Making New Family Traditions for Christmas

Of course, it is fun to receive presents on Christmas Day. However, there is a whole season of activities prior to the big day. Here is a list of things we do that you may want to add to your family traditions:

Decorating Day- We pick the day after Thanksgiving, but it is great to plan a day to spend decorating the inside and outside of the house. We put up the tree and spend the afternoon decorating. We finish the evening off with watching a Christmas Movie together. Maybe we will add having cookies and cocoa.

Card Day- Making and mailing holiday cards: Since the guaranteed mail delivery for Christmas is December 13th, we pick a date on the calendar prior to the 13 to spend making and addressing out cards. It is best to make them yourself. However, there are many wonderful cards to choose from out there. Make a page of what your family and children has done the past year to include with a family picture in each card.

Baking Day- The weekend before Christmas day is a wonderful time to put on the calendar to have a baking day. We like to make up about 5 different types of cookies (cut- out cookies with frosting, no bake fudge, buckeye balls, wreath cookies ( a spin off of rice crispy treats using cornflakes and green food coloring with a red hot in the middle) and everyone's favorite m&m's with the red and green m&m's) Put the assortment on a Christmas paper plate, garnished with Hershey's kisses and small individually wrapped candy canes. This makes a great gift for co-workers and teachers or to take to that office party.

Gingerbread House Day- If you don't feel like making it home-made there are several places that sell the kits to make a gingerbread house (Target, Wal-Mart, Sams Club and Michaels). For little kids you can buy gingerbread cookies and they can decorate them with frosting OR you can use graham crackers and frosting to make a small gingerbread type house they can decorate with sprinkles, gum drops, hard candies etc.

Shopping Day- I like to take my children out, each having a few dollars to pick out something for each other and their dad. They shop and then come home to wrap them and put them under the tree. These presents are opened first each Christmas morning.

Outreach Day- We like to choose something to participate in at our church and/or local charity. A toy drive or food drive. We go out on a special day and pick up the items and then drop them off. This helps us remember that Christmas is not all about us!

Visiting Day- A great time to visit family is on Christmas Eve so that we can stay home on Christmas Day. It is nice to set aside a special day to go visiting besides Christmas.

Craft Day- I usually buy some crafts like ornament kits, jewelry and decorations for the kids to make each year. When they are done put their name and year on it to save or to give away.

Party Night- each year we host one party for friends/ family. Whether it is just a social time with dessert or a big affair with games, prizes and gifts, it is something the whole family looks forward to each year. To add a little something special, we ask people to bring a small item for a homeless shelter, women's shelter or pregnancy center in our home town. Sometimes we go caroling in our neighborhood before have treats.

I sit down before December 1st and look at the Calendar. Parties, Church services and performances go on the calendar first, then I fill in the other days with the above activities. My kids wait with anticipation to see what the December calendar looks like each year.