Christmas is coming ready or not! I thought it would be fun to share our favorite Christmas memory or tradition.
In our house on Christmas eve we always let the kids open one gift. It is usually their Christmas pjs. Then we all change into them and snuggle up on the couch and watch "Miracle on 34th Street". We also talk about St. Nicholas and how Santa came about and what the true meaning of Christmas is...Celebrating Jesus' birthday. Naturally we always have a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday Jesus!
My favorite memory is from when I was a kid. Our family would wake early open our presents and then travel to my (maternal) granmother's house for presents and have breakfast and then travel together to my (maternal) great granma's house for more presents and Christmas dinner. What I loved about it then and now was not the presents but getting to watch and as I got older, cook with both my granma, great granma and mom. Four generations of women cooking together...so much fun was had! Your turn!
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"How can I keep from Praising Your Name, How can I ever say enough, How amazing is Your Love!"
Growing up, we always read Luke 2 before opening presents. At our home, we either read from the Bible or an age-appropriate story book about the birth of Christ.
Another tradition that I started in our home several years ago: I collect Christmas books, old, used, new, First Christmas, Santa, Frosty, etc. I wrap them up & each night in December, we open one or two & read them. I try to have a story about the birth of Christ & then another fun story.
As far as my favorite Christmas memory.... well, that's hard. I never realized until I had children how much my parents sacrificed for us kids. We always went to my father's side of the family on Christmas Eve (still do) and my mother's side on Christmas Day.
The one Christmas that stands out for me was a Christmas Day at my grandmother's on my Mom's side. There was always seemed to bickering going on in the family back then. My grandparents lived on a farm in the country. A dirt road separated my grandmother's home from more of the family property across the street. My younger brother lit some type of fireworks & shot them across the street & set the field on fire. Acres burned and the whole Sullivan family worked together to put out the fire. It could have been very tragic back then, but now we just laugh.
Growing up we would open one present on Christmas Eve and the rest early in the morning. Then that afternoon we would go to Grandma's for dinner and Christmas with her.
Now, My husband and I usually have give each other on present on Christmas eve, open the rest in the morning. And that afternoon or the day after go to my parents for Christmas with them. Every other year we fly to NC to see my husband's family. We get to this year for Christmas and will spend the evening or weekend after Christmas with my parents.
When I was 10 my dad wrapped up a necklace in a box then rolled it with a whole roll of duct tape! It took me 1 hour to get it undone! Essh!
In my house, we actually did our family celebration on Christmas Eve - at Grandma and Grandpa's house. When we were little, my mom didn't want my cousins getting upset if we had more gifts to open than they did, so before we left for the Christmas Eve service at church, we'd open all of our gifts from family friends. For some reason that stuck - even once we all became adults! Then we'd rush to the service (without fail, dashing in just as they were singing the first carol!), and then head to Grandma and Grandpa's.
Our gift-opening was very methodical - no one opened anything until everyone had eaten a bowl of Grandpa's clam chowder (not too much of a sacrifice...YUM!!!), and then we all went around in a circle and took turns - one gift at a time, youngest to oldest. It took hours!! But we all sat around making up dumb jokes and just enjoying each other's company...
Grandpa's been in heaven for the last four years, and we're still trying to come up with some new family traditions. I'll let you know if I come up with anything :o).
