One tradition we have, and one of my very favorites, was started by my librarian mother when I was growing up, and we have continued it in our own family. The first night that the Christmas tree is up in our home, we have asked a Christmas elf to visit and leave a new Christmas book under the tree. The Christmas elf has visited every year since Gerald and I were married, and even before that. Add his visits to Christmas books we've received as gifts or found on sale, and we have a very nice collection of Christmas books to enjoy during December. We pack them away with the decorations, and get them out again the next year, and it is one of the things I am most excited to see again each year! It just wouldn't be Christmas without these wonderful books. This year the Christmas elf brought us a pop-up book version of 'The Night Before Christmas.'
The second tradition we have (also started by my mom) is that each year we make/buy a new Christmas tree ornament for each person in the family, and put each name and the year on the new ornaments. When I moved out of the house, my mom gave me a box with my 20 years of ornaments inside. These ornaments are now on my tree here, as well as an ornament for most of the eight years we have been married. (Apparently we have missed a couple of years!) This lends to a slightly 'Charlie Brown' looking tree, but I love it! There is a lot of history and a lot of memories tied up in this tree! We usually try to make the ornaments to keep them cheap, and Gerald volunteered this year to make some in the wood shop at school. Look what he brought home!
He made these from leftover plastic from the scrap pile at school and we tied ribbon in them that I had here at home - in other words, they were absolutely free. And I love them! Aren't they cool?
Here are some questions I have for you.
What is your favorite Christmas book?
What are your favorite holiday traditions?
I'm always looking for new ideas!
First of all, love the ornaments!!! Secondly, this is something I read last year.... Use the books as a advent calendar. They wrapped 23 of their old books and numbered them and the new book is number 24. Each night open that nights book and on Christmas Eve you get to open the brand new one. I thought it sounded really fun. We are pretty much stell developing our traditions... we are off to a late start.
ReplyDeleteJuli - I LOVE that idea! We might have to try it next year; thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteso I hope you know that I can spell... just can't type!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little, we had "A Story A Day Until Christmas." There were 24 short stories in a book, and our mom would read them to us. We usually liked to pick the ones that would make our mom cry. I now realize how mean that was.
ReplyDeleteWe don't put a new ornament on the tree every year, instead we put a new tiny ornament on our stocking every year. We try to do something that represents what has happened that year. Like a Utah tie tack the year that we spent Christmas with Grandma T in Provo. We also put a "return with honor" tie tack when Chad was on his mission, and an animal from Africa when Tara was on her mission. We put an Arizona Temple on the year that our last three children all went through the temple for the first time (in Arizona of course).
ReplyDeleteOur stockings are getting really full after 33 years of marriage, but it is fun to look back at all the memories.
Love, Aunt Alice
I know you didn't ask for a novel but that is what you will get from me asking those two questions. Sorry in advance. We do a similar thing with wrapping books but I put them under our Christmas tree and we randomly pick one each night to open and read.
ReplyDeleteI love going to see the "Forgotten Christmas Carols" or reading the book each year.
I also do the 12 days of Christmas for Dallin each year. They are usually simple things like putting a treat in his back pack to find at school, going to look at Christmas lights or having a candlelight dinner.
In Germany Santa comes on St. Nicolas Day not Christmas which is December 6th. He puts candy in shoes left out by the door. We always use German chocolate which Dallin loves, just make sure it is wrapped candy. :) One of my favorite books is about this day called "The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes".
Finally a new favorite tradition is from Dallin's family. On Christmas Eve they have a shepherd's dinner. They eat crackers with cold cuts and cheese by candlelight. Every year they tease his mom because that is not what shepherds really would have eaten but they love it. After they have a talent show where everyone shares something, either playing the piano, reading a story ect. Then everyone shares their testimony of Christ. It is a great way to have an evening more focused on Christ and has been some of my favorite Christmas Eves.
Each year my school district has a Christmas book share. They buy all the new Christmas children's books for that year and give a summary of them. I have all the lists from the last few years if you are interested let me know. Some of my favorites are:
Queen of Christmas by Mary Engelbreit
Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest by Dan Farr
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
A Cricket's Carol by Mark Kimball Moulton
The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket
My list could go on forever! :) Thanks for letting me share some of my favorite traditions and books!
I am loving the ideas you guys are sharing! What wonderful traditions! Keep 'em coming! And thanks for the list of books, Tara!
ReplyDeleteI remember hearing about your Christmas Elf tradition back in our BYU days. We actually "borrowed" your tradition and started it when Isabel was a baby. We love it and our kids look forward to when the Christmas Elf comes to pay a visit.
ReplyDelete