5 Christmas Traditions to Begin This Year

We all have memories of those special December days of our childhoods. This article will explore five great ways to put that Christmas spirit into your young children. Some of these ideas may be traditions you had as a child and some may be new, great ideas to share with your new family.

1. Writing Santa
In late November or early December, after the tree is trimmed, keep the spirit alive by writing special letters to Santa. If you have a child who is too young to write, let him or her tell you what he wants and you can write it down. Let the children decorate the letters however they choose. Also, have the kids address the envelope. If you have a mailbox, let the children send the letter off to Santa. (You can always retrieve them later.) If you use the post office, make it a family affair. Have dad hurry in and ask the mail person to play along while mom gets the children out of the car. When mom and the children begin to leave after sending off their letters, dad can retrieve the them.

2. Making Ornaments
During the weeks preceding Christmas day, find a special time for your children to make gifts for special people in their lives. Homemade ornaments are a great gift to grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other special people. Some great ideas for ornaments can be found by visiting http://www.makingfriends.com/readers_ornaments.htm. Children can also make their own home-made wrapping paper to wrap the ornament in. This special gift from the heart is sure to impress their loved ones, as well as teaching the kids about the meaning of giving.

3. Check Out the Town
Pick an evening, during the week preceding Christmas, to drive around the neighborhood and check out all the houses that are decorated with Christmas lights. Young children love the beauty of the lights. Once you return home, fix the family some hot cocoa before everyone heads for bed.

4. Baking & Decorating Cookies
On the twenty-third, or on Christmas Eve if you have the time, bake some Christmas cookies. Let the children help decorate them. You can take the cookies to Christmas parties that you are attending, just remember to leave a few out for Santa along with a glass of milk. Please do not forget to leave a treat outside for the reindeer, too. Oatmeal, mixed with sugar and sprinkles makes a great treat for Santa's team.

5. The Pajama Gift
On Christmas Eve, give your child his or her first gift. A gift of new pajamas gets the little ones excited for the upcoming day. Not to mention, that the children will look fabulous in their new pajamas in the video and in the pictures taken on Christmas morning.

I hope your family enjoys these holiday traditions as much as mine. Happy holidays from my family to yours.