I love tradition. And I don't mean, singing "Blessed Assurance" every Sunday morning from the petrified pew.
My mom established some wonderful holiday traditions that I loved as a child, such as the advent calender, opening a Christmas ornament every Christmas Eve (the ornament usually had something to do with an event that past year), we had embroidered stockings that were the ONLY thing we could open before my parents awoke on Christmas morning (which was never early enough!). I love these traditions.
When we got married, I asked David what traditions he wanted to celebrate. He was mostly clueless, and couldn't really name any traditions he would like to keep. I was somewhat offended, as in, "WHAT! You don't have any traditions! You might as well not even celebrate any holidays then. GEEZ. Why did I even marry you." (Just kidding, of course!) We have been able to joke about it ever since.
Now that we have a child, I feel it is my duty and responsibility to instill traditions that he can enjoy during the holiday seasons and that will bring happiness to our family. I realize that if I don't start traditions, no one else will do it for me!
Here are a few traditions we have considered keeping as a family:
-New Pajamas on Christmas Eve
-Decorating the tree with popcorn and cranberries & drinking eggnog
-Cutting down a fresh Christmas tree each year (I would really like to get one we could replant)
-We have stockings with all of our names embroidered on them (even Anastasia's! & I got Dmitri's on sale back in February as soon as I found out he was a boy!)
-Making gingerbread houses
-The advent calender
-Making homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning
What traditions do you and your family have? What traditions would you like to start?
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3 comments:
This is a fun post!! We don't have many, but here goes. We always get Rolos and a box of the Story Book Lifesavers, every year, no matter what...even though we never eat all of the Lifesavers. We always watch the Christmas claymations while opening presents which is done on Christmas Eve. (when we were little we opened all of the family gifts on Christmas Eve and the "Santa" gifts on Christmas morning.) We get stuff to make subs or sandwiches for Christmas Eve dinner. That's all I can think of right now.
See...not many and they aren't that exciting but at least we have something! : )
Caroline,
It's Caitlin from russian, and I saw your status on facebook and had to comment (not to be a creeper..) My mom is the exact same way about Christmas as you are--extremely traditional. My dad could have cared less, but she made sure to carry on her family's traditions for my sister and I, which I know I will carry on as well. Here are some of them:
1. On the top of our tree, right below the star is a special elf ornament named Dippledock. In my mom's family growing up my grandfather said told my mom and her eight brothers and sisters that Santa's head elf was named Dippledock and the second elf in command was named Ponsatrance (these names are, to my knowledge, entirely his invention). As my mom and her siblings grew up and had their own families my grandparents gave each of them a Dippledock ornament for their christmas tree. Now as the grandkids start to move out and have their own families we are getting them too.
2. Everyone in my extended family on my mom's side (about fifty plus people) has a stocking made by the same little old woman in the town where my grandparents live. They have our names on them and usually a snow man. Whenever someone marries into the family or a baby is born, it is a traditional gift they receive.
3. Every year on Christmas eve my mom takes a "Ta da!" picture of my sister and I. Her family did it every year growing up as well. To form a Ta Da picture the siblings line up in height and extend one arm backwards and up and one forwards and down as if showing off the tree...then you say Ta Da! It is totally cheesy and the pictures are normally terrible, but the tradition is funny.
4. To kick off the holiday season every Thanksgiving eve my family watches National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (if you haven't seen it...you need to). This Thanksgiving we were all at my grandparents house so about thirty of us all crammed into their living room to watch it for about the 50th time.
I love the tradition of matching pajamas! We always get some on Christmas day, but I like the idea of opening them Christmas eve and wearing them Christmas morning. I've also recently started the tradition of giving my mom an ornament before Christmas--I think I will keep that one going, but I like that you guys open them Christmas eve. I might steal that one too :)
If you can't tell I love Christmas and tradition. Hope you have a great holiday!
-Caitlin
Sean and I want to have traditions too! 2 days before Christmas (and about 1 week before we were married) we went ice skating and wanted to make that a tradition for our family. Last year it didn't happen because I was healing from a c-section! But this year we are planning to go!
We also get up Christmas morning, drink a cup of hot chocolate and Sean reads from the book of Luke.
I love traditions and hope to give Maddy many wonderful memories!
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