Simplifying Christmas Traditions

Today's topic on Simplifying Christmas
hosted by Heart Of A Mommy
is Christmas Traditions.

Family Christmas Traditions mean a lot to us in our home.
We have always done Advent with our kids.
We light a candle each week, reading scripture that
pertains to the coming of Christ's birth,
we open our advent box on that particular
day which holds a treat.

We also enjoy singing Christmas hymns.
It really sets a memorable tone and
mood to our advent time together.

Every year we make a special ornament or some sort of Winter craft.
I enjoy displaying Christmas crafts from the past as well.
My children even enjoy going through all the special memories.

Other traditions consist of baking Christmas cookies,
singing with/for the elderly in homes, going to a Christmas play or musical.
( Last Sunday after Church we went to see Handel's Messiah)
It was wonderful and it was FREE!
We also get together with our Church families to sing Christmas Hymns.
Next week we are having an Advent Feast with our Church...
which will become a new tradition for us.
Before Christmas we dig out all our favorite
Christmas movies and have a movie nite!

Every Christmas I make Potato pancakes with sour cream,
chunky applesauce with ham.
These are just a few of our favorites which has
become memorable traditions for our little family.
I would love to hear your traditions!
*************

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The Nutcracker...

Inspired by Pvotr Ilvich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and my daughters love of ballet... she performed her version of The Nutcracker in our living room prior to going to the ballet for the first time.

Here she plays out the ballet in a red tutu and elf hat. She was holding her Nutcracker at one point leaning in to kiss him. Very sweet !

Finally the moment came. I planned for just her & I to see the ballet. She was thrilled beyond mention. The theatre was beautiful. Our favorite scene was The Dance Of The Snowflakes... snow fell on the snow fairies as the danced around the stage... it was brilliant.

This was a memory I will always treasure with my daughter and hope to go again with her, in the years to come.

Brief History of The Nutcracker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the book called " The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" written by German author E.T.A. Hoffman (1776-1822). It was published in 1816 as a rather morbid, depressing story. It was revised by French author Alexander Dumas Pere (1802-1870) in 1844 to appeal to children.

The Nutcracker Ballet was first performed in Russia, on December 5th or December 1st in 1882, almost 100 years ago. It was written by Peter Tchaikovsky who lived between the years 1840 and l893 and wrote many famous scores for ballets including Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. This piece of music was his 1st Opus or work.

A short version of the ballet was first performed in the United States in 1940, but the full version, the one so familiar to millions of Americans, was first staged in 1954. It is now an annual holiday event in communities across the country.

If you haven't already seen the Barbie version to The Nutcracker on DVD I would surely recommend it for the whole family. Especially if you have little girls. This has been a favorite movie in our home since it first came out. My daughter plays out the story even with her Barbie dolls. It is just the sweetest thing !