Christmas Traditions
There are many ways to celebrate Christmas! Most of us have some type of tradition during Christmas, a lot of times we might not even realize it’s a “tradition”…. But we find ourselves doing it every year! And you want to know something amazing?!? There is no right or wrong way to celebrate!!
I grew up having many traditions and they are some of my greatest memories. On Christmas Eve, we would go to Mimi’s house and have a casual dinner with my mom’s entire side of the family - there are now 30 of us on my mom’s side!! We would eat, play and open presents, and then all the grandkids would dress up and do a live nativity scene. I’m not sure who’s idea that was originally, it went on for about 30 years!! We would read from the Bible, pray for our family and thank God for our many blessings. The nativity scene sounds a little strange, but it really was always a special moment for our big family! Then on Christmas morning, we would all open presents with our individual families and then head back to Mimi’s house for the best Christmas brunch you could possibly imagine!!
Now that most of the grandkids have kids of their own and our families are getting bigger, our traditions have changed. And although I do miss Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at Mimi’s, I cherish the memories that I have from my childhood!
Because I have such great memories from growing up, I am always looking to make our Christmas extra special and memorable for our girls. With that being said… we are constantly in new places because of the military, so being consistent is hard!!!! But we try out best and adjust!
Normally, our “tradition” is putting up our Christmas tree and decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. But I broke that this year!! I caved and got everything out in early November. And let me tell you… it made my heart so happy!! The girls and I, mainly me, have been in a slump since Jesse has been deployed. There is just something magical about a Christmas tree, the lights, nativity scenes, all of it- it just help lift our spirits! And now we’ve gotten to enjoy it for almost a month already. That’s an extra bonus! I just may start a new tradition :: starting Christmas in November!
Another tradition we do every year, is the beloved Elf on the Shelf- it’s a love/hate relationship!! But it gives the girls something fun to look forward during the days leading up to Christmas. A few years back we named her Ruby, and she’s made it through several moves across the country! She makes her appearance every December 1st, hiding all throughout the house and bringing small things until Christmas Eve. Now some families go all out with their elf, but we do not! Some days she “brings” donuts or candy, but most days she just finds herself hiding in new places for the girls to find!! If you have an elf and find yourself struggling to do a whole month of it, I know many families that bring out their elf for the 10 days leading up to Christmas- and their kids are just as happy!! If you’re interested in Elf ideas, go to my Instagram page!
Some other fun things we do during Christmas are pictures with Santa, drive-thru Christmas shows/lights, make a Target Gingerbread House, lots of hot chocolate, making cookies for Santa, and talk a lot about Jesus. I also try to do fun crafts and activities with the kids, but sometimes it doesn’t always go as planned! But no matter what it is we do, we try to always have fun, stay happy and remember why we have this beautiful holiday.
I’d love to hear some fun things you and your family do for Christmas and how you celebrate!
I hope you have a happy, safe, and magical holiday!
I’m so happy you’re here! I’m a military wife and a mom of two. I love coffee, wine, and Jesus! If you’re looking for creativity and affordable style, then you’re in the right place. I hope to bring you a little bit of joy and laughter as you follow along!