Christmas Traditions.
There is something almost magical about Christmas and its traditions.
What amazes me is how similar they can be between families, and yet so different.
Why do some get passed on and some do not? What is the inspiration for new ones? Is it simply boredom, or is it a cultural difference? Is it a demand life requires at the moment?
Our own Christmas traditions have changed over the years, flowing with the needs of our family as each year comes and goes.
As the girls have gotten older we have adapted accordingly to fit with the stage of life we are all in at the moment.
For instance, when the girls were really little, we bought a tree that was in a pot It was so little. The girls put a few candy canes and ornaments on the tree and we took their picture. The girls were as tall or taller than the tree. That is how little it was!
As they got older and we determined how we would celebrate Christmas, th tree got bigger…a little bigger each year. Some years we have cut out own at a tree farm, while other years we purchased it from Menards. But each year, the tree got a little bigger.
Last year, we had to cut the tree down to size. It was so full and beautiful. Definitely too tall for the space. And really, it couldn’t have been any bigger, or if would have been in the middle of the floor. But it was so much fun and we laughed at how it didn’t look that big when we bought it.
The last several years we have begun to set boundaries around our Christmas celebrations. These boundaries have been met with resistance from the outside, but they are necessary to create a Christmas experience our family loves. There is plenty of time for extended family, but they are not the priority.
One of the things we noticed that left us feeling empty was Christmas Day came and went and that is all there was. After weeks of build up and excitement, there was such a let down when the day was over. To counter that, we now spend the whole week celebrating.
Wrapping presents is an event.
Good cooking.
Going to look at lights.
The week finishes with a gingerbread house building contest. This started when we were running errands after Christmas and found them in the clearance aisle. We bought some to do on New Year’s Eve, and that has been our tradition ever since. It is the perfect way to wrap the week…lots of laughs and a judging contest that creates healthy competition.
Schilling Family Christmas Traditions:
Everyone gets to buy one Christmas ornament a year. This allows us to update ornaments and replace broken ones without doing a complete overhaul every year, and it’s a special night out when we go buy them.
Secret Santa drawing the day after Thanksgiving
Black Friday shopping—Cabela’s and Fleet Farm here we come!
Christmas Eve we open stockings…and there is always the temptation to open “just one” gift.
Christmas morning is slow going—everyone eats breakfast and then we unwrap presents while still in our pjs.
Christmas night we play a game…generally one we got the kids as a group gift.
We make cookies and good food to enjoy throughout the week of Christmas
Christmas starts AFTER Thanksgiving. And that means no Christmas music until then.
We end our Christmas celebration with a gingerbread house competition…we spend NY Eve building and judging houses. It is the perfect way to end the season and get ready to start a new year.
What are some of your traditions?
What are things you would like to change?