Muffins with Mom – In time for Christmas – Holiday Traditions

It’s the most wonderful time of the year-Christmas. During this time, my family celebrates the birth of Jesus and we engage in fun, friendship and fellowship. It’s all a part of our Holiday tradition. What are your Holiday traditions?

Our top three Holiday traditions are:

1.      Decorate the Christmas tree

2.      Family dinner at our house

3.      Participate in the Sunday school Christmas program at church

In case you’re wondering what this looks like at our house, the story begins the day after Thanksgiving.

Once upon a Holiday, on a brisk November morning, I asked my teen son to help decorate our pre-lit Christmas tree. Yes, the tree is one with lights already attached, so decorating should be pretty simple, right? Wrong, it’s a matter of perspective.

The day after Thanksgiving is when I like to put up the Christmas tree. This gives me plenty of time to enjoy the multi-color lights as they illuminate our living room. When I asked my son to help hang the bulbs and garland, he was less than excited. He said, “Can we celebrate Kwanzaa instead?”

I kept hanging bulbs as I replied to my son, “You know, celebrating Kwanzaa is not a replacement for Christmas. And you still have to help decorate.”

“Oh, never mind,” he said.

While decorating the tree was completed in a timely manner, getting my son to hang the Christmas lights outside was another hurdle. After several days of prodding, I arrived home to dangling lights hung with care, well almost.

I’m not sure whether my son carefully hung the lights or just tossed them in the air and hoped they landed in the right places. However, he managed to complete the job in time to go to a basketball game at school. It was mission accomplished according to his teen priorities.

Once upon a Holiday, on a cozy December night, I received a text from my other son who is away at school.  He said he is scheduled to work the day of our family Christmas dinner. Hmph. So my options are to have the dinner without him or reschedule it for a different date. I’m working on changing the date.

Our final Christmas tradition, the Sunday school program, is in the planning stage-lines for the kids to learn, rehearsals to schedule and shopping for goodie bags. And this will conclude the scheduled traditions-just in time for Christmas. The only thing left to do after this is to curl up with a good book and do nothing more.

What are your family Holiday traditions?

Gone Shopping – And other holiday traditions



Photo credit: fox2now.com


As you read this post I am either gone shopping or putting up the Christmas tree with my boys. Today is Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days in the United States. When our kids were younger, my friend and I would do a little early morning shopping, then it was off to breakfast for us.

Door buster sales aside, the best part of shopping is time spent with a friend. Last year was the first time my friend and I decided to change the tradition. Since my son wanted to experience the thrill of Black Friday shopping, I took him. Then we to breakfast, and the tradition continues.

Shopping is not our only holiday tradition, it’s the kickoff of many things to follow. Here’s a short list of things my family likes to do to celebrate the holiday season.

1.      Put up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.

2.      Watch holiday movies

3.      Play family games

4.      Unwind with a good book (this one is my favorite pastime, not necessarily that of my boys)

5.      Have family and friends visit

What are some of the traditions you are looking forward to this holiday season?

What are your family Holiday traditions? – 5 ideas to create or add to your tradition

The Year Without a Santa Claus
Photo credit: tumblr.com

We had a discussion the other day at work about Holiday traditions. The question was raised, “What do you do for Thanksgiving?” The answers varied from the traditional turkey dinner to no turkey, but included ham and other meats. When it came to the Christmas Holiday, the answers varied widely.

When I asked my kids about their favorite tradition, they both said, “Our Christmas dinner.”

“Why do you like the Christmas dinner?” I asked.

“I like the gift game, where people draw a number to see what order they can choose a gift. It’s funny to see their face when they get a crazy gift or when they get a good gift and somebody can take it.”

While I enjoy the Christmas dinner just as much as the kids, I also love watching Christmas shows on TV. I don’t go a year without watching, The Year without a Santa Claus. I sympathize with Jingle and Jangle (number one elves), when they take Vixen to South town. The poor reindeer is mistaken for a stray dog and hauled off to the dog pound.

As you see, Holiday traditions can be whatever you create them to be. If you don’t have a tradition yet, why not start one now. Below are a few ideas to get you started.

       1.      Read Holiday stories with the kids, then create a craft related to one of the stories.

      2.      Bake cookies and give them to someone who is homebound; share with neighbors.

      3.      Create your very own 12 days of Christmas tradition – do something fun each day for 12   days. Watch a movie together, play a game, go caroling, etc.

     4.      Save coins for 30 days, then donate the money to a cause that one of the kids selects.

     5.      Have a tree decorating day and turn it into a party; make paper chains out of construction   paper, eat popcorn and string some for the tree.

Establishing a Holiday tradition is all about creating closeness with your family. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just start with a blank canvas and make it your own.

Here's a clip from the movie, The Year Without a Santa Claus - with Snow Miser & Heat Miser.

 

What are you Holiday traditions? If you were to create a new family tradition what would it be?