do three gifts–because that is all Jesus got (And are you better than Jesus? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? (That is the fun part to say!)) But Santa brings one, too. So all I have to buy is the “three,” but we make them pretty good. Of course, grandma sends things, too. But that is on her, the sucker.
Traditions: We have a collection of Christmas books and DVDs that I wrap up, and each night we unwrap one and read or watch it.
Also, we ALWAYS get the German advent calendar with chocolate for each day. You have to guess the shape behind the door before you open it. I did this as a kid, we will always do this.
Our big tradition is La Noche Buena, where we roast a pig and eat up, Cuban Style, on Christmas Eve.
We also each get a new stocking and ornament each year–it is fun to choose, and it makes decorating easy. As a family, we get a new Santa decoration.
And every year, Santa sets up the train around the tree before he leaves. So it is going when the kid wakes up.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Mine are still little too, but here are some of our traditions…
Riding Trax downtown, having dinner, going to see the lights on temple square and having hot chocolate
Ice skating at the outdoor rink at the Gallivan Center on the night they light up the trees (last night! :>)
Neighborhood cookie making party (in lieu of neighbor gifts)
When we travel to LV to spend the evening with family, we get together on Christmas Eve and we have a potluck dinner and all of the kids act out the Nativity story – we have an ornament exchange instead of buying gifts
When we stay here, we make cookies for santa, act out the Nativity with our Fisher Price nativity set, and sing a few christmas carols
On Christmas morning we eat cinnamon rolls and if there is enough snow and it isn’t Sunday, we go sledding
OK, that was more than three. I’m very bad at following directions.
November 28th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Our family draws names. Each person has one other person to buy a gift for and then mom and dad buy one for each of the kids. We also get stockings full of random small things, which is often the best part.
Each Christmas Eve we get new Christmas pajamas to wear to bed. Then Christmas morning we wake up super early (the past few years we’ve woken mom and dad up with Christmas carols on the piano) and open presents together.
And the third tradition I can’t do without is simple, but I look forward to it every year. Some night in December, without planning it, my mom and I somehow meet up in the middle of the night to watch the snow. We cuddle up in silence while the smell of Christmas surrounds us and the snow peacefully flurries outside. It’s one of those small things that means too much to ever give up, and I love it.
November 28th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Is it weird that I got a little verklempt thinking about this subject? I love traditions, and I can’t wait to make permanent ones with my family. Mrs. O and her mulling spices, I love that because my mom always does that and their house smells like Christmas and it’s perfect. Once I get my own house again this is back on the traditions list.
So far what we do is this:
pj’s, new for Christmas Eve
new family ornament with the year written on it
new ornament for the kid (so he’ll have a stash of his own when heaven forbid some hussy steals him away)
we always watch “Elf” while putting up the tree
at some point we watch Nat’l Lampoons Christmas Vacation too
We get together with my siblings and their families and build gingerbread houses at my parents house
I do think we will be instituting the 3 gift rule, something to wear, something to play with, something to read. In the stockings we always have a bag of candy, and orange in the toe, an itunes gift card and then whatever else.
Growing up we always did the 12 days of Christmas for another family and I’d really like to do that when my kid (and kids to come) get bigger. The past 3 years we’ve done sub for santa and that was such an amazing experience. I really want my kids to KNOW what Christmas is about rather than what they get out of it. My parents did a wonderful job of instilling that in us.
November 28th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Is it weird that I got a little verklempt thinking about this subject? I love traditions, and I can’t wait to make permanent ones with my family. Mrs. O and her mulling spices, I love that because my mom always does that and their house smells like Christmas and it’s perfect. Once I get my own house again this is back on the traditions list.
So far what we do is this:
pj’s, new for Christmas Eve
new family ornament with the year written on it
new ornament for the kid (so he’ll have a stash of his own when heaven forbid some hussy steals him away)
we always watch “Elf” while putting up the tree
at some point we watch Nat’l Lampoons Christmas Vacation too
We get together with my siblings and their families and build gingerbread houses at my parents house
I do think we will be instituting the 3 gift rule, something to wear, something to play with, something to read. In the stockings we always have a bag of candy, and orange in the toe, an itunes gift card and then whatever else.
Growing up we always did the 12 days of Christmas for another family and I’d really like to do that when my kid (and kids to come) get bigger. The past 3 years we’ve done sub for santa and that was such an amazing experience. I really want my kids to KNOW what Christmas is about rather than what they get out of it. My parents did a wonderful job of instilling that in us.
November 28th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
whoa, double comment. What’s up with that?
November 28th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Each kid gets: Something they want, something they need, something to wear (usually new PJs on Christmas eve) and something to read.
Kids draw names and get to fill that person’s stocking.
Doing nice things for others every Monday night all month long in December… and sometimes extra days, too. Letting the kids get involved in the planning of who we’re going to surprise or sing to or whatever is part of the fun.
We read a chapter of a Christmas book together every night. Our favorite so far was Christmas Jars.
I hope you get lots more comments. I’m enjoying some new ideas!
November 28th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Cannot do without the candle light celebration dinner on Christmas Eve. It’s the same simple dinner and it’s all about Jesus.
We love Christmas pj’s.
Watching it’s wonderful life and Christmas Story.
November 28th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
We had the kids draw names to pare down the expense and gifts. I’m looking forward to having the family presence rather than presents.
December 8th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Choosing our ornament for the year. Usually highly symbolic, like the one year we picked a cowboy boot with a horseshoe on it—that was a year that really kicked out butts, but produced some good fortune too.
Reading together.
A little stolen quiet time just with Rob during the annual family fray.
Oh, and stockings—especially marzipan!
December 10th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
You wouldn’t believe this but I have wasted all day researching for some info about this. Thanks for this, it was a wonderful read and really helped me out. Have a good one, <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Funny-Christmas-Songs-For-Children—Groove-King-Senseless