it's so different being married and having to combine traditions, but fun to start new ones. i don't feel like jeff and i really have that many traditions together because we've never had christmas alone at our home. this will be the first year without my nana's tamales. tough, but i'll survive. i also think more traditions are established once you have kids. am i right? and not kids like sofia's age...kids like elementary age. we can still wrap sofia's old toys and get away with it.
anyway, here are traditions i'd love to start. i thought i'd write them, so i'd have a place to refer to it when i actually start them.
*decorate tree on December 1st (i'm against doing christmas things in november)
*Jeff insists on putting up the lights the day after thanksgiving because he'll have the day off, but we WON'T turn them on until dec. 1st)
*make treats for
neighbors and have the kids deliver (really so i don't have to be in the cold :)
*write letters to santa and send in the mail (maybe i'll mail them to my mom because she'd make it happen)
*find streets with the best lights and take a drive with the kiddos
*open one gift on christmas eve- (always new PJ’s- this is a tradition in my family)
*12 days of Christmas
where you have 12 things written on a card and then every evening you pick the
activity for the night (baking, craft, christmas story, letter to santa, make ginger bread houses, ice skating, christmas movie (must include elf, the grinch (Jim Carey one) home alone 1,2, and 3 (because jeff LOVES home alone), etc)
*donate to or serve a family
in need
*leave cookies and milk
out for santa and a carrot for the reindeer
*if we don’t have a
fireplace or chimney make a Santa key to let Santa through the front door. Get
an old fashion skeleton key, spray paint it gold, tie a ribbon around it, then
put it on a wreath so Santa can come inside and bring gifts
*Christmas Eve: caroling to neighbors, sing christmas hymns and drink hot chocolate at home by the fire, write a letter to Jesus and receive the letter you wrote from the year before)
*Christmas morning- read the nativity chapters from the bible
Oh how i love me some christmas time. it's just a different feel in the air.
I love your list, we do so many of the same things! Christmas Eve p.j.'s are definitely the best. Hooray for Christmas! I think you and Jeff should start them now. :) I hope it's a great one for you!
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