Christmas really is the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR! Yes, I understand that there are a ton more things to get done, but there are also a ton of opportunities to make great memories!
[Tweet “The best way to experience the joy of Christmas is to make memories that will last your lifetime.”]
Continuing family traditions, or creating your own, makes this time of year SPECIAL! Spread the love and deepen those fond memories.
Here are a few of my Family Christmas Traditions:
My kitchen is always decoated in Gingerbread at Christmas! This is just one of the decorations my children and grandchildren have grown up with.
- I have china that only gets used at Christmas. I want a special touch that helps us remember this isn’t just “another day” of spending time together. (I have to confess that my china has a Christmas pattern so, it wouldn’t likely be used any other time of year. However, now that I’ve said that, I think a Christmas in July family tradition would be very cool!)
- “The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…” Yes, they are! We currently have 22 stockings (that includes Jesus and our dog Buster). I LOVE getting fun things for the stockings and watching each one go through theirs. FUN, FUN, FUN!
- Several years ago Ornament Day replaced cookie baking. My grandkids take so much
pride in making ornaments for their parents! I know this pic is not the best, but just to say that my collection of items for this years ornament day is well underway. Thank you to my great friend Jane who actually prepared this bucket!
- I LOVE CHRISTMAS MOVIES!!! My grandkids have fun picking out the movies and driving my husband nuts by watching “Christmas With the Kranks”. They know I love it and he doesn’t! He’s just seen it a few too many times. Like many folks, we always watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”
- Every year I send out a family newsletter in place of Christmas cards. It includes a picture of each family/child and a couple sentences about each person. (that’s all I have room for anymore!)
What Family Christmas Traditions do you have?
Give it some thought. You may have traditions that you’ve taken for granted and didn’t realize they are in fact things you’ve done year after year.
If you have things you’ve thought about doing, but just haven’t gotten there – it’s not too late! Start your own traditions this year.
Please post a comment with your
Family Christmas Traditions
or those you will be starting.
Here are some ideas to consider:
- my mom has a tradition of baking cookies for several families at Christmas. Mom puts the cookies in tins and each individual family in our larger family receives one. Very cool. We look very forward to those cookie tins!!!
- when my kids were growing up, we always had a real Christmas tree. It was a fun day of going to a tree farm, having hot chocolate, maybe a ride on a hay wagon and picking out that perfect tree. Sure, the Christmas tree day wasn’t always filled with total fun as the kids would argue or the tree wouldn’t quite fit in the front door when we got it home, but hey – that’s what memories are made of!
- Christmas caroling is a great family tradition. Do it with just your family, with your church or another organization you are apart of.
- Reading of the Christmas story – especially for households with children.
- Visit a small town in your area with festive decorations, have hot chocolate, maybe pick up a couple of gifts. Leave the hustle and bustle of the mall behind and relax in an old fashioned environment for a few hours.
- Visit those who cannot get out. People in nursing homes, shelters, etc. love visitors.
- Pick up someone who is home bound and take them to see Christmas lights. Or, if they can’t get out at all, watch a Christmas movie with them.
Christmas is what you make it. Truly!
We are living in difficult times where money is tight and fear is high. Stay focused on the truth that God provides.
[Tweet “It’s not the cost of the gift, it’s the heart within the gift that makes it a treasure.”]
Fear can only win if we allow it too. Trust the One who can shed the light of truth on those things that seek to steal your joy.
As you think about Family Christmas Traditions, think about those things that you would love to see passed down through the generations to come.
Do you need help getting focused this 2015 Christmas season?
If you are experiencing a hardship, of any kind, I would love to gift you (FREE) one 45 minute coaching session. Please contact me at: Contact Coach Deb
Your FREE session must take place before midnight on December 17.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
*Need help with a mindset shift? Revisit any of my recent articles on mindset shift:
Newsletter Article: Fall Into the Right Mindset
Blog Post – Mindset Shift: Getting There
Blog Post – Challenges in Change: Winning the War
Blog Post – Gratitude Mindset: Stay the Course
Love the ideas and the pictures. So precious. Several years ago my granddaughters and I began making birthday cupcakes for Jesus each year at Christmas. So simple and so fun.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks Kim. I love that idea!
Great post! I have to admit, I’m not really great at making traditions, but I’ve always been envious of those who have them. Lately, we’ve done away with much of the actual gift giving and instead have done events together as a family. Sometimes it includes attending a concert. Last year we walked through a live nativity set that was really cool. We also do stockings every year. Your post has helped me to start thinking about how we can bring more special traditions into the season. Have a Merry Christmas!
Thanks for your reply Judy! Sounds like you have a great tradition in your family events. Those are always special to me because it so hard to get everyone together.
That sounds like so much fun Debbie! The only movie that I like to watch more than once is “Elf”, we laugh at it every year!
Mary Lou, we love Elf also! That was the first movie we watched this year on December 1.