Simple Christmas Traditions Add Peace to the Season

Remember when you were a kid and the Christmas season just seemed endless - to your delight. There were fun things to do and traditions to keep, but the real joy was in the anticipation of Christmas. Things were slower so there was more time to get excited about Santa's arrival. Maybe you saw Santa once during the season to give him your letter, not at a thousand parades and events and at every mall in town like we do today.

I sometimes wonder if my parents felt as stressed out about getting things "just right" as many parents feel today. Every time I pass the supermarket magazine rack, I see all sorts of new crafts, projects, dishes, decorations, and cookies that I feel I should tackle to make the holidays extra "perfect". I read the newspaper and there are so many holiday events to choose from that it's a little overwhelming. Ironically, there is so much to do in this now-extended holiday season that it all seems to fly by before we even have time to just sit quietly and enjoy a cozy winter's evening waiting patiently for Christmas to arrive.

The events, the parties, the ever-increasing number of gifts to buy and wrap... it's good to remember that simple traditions offer some sanity and serenity during the crazier moments. In the end, trying to do too much really takes away from the beauty of the holiday season and leaves you feeling a bit empty, not to mention stressed out. So think back to simpler times and do what your family has always done - there is comfort and peace in the ritual of tradition.

Here are some simple traditions that my German-American family celebrated when I was a child. Some I have let fall by the wayside, but I hope to reintroduce more family rituals this year to provide the same sense of comfort and continuity to my children that I felt at Christmastime.

1. The Advent Wreath - We had an evergreen wreath laid flat on the table with four candles on it. A candle was lit each Sunday evening before Christmas. It was a simple thing, but I sure do miss the calm of watching the candles flicker in anticipation of Christmas. It was so exciting to light another candle as Christmas approached. There is a serenity about this sort of Christmas decor that offers some peace amidst the flashing, beeping, chiming, singing Christmas extravaganzas we put together today!

2. The Advent Calendar - This is another German tradition that I love. You can purchase an authentic German calendar at many stores these days. Each day up to Christmas you open a little window in a holiday scene to receive a little piece of chocolate. I sometimes make my kids' calendars by wrapping tiny candies or little trinkets and numbering them. Then I attach them to a ribbon and hang them up. Each day my kids open a little surprise. Again, it's the anticipation of Christmas that makes this special for kids. There is something nice about the thought of kids savoring a little piece of chocolate in the midst of so much excess these days.

3. Singing Christmas Carols - Before the actual gift exchange frenzy begins, it's so nice to slow down and sing some beloved Christmas carols together to remember why we are together at this special time. Some years, we played our school instruments in a holiday "concert", others we had each part of our international family sing a carol in their native languages. There are many ways to add traditional songs and music to your celebration. Sing the songs that remind you of your grandparents or greatgrandparents - keep those songs (and languages) alive in your family.

4. A Christmas Walk and Treats for Santa and the Reindeer - Before "Santa" brings out the last unwrappable gifts, we take the kids out for a stroll to look at the neighborhood decorations and sing Christmas carols. This gives "Santa's helpers" time to make last-minute arrangements and to have a bite of the cookies and milk left for Santa and the carrots and water left for his reindeer. I should mention that we open our gifts on Christmas Eve, so there are sparkling lights to keep the kids entertained on the walk and we wonder if passing airplane lights are actually lights on Santa's sleigh! When I was little, we even had to take a nap before Christmas "began" - talk about time being at a standstill! Those naps seemed to last an eternity!

There are many more traditions to share, but those are some of my favorites. Maybe some of your family's long-forgotten traditions have sprung to mind again. My hope for all of us is that we all take time to savor the holiday season and all its simple beauty. Appreciate the special moments with family and remember those who are no longer with us but live on in our traditions and memories. And let's make the effort this year to keep our family traditions alive so that they will live on in the holiday memories of our children and theirs and theirs!