We’re not always consistent in our Christmas gift giving. Because we don’t pay for gifts on credit, each year is different. Last year we told our kids to be prepared for a slim Christmas, but they thought it was one of the best.
How?
When there’s less to spend, every dollar counts. Shopping becomes smarter. More intentional.
Celebrating Christmas properly involves more than what’s under the tree. One of the greatest things you can do now—or any time of year—is build traditions, the cement of family memories.
Ours include:
- Christmas chili (because I can only wake up before dawn and cook a 20+ pound turkey one day of the year)
- The kids open a movie for an early gift at bedtime on Christmas Eve, and watch it on Christmas morning before getting us out of bed (sly, aren’t we?)
- Life Savers Sweet Story Books in the stockings (Santa always brought them to my sister and I, too)
- Cheese Spaghetti (worthy of Thanksgiving and Christmas)
- Christmas day outing (sometimes we go to the movies; last year it was bowling)
New traditions or things we do some years:
- Jesse Tree (we’re behind, but I love this!)
- Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls (must make this week)
- Visit the official White House Christmas tree, in transit, on Thanksgiving night
Sometimes I’m guilty of losing myself in the flurry of the season, and fail to ensure that we remember just what—or rather who—it is we’re celebrating.
What Christmas traditions does your family keep?
[In case you were wondering: I shot a senior yearbook photo Friday morning, and my 11-year-old daughter insisted that our dog have a Christmas photo shoot on the white seamless, too. Cute, huh?]
insure
Adorable pooch! Who can resist a dog in a Santa cap?
I love hearing about others’ Christmas traditions, and yours are fun and good memory-makers for your children.
Our traditions include a new one I read about on a blog this month–at the dnner table we take time to say a special prayer for and remember the senders of Christmas cards that have arrived in the mail to us that day. During Advent we have family devotions each night (sometimes it’s just two or three of the four of us) using Ann Voskamp’s “Way of Light” Advent Wreath. On Christmas Eve we attend two church services–an early contemporary one and an 11pm traditional candlelight communion one. We open gifts from just the four of us on Christmas Eve (all other gifts wait til Christmas morning). Christmas morning brunch is ALWAYS fresh fruit croissants with yogurt and lemon curd, and peppered bacon, then there’s beef tenderloin and homemade ice cream for Christmas dinner. We phone family members and out-of-state friends on Christmas Day (no family in OH but the four of us), and play board games together on Christmas night. We keep all our Christmas decorations up for all twelve days of Christmas, then on the eve of Epiphany the kids (teens now!) hang up their stockings again to receive the final gifts of Christmas. On Epiphany we have a family dinner and then afterwards we “chalk the door” – asking for God’s blessings on those within our home and all those entering our door during the new year. Whew! We’ve got a few more, too (you’re not surprised, are you?), but I don’t want to hog your comments section!
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Rose, you have fabulous traditions. I want to eat Christmas brunch at your house!
Merry Christmas, Dawn! Tradition from my side of the family is to order pizza and open presents on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was for sleeping in, playing games, and enjoying each other (as well as the few gifts we received).
Amen! We are also learning to simplify the holidays…to de-Santafy, and re-Christ Christmas.
Most surprising is how we expect the children to be disappointed, and yet discover that they welcome the reduction in gifts, and the pursuit of true giving. Is a beautiful thing!
Thanks for the encouraging words!!