Holiday Traditions – Start Making Them NOW!

It’s never too early to start thinking about the holidays and holiday traditions…

so why don’t you start making them now!

We don’t have a lot of holiday traditions, but there are a few that we have kept up over the years.

 Christmas Eve.

We have a son that was born on the 24th, and until he moved out on his own, Christmas Eve wasn’t Christmas Eve, until he had cut his birthday cake, which was often made my his paternal grandmother.  When the family started expanding, with sons and daughters in law…and then grand children, this became more important that ever.  We would all meet together for a birthday party / Christmas Eve dinner.  After we had our meal, Solo Man would cut his cake, and then Christmas festivities would begin.  Each family member received an individual gift bag and each family got a gift bag.

This was a huge undertaking.  It got to the point where we had to hold our celebrations at our church.  I would wrap presents for weeks, and it took days to prepare the meal.  With children, their spouses, grandchildren, grandparents and a few close friends, we usually had 30 to 45 people in attendance.  Each year I had a different theme. One year it was Poinsettias, another it was Nativities, and  yet another was Nutcrackers.  Each table would have a fresh flower arrangement or a Nativity or Nutcrackers, as part of the centerpiece, and every family would  get to take one home with them.  If possible I would find gift bags and wrapping paper that matched the themes.  We usually had Baked ham, Macaroni and Cheese, Dilled Green Beans,  and Rolls.  Dessert was Birthday Cake.  Turkey was for Christmas Day:-) There was a low “kids table” for the little ones, and it would be set with fun plates, cups and utensils. I would have some  PB&J sandwiches for the pickiest of eaters.

I always thought that it was a rip off to give Santa all the credit for the gifts that we worked so hard to pay for, so in our house, Santa just fills the kids stockings.  The gifts under the tree are from us.

Whenever we have little ones in our home for Christmas, we get them new jammies.  I wash them, then wrap them up, so that they can be opened on Christmas Eve. We have to make reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn…and leave out cookies and milk for Santa.

 Christmas Morning

We have had the same breakfast ever year since we got married.

Pillsbury Orange Sweet Rolls – yes, I’m a good cook, and I make home made bread and rolls all the time.  But this is a sentimental request from my husband, and how can I possibly complain? Along with these we have bacon, scrambled eggs, orange juice, and  eggnog.  When I’m up do it, a make a big bowl of ambrosia, because it’s one of my favorites.  When we had a thriving Tangelo tree in our backyard, I always squeezed my own juice, but now we just buy a big jug of Simply Natural OJ

(I think that they make the BEST grapefruit juice – love it!)

Ever feel like it’s a BIG LET DOWN  once all the gifts have been opened, and you’re left with a mound of trash, and dirty dishes?

I can’t really help you with the dish situation, other than to suggest that you use disposable plates, cups and utensils, but I can give you a hint to make “the magic” last throughout the rest of the year.  We buy lots of videos, coloring books, puzzles, candy and such that are just for After Christmas.  I’ll wrap a video, bag of microwave popcorn, and some boxes or bags of candy, up together.  Coloring books, and new crayons/colored pencils, is another combination, as are puzzles and treats.  These go into a big basket and at random times over the days up until New Years Eve, I’ll call out “Let’s open a gift!” and we let the kids take turns at picking a package.  Once a package gets opened the items are used right away.  If a video is chosen, we pop the popcorn, open the candy, pile up on the sofa and watch the movie together.  Similarly, if coloring books are the gift, we spread out the new crayons, colored pencils and coloring books, open the treat, and start coloring away. Puzzles mean RACES.  I will wrap up 2, 3, or 4 of the same puzzle (I pick them up at the $ store), and we have races to see who can put their puzzle together the fastest.  Everyone wins…and gets to enjoy the treat that’s wrapped up with the puzzles. The possibilities are endless.  Put together supplies for art projects, wrap up books that can be read together, or a book for each family member.  Lotions and potions – buy nail polish for the gals, and cologne for the guys.  Paint by number kits, ingredients for cupcakes, all the supplies needed to make a family album.  I’m sure that you can come up with dozens of more ideas. One last family gift package can be saved for when all the decorations come down and have been put away.

What about you – any traditions that are near and dear to your heart? Please leave a comment, so that others can glean from your ideas!

I have not been compensated for any of the products listed my brand name.  These are just foods that we like and purchase regularly.