Great Christmas Traditions for All

All families are different and will therefore participate in numerous traditions to celebrate the holiday season. Some of my fondest memories growing up came from such traditions. For instance, every Christmas my dad would buy Dunkin donuts for breakfast. He read Twas the Night Before Christmas to my siblings and me every Christmas Eve, and even though we knew the story by heart, word for word, it never grew old. In fact, I still do the same for my children. Children love stories and timeless tales make another great Christmas tradition. Whether these consist of memorable occasions from Christmases past or unforgettable stories like Twas the Night Before Christmas, gathering around a cozy fire or even the tree and sharing these stories will create wonderful memories that last from one generation to the next. You could even choose to watch movie classics like A Christmas Carol or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We also helped mom decorate the tree and around the house, and at times we even took part in making our own wrapping paper using tissue paper (not toilet paper) and food coloring. Every year our mom would bake loads of Christmas cookies and other goodies, giving them out to family, friends, and neighbors.

Playing games and opening presents is a common Christmas tradition in many households. However, we have often enjoyed putting our own spin to both of these by combining the two with a game of "Where and What Is Your Gift?" We only allow one present to be opened on Christmas Eve, usually a small one. This gift is somehow related to Santa's gift, which is normally one of the three most wanted requests on the Christmas list. For example, the small present might be a movie with the larger gift a television, DVD player, or something else that relates to the movie. Once the small gift has been opened on Christmas Eve, the recipient has the entire night to figure out what the 'big one' is. Once all of the other presents are opened on Christmas, everyone gets a card. Inside the card is nothing more than a direction or hint to your Santa gift. Sometimes the hint relates to the gift's identity, other times it's simply a direction to follow such as: "Go look in the refrigerator." There the recipient will find another card leading to another destination or clue until either the gift is found or guessed. As children are often fond of playing Hide and Seek, this version is one that they will enjoy playing and makes a great Christmas tradition to pass on to others.

With only a handful of stick pins (or something similar), an attractive length of ribbon, and some candy, you can easily create a great Christmas tradition for your family. The countdown to Christmas, normally done using an advent calendar, is an exciting time for children, filled with enthusiasm as they count the days until Christmas arrives. As a child, I loved this tradition and yours will too. Simply pin a piece of candy for each day of December (or from the day after Thanksgiving) and hang the ribbon up somewhere within easy reach. Alternatively, if you prefer not to use sweets, you can use numbers instead. This is a good way to get younger children involved as well as to help in counting. What makes this countdown to Christmas so great as opposed to others? The ornament, of course. Top the ribbon off with an inexpensive ornament (they can even make their own) for hanging on the tree Christmas morning. As each day passes allow your child to retrieve one piece of candy (or number) with the final one falling on Christmas Eve. The following morning, Christmas, have your child hang the ornament. Not only is this a fun Christmas tradition but as your children get older and eventually move out on their own, they will have a collection of ornaments to take with them.

Christmas traditions are a great way to solidify family bonds and encourage the true spirit or meaning of the holidays. It is, after all, a time for giving, not so much in the way of gifts, but giving love and spreading joy to everyone, which by the way is always free!