Christmas Traditions

There has been lots of talk on FB and blogs lately about family Christmas traditions which got me thinking about our Christmas traditions… Both past and present.

Some Christmas traditions we have done EVERY year. Some we have outgrown or moved away from. A few we have started recently and may become new traditions… It just doesn’t seem like Christmas until we’ve done these things!

1. Baking Christmas cookies the week before Thanksgiving. We have baked the same cookies for 10+ years now. Every year we try one or two new ones, but very few make the “list”. They freeze great and then they are all ready whenever I need a holiday treat!

2. Decorating the day after Thanksgiving. Every year we decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Zack has ALWAYS loved doing Christmas lights!

3. Candles, cookies and the Christmas story. After all the decorations are up, we light all the candles, turn off the lights and read the Christmas story from the Bible. Then we have Christmas cookies and cocoa! It’s the perfect way to kick-off the holiday season!

Christmas 1996

  

Christmas 2007

4. Open House. Since coming to Longview we have done an open house on the first Sunday of December. This is a tradition we will probably keep… It’s TONS of fun!!!

5. Journey to Bethlehem. Also since coming to Longview we have gone every year to the Journey to Bethlehem at the SDA church in Kelso. The past two years, Zack has been in it. Next year, more of us may join him…

6. Buying gifts for needy children. Since the boys were very little we have gotten tags off an Angel Tree and bought gifts for needy kids in our community. It’s one our ways of showing Jesus’ love to others at Christmas.

7. Christmas lights tour. Due to our love for Christmas lights we have taken the boys on a driving tour of whatever town we have lived in in search of the best Christmas light displays. We also bring hot cocoa and Christmas cookies along to eat in the car on our tour!

8. Christmas Sleep Over. This tradition started when the boys were really little. Every year they would get their sleeping bags and sleep under the Christmas tree with the tree lights on all night. Some years they’ve even invited friends over. I think this one may sadly be coming to end :o(

9. Candlelight Christmas Eve Service. I think the only Christmas we haven’t gone to a candlelight service on Christmas Eve was the year we lived in AZ and we all had the stomach flu… (Now that was a year to remember!) We LOVE candlelight services and we’ve always let the boys hold their own candle as soon as they were able. Maybe not the wisest decision, but FUN!!! :o)

12. Getting together with family. It wouldn’t seem like Christmas if we didn’t see family…

Santa comes every year to our family Christmas! That tradition started with my Grandpa Ide and now my dad has continued it for the next generation!

11. Christmas card prayers. This tradition actually starts on the first day of the new year. We hang all the Christmas cards we receive and then every night we choose one and pray for the family that sent it. I LOVE this tradition!

 

Here are some of the traditions that I miss doing…

1. Going out and cutting down our Christmas tree… We’ve had fake trees since we lived in Arizona.

2. Going downtown to Meier & Franks and riding the monorail and looking at window displays. I think the boys are over the height restriction now… LOL

3. Sitting on Santa’s lap. We’ve definitely outgrown this one. I don’t think any kind of bribe would get them on Santa’s lap now. There were years when they were little that the same was true. :o) 

Christmas 1999

I wonder what Christmas traditions the future will hold???