I am wanting to hear other families special holiday traditions. I am looking to add something new to the holiday this year to make it extra special for my children. We already make cookies for santa together, bake some pies, sing carols, watch Christmas movies, and read stories. On Christmas morning I usually make egg nog pancakes.
We started a new one this year. Every night at bedtime, we sit around the tree with the lights on and sing a Christmas carol. We sing a different one each night (our attempt to teach our children Christmas carols). After singing, we each take a turn and give a Christmas wish, which has to be a wish for someone else.
We also have a collection of Christmas picture books that we’ve gathered over the years (and thanks to some family members who’ve given them as gifts in Christmases past) and we read one different one each night. My kids take turns picking.
On Christmas Eve, the children each open one gift and that gift is an ornament for the tree that has special significance to that child. That is a tradition that I’ve carried through from my childhood. My parents actually still do it for us too. I love looking at my tree that has such an assortment of ornaments, all with a special meaning. (Examples would be the Santa playing a violin that my parents gave me in junior high when I played the violin, or the little wooden gray rabbit that my mom hand painted that symbolizes the gray Volkswagen rabbit I drove in high school that I got the first Christmas after getting my driver’s license).
watch the queen on the telly all together ?
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we go to church on Christmas eve then come home and bake cookies for Santa while listening to Chirstmas music. We open presents early in the morning, then have a big Christmas dinner (something different every year).
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My sister and I always had to get into our pyjamas early evening on Christmas Eve and have our photograph taken holding up our pillowcases that we leave out for ‘Santa’. We still do it now at the ages of 17 and 21, the only difference this year is that my son will be in on the shot!
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I’ve been doing this FOREVER!
Well, it might sound strange, but I have 4 brothers and sister, so it was fun.
We used a PICKLE ornament (dont ask, it was just always like that,haha) and all the children would go into one room, away from the Christmas tree. Then one of the adults would try to hide the pickle ornament VERY well. Then we shout to the kids that weare ready, and all the kids have a competition to see who can find the pickle first. Whoever finds it first, get 10 dollars. A rule we have is if you won the money last year, you cannot win the money the following year.
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On Christmas Eve, we read The Night Before Christmas together and the children each get to open one present.
As a child, on Christmas Eve, my parents would read us the story of baby Jesus and we would all sleep in sleeping bags under the tree.
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each year we get our children a new ornament for the tree. And then we get each child a new set of pajamas that we wrap and put under the tree and we give the kids one gift to open on christmas eve night (the pajamas). Also we read the story of baby Jesus on christmas eve and bake fresh cookies.
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Mom of 3
Outside of a few presents from Mom, Dad and Santa, the rest are from make believe people or characters – like candy from the Sugar Plum Fairy, a toy truck from Ford, or a watch from Father Time. The kids know it isn’t real, but it makes it more fun to guess what is inside.
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We started a new one this year. Every night at bedtime, we sit around the tree with the lights on and sing a Christmas carol. We sing a different one each night (our attempt to teach our children Christmas carols). After singing, we each take a turn and give a Christmas wish, which has to be a wish for someone else.
We also have a collection of Christmas picture books that we’ve gathered over the years (and thanks to some family members who’ve given them as gifts in Christmases past) and we read one different one each night. My kids take turns picking.
On Christmas Eve, the children each open one gift and that gift is an ornament for the tree that has special significance to that child. That is a tradition that I’ve carried through from my childhood. My parents actually still do it for us too. I love looking at my tree that has such an assortment of ornaments, all with a special meaning. (Examples would be the Santa playing a violin that my parents gave me in junior high when I played the violin, or the little wooden gray rabbit that my mom hand painted that symbolizes the gray Volkswagen rabbit I drove in high school that I got the first Christmas after getting my driver’s license).
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