Holiday Family Traditions

This is one we "stole" from a friend. We've really enjoyed it, and the kids love it too.

On Christmas morning, we set the table for a "royal" breakfast. The kids even get to use "real" glasses. We might not have anything more elaborate than muffins and fruit, but the table setting is beautiful regardless. I even made place cards last year.

We pulled the baby Jesus's from a couple of nativity scenes (this might not hold much fascination for older kids, but it is good for preschoolers) and wrapped them in a little bit of tissue paper tied with a ribbon. We put the little "gift" at the kids places.

When the kids got up, instead of a mad dash to the tree, we all sat at the table for our breakfast. The kids opened the little Jesus gifts, and my husband read the Christmas story (stright from the Bible, or from a story book), and we talked about our most precious gift...God's son. We enjoyed our family breakfast, then opened gifts afterwards.

It is such a nice, peaceful way to begin the day, as opposed to the "gimmie, gimmie, gimmie" frenzy of diving into gifts almost as soon as their eyes are open.

2 moms found this helpful

for christmas eve, we spend all day at home baking and cooking, then go to mass in the early evening before dinner out at luby's (i don't make turkey for 4 people! LOL). after dinner, it's the 2nd chapter of luke and the traditional christmas poem (twas the night before...), bath, one present opened for the kids, then bed for them. after they go to bed, hubby and i exchange presents and have some quiet time in front of the tree together, maybe with a glass of wine or a cookie. it's a great quiet family day before all the hubbub the next day!

we also do the new pjs and small toy from santa!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi, we've always read the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2 in the Bible. Now that my 2 girls and my sister's sons are getting older, we have them act out the birth of Jesus. 2 of them play Mary and Joseph, one plays the shepherd and the other plays the angel. So, before we open presents, they act it out and then we all pray to God thanking Him for all the blessings that the presents represent and that Jesus is the greatest present we could ever receive.

We always did the PJ thing on Christmas eve in my family too, so now I do that with my son. We also decorate the tree together. It is such a great time. We are usually with family, at my house, or at the in-laws so there is plenty of food and family around!

Hi, T.. I love your request. Christmas is my favorite time of year and it's fun to hear how others celebrate. A simple tradition that my husband and I started the year we got married was to pick out one special ornament the day after Thanksgiving. We get those Hallmark Keepsake ones- it has the year on it, but you could do it with any kind you like. We usually try to get one that kind of goes with the year we've had- first Christmas together, new baby, etc. And now my son is part of it too- picking out a train one for a first train ride, etc. As we decorate the tree, it's fun to think about what each ornament represents.

hi, i started a tradition several years ago that i my husband and my two boys do. on christmas eve morning we have chocolate waffles, for dinner we have h'dorves. i ask them what they want and i fix it. they like shrimp cocktail, meatballs and whatever else they fancy. i buy us a new game every year-age appropriate and we play it. and the day after thanksgiving we watch "The grinch who stole christmas and on christmas we watch A christmas story. that is about it.

i'm a SAHM to a 10 year old and 5 year old sons. W. d

I married my husband about two and a half, almost three years ago. We each have two kids which brings the total to four. For the first Christmas I went to a local store and bought Christmas ornaments that describe each person's personality that year. I then take them home and on the bottom I put the person's name and the year. Right after my husbands birthday (he was born early December and doesn't like the tree up on his birthday) we get together and put the tree up and the last ornaments that are put on the tree are the new ones that were purchased for that year. We not only have the new ones, but we also have the previous years ornaments to remember what we were about during that year. Even though we don't get together all the time, we still have those memories of how all of our lives have changed since we joined our families.

We have also started having breakfast with my husband's family on Christmas morning. We have so many other family members that we want to spend time with on this day and so we have to be very time oriented. The year we started this, my husband was working nights and was in the middle of his work week and so we decided that his family would come over on Christmas morning after he got home. We would have breakfast and exchange gifts and then his family (my family) would leave and he would go to bed to get ready to work that night. Now even though my husband is on day's, we still enjoyed that one Christmas so much that we continue the tradition.

I hope by me telling you about some of my traditions, that it helps you or anyone else that is reading this. Happy Holidays!!!!

I have two things- a cousin grab bag- cousins get assigned to someone- has to be a gift under $20 that they pick themselves along with a card or poster handmade from the cousin- no matter what the age- 3 or in college- its fun for all.

Take slides durign Christmas and spend the time the following year with an old fashion slide projector
D.

Ever since I can remember we always got socks. My greatgrandpa would get them for everyone and my mema and father and I have kept that tradition going. Oh and my papa and I always have at least one glass of eggnog.

One of the most important and memorable traditions is to put the manger scene out thanksgiving night.

Many years ago, my husband' grandmother, who was an artist and has since passed away,made a large bow out of a felt poinsetta. Each year someone gets that bow on their gift and they keep it until the next year when they put it on another person's gift. It's always fun to see who will get the poinsetta and I know that it makes my husband's family happy to have his grandmother's memory with us at Christmas. The year I got it, I was so nervous about keeping up with it all year; can you imagine how horrified they would have been if the newbie had lost the bow, ahhh. I put it in a plastic linen bag with a zipper and put it in the box with the Christmas tree to make sure I would find it easily the next year!

WOW!! Where do I begin?? *L* I CAME from a LARGE family and now have one of my own. Since I'm *ahem* OLD....I'll do my best to remember.

We all get together for an early dinner on Christmas Eve. I make a HUGE pot of chili and have all the extra "fixins" that go with it.

We have the adults draw names, usually on Thanksgiving, and the kids draw names, so the adults exchange with the adults, and, well, you see the idea. As they come in, of course they deposit their gifts under the tree. You can also do a "white elephant" after all the gifts have been opened, but only for the adults. The children can play with their new toys in another room.

So we all gather round the table(S), have our dinner and talk, laugh, giggle, etc. Since all the "dishes" are paper, except for the utensils, cleanup is VERY easy.

Our "Santa" hands out the gifts and we all open at once.....what a RIOT that is *LOL* I have FIVE children who are ALL married and all but one, has children of their own.

If you have the white elephant, we just do gag gifts and it just causes MORE laughter, and that's what keeps us ALL young. One year, one of my b-i-l gave my brother a cat box filled with clean kitty litter *L*

There is one special gift under the tree. Whoever gets it has to keep it for one year on display in their home, then the NEXT Christmas, it's THEIR turn to "pass it on". It's an AUTOGRAPHED BRICK!!!! Yep, whoever the "giver" is, has to sign his/her name to it, and perhaps they year of giving.

The reason we do this so early, is so anyone who has little kids still has time to get them home and to bed so "SANTA" can come visit them at THEIR house and leave his gifts there.

After they've all left, it's an easy clean up, then off to bed. I say my rosary every night, then wake up early and start the turkey for the big dinner the next day.

From what I've read, you've gotten some good ideas so perhaps you can choose one or more and start your OWN tradition.

Good Luck

JC/A Granny in Richardson

We live in Fort Worth, so as far back as I can remember, my Dad would load us up into the car and we'd go downtown to see the big Christmas Tree on Main Street. We'd also go to the Interlochen neighborhood to see the lights. On the way there & home we sang Christmas carols in the car, never leaving out classics like Joy to the World & The First Day of Christmas.

A few years ago, our neighbors who had just moved here from Quantico wanted to know where to go see lights. I suggested Interlochen, so we all went together. She served us hot chocolate w/marshmallows from a thermous & we had a great time.

Now with our own family each year we pick a child from the Salvation Army Christmas tree (my husband's employer sponsors this, but you can also find SA trees at local malls & other stores) & our son goes with us to help pick out gifts from the child's Christmas wish list. Last year we sponsored a teenager & an elderly man. It is a great way to help our son focus on the giving aspect of the season.

Last & favorite tradition of all that has carried over from our childhood into my brother's family & my own is watching It's a Wonderful Life the night we decorate the Christmas tree. Growing up we always made hot Dr. Pepper w/floating orange slices on top along with popcorn. Now we usually have hot chocolate & home made cookies. My brother & I know almost every line of that movie by heart, so our families have to tolerate the constant quotes. I've seen it 6 million times, but I always cry a little at the end b/c the story is so touching & also b/c that special night stirs up many wonderful memories from over the years.

Holidays are a special time to make family memories, and it is good to find yours.

We too have many.

First and foremost we celebrate the season in Christ and with the adoption of a family we can give to - I don't want my kids to think it is all about them.

I always find an ornament for each of my kids to reflect a special event, hobby or stage in the past year. (like the year my dd was obsessed with Madeline or the first year of soccer - or the year my dd thought she was a mermaid all summer...)

We have certain Christmas cookies we always make together.

I have so many - but these are the few I am sharing right now - you already have had lots of responses.

Everyone has such sweet ideas, I especially like the "royal breakfast" one. My idea is a bit different, but it's fun!

Every year we get some sort of Nerf-like gun for every child and man in the family. Then we have a huge "gun" fight throughout the house (or outside) that involves the whole family. I know many people are anti-gun, but it is all in fun and is really a great time for the whole family to play together. Often the battles go on and off all day. It has always been a great way to keep the whole family playing together on Christmas rather than everyone going off and playing with their individual toys. Oh yeah, it's also good because everyone, from the little ones to the grown ups, can play!!

As kids, we did secret santa every year with our family. We would pick a family who was in need either emotionally or financially, or just someone we felt would benefit from it and do something fun for them for christmas. A lot of times (especially as we were older) we did a 12 days of christmas secret santa and we'd do something that somehow fit in with the 12 days of christmas song. For example

1 partridge in a pear tree - fruit basket or little tree decoration or something to hang on their door that we could put the rest of the gifts in.
2 turtle doves - turtle chocolates
3 french hens - I don't remember what we did for this one
4 calling birds - don't remember
5 gold rings - a box of donuts plain (delivered early am rather than pm)
6 geese a laying
7 swans a swiming
8 maids a milking - a cartong of egg nog
9 ladies dancing
10 lords a leaping
11 pipers piping - "piping hot" hot chocolate
12 drummers drumming

Some of them we created hand made ornaments for. Others we did something that loosely fit. There were little rhymes that we made to go with it to tie the gift with the song. I haven't started doing this with my little ones, but I'm thinking we will soon. If you want more information on it, just email me and I'll get it for you if my mom still has it.

On Christmas Eve we go to the Candle light service at our church. After that we go home and we eat snacks and do a chinese christmas with gag gifts. This is probably my favorite thing. My mom finds a story to read from the internet and every time she says right or left in the story we have to pass our gift in that direction. Know what I am talking about? Christmas morning someone is always designated to be "Santa" to pass out all the gifts. No one opens their gifts until everyone gets theirs. Then we take turns opening and showing off what we got. We always for some reason open our stalkings last.

Here is a tradition I heard about that I plan to implement. New PJ's on Christmas Eve. This way each child gets to open a gift and they look cute for pictures on Christmas morning. -- Sounds good to me!

We decorate eggs as ornaments. I have eggs that date back to 1981 and every year when I pull them out I relive the memories of making them.

All you do is blow out eggs and then decorate them using glitter, glue, ribbon, cotton, feathers, whatever you can find (all things are fair game). The kids had a ball making them and so did my husband and I. I now have my Sunday School kids making them every year and the parents are now starting to have their kids make them. It also looks awesome on the tree.

When I got married my husbands family makes Christmas candy together. Now that Grandma died the candy never turns out the same and we always laugh about how it turned out. Hey its still taste good!

My Mom even to this day gets a birthday cake for Jesus and we sing happy birthday!

One a friend of mine does, they bake a bunch of shaped sugar cookies and have friend and family over to frost and decorate them. We did this in high school and I've done this with my kiddos - they always remind me to have the decorating party. Enjoy and good for you for researching some fun traditions to start with your family - these are things that make memories!! Try to do some of those relaxing ones for sure and remember what is really about. :)

a fun tradition that my family does is Christmas pictures. Not the professional kind...we just set the automatic timer on our camera. We really have such a blast! the kids love it. It usually takes about a dozen attempts to get a "good" one. But the out-takes are so funny. One year we did them with all of us in sweaters, another all of us in jeans and white shirts, last year we all wore our pajamas. We usually try and get our dogs and cats in the picture. That just makes it more hilarious!! Generally we do our picture in front of the fireplace with the Christmas stockings and decorations behind us. it is so festive and really gets our Christmas season going. In the out-takes sometimes the baby is crying! sometimes my DH is annoyed because we have tried 10 times to get a good picture! sometimes the dog is trying to chase the cat! one of the kids blinks....you get the idea, but it all becomes part of our memory and we love looking back at even the "bad" pics and remembering what happened that year.
Good luck!
P.s. I have a high schooler, middle schooler and pre schooler!!

I love this time of year and we have many traditions that I get excited just thinking about!

The weekend after Thanksgiving our tree and Christmas decorations go up and we watch Christmas movies and eat popcorn.

My husbands family adopts a family every year and we all get together and shop for them. Everyone gets excited about the things we pick out for them and the the kids really like helping pick toys for the kids. Lots of fun!

I of course spend one day baking cookies and decorating them and my little girl just has the best time helping me.

We also do the new pj's for Christmas eve too!

My favorite tradtion my mom started when my sister's and I were little was she would put an ornament in our stocking every year. Everyone had special ornaments they got to put on the tree every year. When we got married my mom gave us all our ornaments. I still love looking at all the ornaments I grew up with on my tree.

I love the royal breakfast idea!

Have lots of fun this season!

We do pj's on christmas eve. I buy for my 3 girls and husband and he buys for me. They are wrapped and marked for christmas eve and my husband and i decide on a family evening gift....a special movie to watch, game to play, book to read etc... That evening we open our pj's and family gift. We spend the evening together and we all wake up in new jammies for christmas pictures.

Some out our traditions:
1)We ALL put up the christmas lights together. We order pizza and play christmas music outside while we hang the lights.
2)Another night we will decorate the inside of the house together. We have takeout and play christmas music.
3)We have an Advent wreath for our kitchen table that we light a new candle on every sunday during Advent.
4)We pick a Saturday during the month of Decemeber and work on Gifts for our friends and family. Most of the time this envolves baking or cooking.
5)Getting in the car and going to look at christmas lights.
6)We pick out the family Christmas tree together. We always have a live tree for the living room.
7)My kids each have a 4ft artificial tree in their rooms. So each year Santa brings them a new ornament. (the thougt is that when they move out on their own, they have a tree and ornaments to start off with.)
8)Every Christmas we get new pj's and we get to open them when we get back from Christmas eve service.(We are methodist)
9) A family picture in front of the tree withour new Pj's
10)Making christmas cookies for santa.
11) Leaving cookies and milk for santa and reindeer food on the front lawn for the reindeer.
12)I always make a breakfast cassarole the day before christmas. Christmas morning I pop it in the oven and make coffee. By the time we are finished opeing presents breakfast is ready.
13)This is something that my 18 yr old son and I do. The day after Thanksgiving we watch "Christmas Vacation". Of course my 4yr old won't be able to watch this for a long while yet, but my oldest and I will watch it during the Christmas season until we just can't stand it anymore. We have lot's of fun trading lines from the movie thru-out the season.

WOW! I didn't realize how many "traditions" we had as a family. You see I have a blended family. The two oldest are not mine by birth but from my husband's first marriage. The youngest is mine my birth with my husband. Although we have had custody of the oldest two since they were in the 3rd and 4th grade, we have still had to trade off with the ex for holidays (she lives in another state). Now our oldest has left home and decided that we are no longer her family. She has decided to follow her her "bio"mother's way of thinking. You see she has also decided that after 11 yrs I am no longer "Mom". This Christmas may be a rough one.

I never grew up doing this, but we got some Advent books with readings for each day up 'til Christmas. This way we're focusing on Christ every day in December, not just the 25th.

We do the same thing for Easter, then culminate in a traditional passover meal.

Hi T.,
Our big tradition is Christmas eve 11:00 candelight church service and then out to eat at Denny's with several friends from church! We love it! Yep we are up late but the fun and laughing makes for a wonderful way to be thankful and see the blessings that we have. My kids are older now 18 and 23, however we began this about 6 or 7 years ago! We share little gifts with each other but most of all the friendship.
If you don't have church as a tradition I would say try one of the Christmas eve services. Little did we think that it would become our favorite tradition!

First United Methodist Church Irving has 3 different services on Christmas Eve.