What kind of traditions does your family have for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas?As a mother of three young children our family is still establishing our traditions and it's been fun to use ones from our past and create new ones together. What things do you remember or have you started?
My friend Brie asked her friends this question recently and it got me thinking about the fun things we do.
A few of my favorites for Thanksgiving includ:
Crafts (like the one over there-->) or making a leaf garland by letting the kids cut, color leaves and on the back writing what they're thankful for.
Board games with the family
For Christmas a few favorites include:
-Driving around on Christmas eve/Christmas night to look at all the beautiful lights and finding our favorite decorated houses.
-Make cookies and put out cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer
-Read/act out/film the bible story in Luke
-Read The Polar Express.
-PJ's on Christmas Eve
-Watch holiday movies the whole month!
13 comments:
PJ's on Christmas Eve (after a dinner of flank steak) is probly my most favorite holiday tradition.
The Thanksgiving one I love is that my mom gives $2 to anyone that memorizes Psalm 100 and will say it before dinner.
My brother and I were talking about this recently. We didn't have consistent traditions as kids, and since we don't have kids, we don't really have any either.
My family doesn't really have any traditions other than reading Luke 2 before we open presents.
We used to draw names and give a gift to one person in my family since it's so large. But, a few years ago, we decided we didn't really need any more presents, so we decided to put that money towards a charity of our choice. I really like that a lot. Corey and I often give food to the food bank or donate Toys for Tots.
We open one present on Christmas Eve which is usually PJ's. Read the Christmas story.
Growing up we usually had spigehtti or clam chowder for Christmas Eve (so random).
We decorate cookies but don't leave them out for Santa yet. I'm not ready to give Santa all the credit for my hard work yet. HA!
Scott's family wakes up & sits on the stairs singing Christmas carols until mom and dad wake up and let us come down and open presents. No really, they are all grown up now and we still do it. SO FUN!
The only Thanksgiving tradition I grew up with, really has more to do with Christmas, which is setting up the christmas tree together the day after thanksgiving.
The hubbs and I love driving our kids around to find all the best lit houses and then on Christmas Eve we read the christmas story in luke, walk around the neighborhood all bundled up, and then get in the car and visit the favorite houses with lights that we've found.
We also do the pj thing too, but we try to give a book along with the pjs.
Growing up, my family had a million holiday traditions and I loved and adored each and every one. Sadly, my children just see them as assignments and I have had to give up a lot of them due to lack of willingness to participate. However, one tradition that I have kept and built upon is called Nite of 1000 lites. On Dec. 23rd, we go out and drive until we count 1000 houses with lights on them. Some years it takes longer than others and after ten years of living in the same town, we have had to go further and further afiled (which is fun) but it is the one thing that all three of my kids still love to do. (The Middle Child can't tolerate Christmas music, though--sad, huh?)
One family tradition we had for Thanksgiving growing up is my dad would take all of us kids to the new movie out while my mom cleaned up dinner. And then we always went shopping the next day!
For Christmas we had so many. We always found a family and did the 12 days of Christmas to them. It was so fun each night to drop something off and run. We also did the one present on Christmas eve and read the story out of the Bible. We also had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and once again went to another movie! Our family LOVES movies.
Now with our own family we have a few traditions. We decorate gingerbread houses every year, we go see Santa every year, and act out the Christmas story. The kids love it. They are many more I would love to do but then Christmas comes so fast that I don't get to do them.
For Thanksgiving we go around the table and say something we're thankful for that happened that year. We did that growing up, too.
We have lots of Christmas ones, and lots of the same ones already mentioned (pj's, reading Luke). The week before we always bake sugar cookies and frost them as a family. More are consumed that day than given away.
Since we've lived in houses without chimney's the last 7 years, we put out a special key to let Santa into the house. My kids love that one.
I always make a special french toast casserole for Christmas breakfast. Greg says it's his favorite of the traditions I've brought to 'our' family. :)
The night before Thanksgiving, we put a sheet on the floor and sit around a pot and "scramble" bread. Which means, we crumble loaves of bread by hand so we can make my mom's perfect stuffing. Soooo Gooood.
Hmmm...I don't think there are really any set traditions. We do the some of the same things every year, but I don't know that it's like, oh it is officially time to do this activity. In my family we used to go see an opening movie on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.
Some things I've started I guess, getting a new ornament for our tree every year. Stockings are big for me now because we never did them growing up. And Sneak's Aunt crochets every new family member a Stocking. Sneaks and I each got one our first year of marriage (he needed a new one since he was now an adult). Baby Boots just got his order for one this year! She's pretty much awesome!
I'm going to have to do my own post on this, but a few faves for ya:
- thanksgiving feast of gourmet sandwiches and all the best snack/junk foods, then a "real" dinner at Grandma's on Saturday
- the "elves" left us candy during december. My mom had these little santa pouches and if we'd been good and cleaned our rooms and stuff, there would be a bit of candy from the elves when we came home from places.
:) We make a big Turkey, stick him on the door and every day (or almost) we write something we're thankful for during November. This year has been way fun since Ambrie is talking enough to understand and she's thankful many times for dancing utensils. ;)
Christmas...there are so many sweet ones from growing up. We've tried to integrate the forts on Christmas Eve, the story in Luke and, of course, the reindeer food (oatmeal and glitter - so they can see it) on the snow right before bed. I don't however let my kiddos eat almost an entire box of orange flavored vitamin C. No, I absolutely never did that either. :)
One of my favorite Christmas ones is lighting candles around the living room and sitting and reading Luke together. We add in Christmas songs where they fit in with the story. Then when we're done reading we keep singing songs until we can't think of anymore to sing.
Thanksgiving we always make a Thankful Tom at the beginning of the month. Thankful Tom is a paper turkey attached to a paper bag throughout the month we write down (or draw pictures) of things we're thankful for... they can be a specific moment or a general thing. After we finish dinner and before dessert we pull out a few to share with the family.
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