We are working on building traditions with our family and looking at the Christmas season, and ahead to Easter!
I remember as a kid that we had a few Christmas traditions, we saw Santa, we cut down a tree, we went caroling (do people still do that?), we read Luke 2 on Christmas Eve, we made a nativity scene out of toys, we had lots of family activity with the extended family. Great times in the Christmas season.
My sister found a blog the other day about a family that wraps books related to Christmas and winter at the beginning of the month and uses them as a daily bit of Advent. Each day the family opens another book (the same books every year) and it is their book of the day. Maybe a silly tradition, but I think it sounds fun, and a great way to learn about Christmas, snow, whatever. Tonight I wrapped 12 books, to get us the rest of the way through the month, until Christmas.
We saw the Thrift Store Santa yesterday. We did not plan it, it just sort of happened. That was fun. Our kids have no idea what Santa is about. When they're a bit older we will tell them about this history of Saint Nikolas, and they will know that the fat man in the red suit is something that some people celebrate at Christmas time. (by the way, I think "Thrift Store Santa" would be a great name for a ska song).
We also want to build a tradition around exploring the nativity as a family. Randy found a book at the store that talked about each of the 7 pieces of the nativity and used 1 each night as a devotional time for family. We hope to begin that (in about 5 days).
Randy was talking tonight about singing at the end of dinner, maybe a Christmas carol to finish up. Silly? maybe, but fun and family time.
So anyway, back to the question: What are your Christmas traditions?
Wow...my family did almost the exact same things as your family growing up! ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe started a new "first snowy day" tradition this year...thanks for being there with us! We're going to cut out paper snowflakes on the first snowy day each year, and then play in the snow. We'll come inside and drink hot chocolate to warm ourselves! A small, simple "tradition" in the making, but sometimes it's the simple things...