We don't have a ton of traditions (and probably nothing unheard of to you), but I can list a few.
1. Christmas advent mittens. I purchased 24 handmade mittens one year (via eBay and at about $2 apiece) and now we hang them in a row and the kids get to dig out their goodies each day in December. It used to hang up the bannister in the front foyer, but since we rearranged the living room, I found space on a wall. Since a mitten allows a little more room than standard pockets, I can put in candy-canes, bouncy balls, silly toys and sometimes a note (which leads them to another place to find bigger prizes). Always under $1 each, though... it adds up with 3 kids!
2. Opening one gift on Xmas eve... and they are ALWAYS pajamas. I try to get matching pajamas and different kinds each year... but that's not always possible. This year it's all red print from Children's Place. This photo is from 2005, right after the Christmas Eve service.
3. Picture at the top of the stairs. On Christmas Morning, no child is permitted downstairs until Mommy and Daddy are down there. We have the kids pose at the top of the stairs every year... then we also take pictures as they approach the gift room. This was last year's picture... Disney pajamas.
4. Buying gifts. The older two kids earn $3 a week allowance. One dollar goes to church or some other charity. One dollar goes in their wallet for spending as they wish. One dollar goes into the savings account we opened for each kid. So, potentially, at the end of the year, each kid has $50+ in his/her account. We pull some of that out and allow each to choose a gift for each person in the family and for grandparents.
5. Opening one book each day. I wrap up 24 books before December. Each day, the kids choose one book to open, and we read it to them before bed. All of the books are Christmasy... whether it's the story of Jesus or about Santa or about other countries' traditions. Each year I usually buy one or two new ones to add to the pile and just don't wrap the least-favorites. I have a whole plastic bin dedicated to Christmas books, coloring books, and kid toys.
6. Christmas Eve Service. We always attend the candlelight service at our church... usually at the earlier service... got to get to bed early for Santa's arrival.
7. Separate Gift Wrap. Each child's gifts are wrapped in a different wrapping paper. I'm not sure they've ever caught on... but Ben's are always wrapped in snowman paper; Reagan's are always in angel paper (which isn't easy to find!); and Tommy's are always wrapped in Santa paper.
8. Baking, seeing Christmas lights, visiting Santa at the mall, watching Christmas shows, decorating the trees (one for our favorite ornaments, one to look pretty and match the front room), decorating the outside, sending "homemade" or picture Christmas cards, and much, much more, I'm sure... but these are all standard Christmas traditions that most people do.
Do you have any cool traditions to pass on? The pickle in the tree? A treasure hunt? Breakfast with Santa? I'm always looking for neat ideas.
Now can you see why we start before Thanksgiving?
2 comments:
I thought that my family was the only one to have my sister and I wait at the top of the stairs on Christmas morning. I think we did that until we both were in college! It brought back fond memories to see the picture of your kids at the top of the stairs though.
Yeah... Mike started that when the older two were old enough to walk and talk. Not sure what exactly started it... other than our panicky fear that they'd sneak downstairs without us! Plus it makes for cute photos on Christmas morning.
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