Tis the season to be jolly and we're making the most of it, decking the halls, hanging the mistletoe,baking cookies, wrapping gifts. What visions of good cheer these words evoke! Oh, yes and the memories. Come home with our family to share in some of our beloved old-fashioned holiday traditions as we celebrate the cherished season of Christmastide.
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Through the years bringing up our children we decided to fill the month with new traditions in hopes that it will be carried on as well as building some memorable Chritmas' moments together. Our children grow faster than we anticipate...all the more reason to build such traditions in them to take with them & to pass it on to their own families. The first thing we do to start off the season id advent. We light a candle each night and read scripture about the coming of Christ...Each week a new candle is lit, until the day of Christmas the last candle is lit as we read about the birth of Christ.
ST. NICHOLAS DAY
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On December 6th we celebrate St. Nicholas Day. Before bed the night before we fill old wooden Dutch shoes with carrots for the saints horse.... The next morn there is candy treats. This is a fun tradition which we have been doing for the last 5 years. My children ....even my 16 year old enjoys this day.
ST. LUCIA DAY
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On December 13th. We celebrate St. Lucia's Day. Our daughter dresses up in a white nightgown with a red sash around her waist and a green wreath atop her head...That morning we bake fresh Saffronbrod and Pepparkakor served with hot coco & coffee then she serves it to her Daddy breakfast in bed. Read the American Girl story Kirsten's Surprise to introduce this sweet custom to your family. This year freckles is getting a new gown to wear...i am making it for her. We will also share the sweet embroidery I did for the occasion... A little sneak peak is above in the first picture of this post.
BAKING GOODIES
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We also bake Christmas cookies. This year we will bake with Gramma & Great Gramma as well as do some of our own baking... We enjoy passing out cookies and breads to our friends....We usually do sugar cookie cut outs, gingerbread men, candy cane cookies, fudge, mini cheesecakes, cranberry bread etc.... You can bake straight into anyone's heart stomach.
CHRISTMAS CRAFTS
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We also make crafts and a homemade ornament for the tree. I love my children's handmade ornaments. We also enjoy cutting out paper snowflakes, homemade cards for friends, putting together red and green paper rings for a Christmas countdown and Swedish paper hearts.
THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING
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The night before Christmas eve we fill the kids stockings with a magic recipe of something to eat, something to read, something to play with and something they need. we added this to our traditions last year and will surely do it again. They open a little something Christmas Eve morn. You can add a little cookie or a piece of candy or perhaps a candy cane... a book they will enjoy... You can usually buy paper backs for cheap or find a book from the thrift Store. Add a little toy.. a yo yo, slinky, jacks,cards...most of these tiny things can be found in a dollar store and something they need...perhaps socks or under drawers, maybe some lip gloss, cologne, perfumes, bubble bath...all can be found at the dollar store. there is no need to spend lot's of money for a little cheer.
CHRISTMAS EVE JAMMIES
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Christmas Eve I give my children jammies... This year I am making jammies for all of us to coordinate each other. mine will be like Freckles and maestros will be like Mr. Darlings...some of the fabric from the boy's jammies will be put into ours... Can't wait to give them out...Then they will be cozy and warm and wear them for Christmas day!
CHRISTMAS HYMN SING/GAUDY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY
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We love singing...
So why not have a few friends over and sing some great Christmas hymns...serve some goodies and hot apple cider or coco... a great way to enjoy the festive season and glorify Christ! While your at it have everyone wear their Christmas sweater/sweatshirt/t-shirts...the goofier they are the better. We plan to do this one this year...Should be funny!
COOKIE EXCHANGE/ TEA EXCHANGE
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This year Freckles and I are joining in a cookie/tea exchange for her Literary Tea group...We will be sharing cookies and tea of course! Oh can't wait!
CHRISTMAS DAY GIFTS
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This year I am making my kids gifts.... They will have a couple gifts each to open in the morning...While the rest of the day is spent enjoying the day together listening to Christmas music, playing games... A nice hearty Christmas breakfast will hold us till early Christmas dinner. We will read the Bible and other Christmas stories and a Christmas movie will be watched while we enjoy dessert and hot coco.
CHRISTMAS DINNER
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Every Christmas I make Potato pancakes, homemade apple sauce and ham. This has become a nice tradition my family looks forward to, since I don't make it hardly ever during the year. Yum!
THE GERMAN PICKLE
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We are adding a new tradition to our Christmas this year. one they call the German pickle. This is probably a German American made tradition, but seems fun. you hide a glass pickle ornament in your tree on Christmas morning...The first one to find the pickle receives an extra gift... I have the cutest glass pickle I found while thrifting... I think I will make the gift some sort of candy treat..... Just a bit of fun.
GIFTS OF THE MAGI
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On January 6th also known for the Feast of Epiphany we open gifts of the Magi gifts.
We have done The Magi Gifts with our children for some years now.
Which is Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
The Gold gift represents a gift that our children need... A new piece of clothing perhaps.
The Frankincense represents something for their
spiritual growth such as a Bible, a journal, music, devotional etc..
Lastly the Myrrh represents some fun smelling yummies
to use daily such as lotion, deodorant, powders, perfume, cologne,
shampoos, bubble bath, bath crystals etc...
These are all small things you can get at the dollar store and can be hand made.
a special dinner will be made as well as A Twelfth Night Cake adorned with the Three Kings...The cake will have a bean covered with foil baked into it...The one who gets the silver bean will be King for the day and wear a crown. We will then play games and end the Christmas Season with memories.
I hope this is helpful for you. It really makes the whole month of December special while you celebrate the Season and ultimately the birth of Christ.
Wishing you much merriment!
You have some lovely Christmas Traditions Mica. I just love reading about what other families do at Christmas time. It is inspiring. xxoo
ReplyDeleteI swear you and I were split at birth!! We have a long list of traditions, some little, some big but it would not be Christmas if we did not do them ALL. I will confess some years (like this one) we will not get to them all. So we do some in January but you know how dreary it is in WA in the winter, so it gives us something to do xoxo Clarice
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about all of your fun family traditions. We hide pickles in the tree too.
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