I am inviting everyone who wants to (this means those of you who ALWAYS read and never post a comment), to post in the comments of this post, their favorite Christmas memory(ies) and or traditions. Here are just a few of mine:
When I was young - before any of my generation got married or moved - we always went to Grandma and Grandpa's. We had a pinata and starting with the younges first we lined up to take a couple swings at it. We always had hot cocoa and some sort of food (sandwiches, chili, chicken noodle soup). We drew names earlier in the year, so we exchanged gifts and got to open that gift. Then we got to open the gift from Grandma and Grandpa. Then we all went to our homes and went to bed.
As we got older the pinata and gifts were done away with and we started giving food storage as gifts.
When Bret and I were first married, we spent Christmas Eve with his parents and sisters and nephew and nieces. At first it was nice. Then when we had kids, it got to be too much. So we spend the odd years with his parents on Christmas Eve and the even years at home. When we spend it with Grandma and Grandpa, there are 15 people so there are tons of gifts. Then we have some sort of waffle concoctions for breakfast. A few years we've gone to a movie Christmas afternoon. Some years we've gone over to Great Grandma's. At some point in the season, Bret's extended family has a progressive dinner where we go to 4 or 5 families home for some part of a meal.
When we spend Christmas at home, we build a fire on Christmas Eve and light lots of candles and read the Christmas Story from the bible while eating something and drinking hot cocoa. Sometimes we let the kids open 1 gift - usually jammies. Then Christmas morning, we open gifts and just sorta hang out for a couple hours and then we head over to Bret's parents. Almost every year during the season, we go to Temple Square to see the lights. That hasn't got old yet! It's one of our favorite traditions.
We also like to do the 12 days of Christmas for someone or a Secret Santa. Also every year, we take the kids shopping. They pick out something they want, we buy it and have the kids donate it to Toys 4 Tots. We all really like doing that.
Christmas is a really great time to focus on Christ and all of our blessings. I try to bring Christ in more and more every year. I hope to impress on my kids' minds that Santa is the spirit of giving. That Christmas is about Christ and giving, NOT recieving. It's hard when they're so young. But hopefully it will sink in.
I hope we all enjoy this magical season and keep the spirit of Jesus and giving in our hearts.
3 comments:
I have lots of Christmas memories and we have a few traditions but I remember the year that Grandma and Grandpa were on their mission in I believe it was South Dakota, we had our annual Christmas Eve party at your moms house. It was really different not having the grandparents there but that's not why I remember it. I remember we had the normal gift exchange and one of Slim and Linda's (it was a really long time ago) girls had my name. I opened my present and it was a pair of used gloves. I remember looking at the gloves and looking at my mom and the look she gave me just told me how to react. I felt like crying but I knew they didn't have any money and so I acted really pleased with my gift and told them thank you about 10 times. I took the golves home and we washed them and I wore them. They were turquoise blue and really not that ugly. So that was the year that I realized that it's not about what you "get" it's about giving and they gave what they could. I also remember feeling really sad for those girls, I'm sure the rest of the family made it a good Christmas for them. Anyway, one of my favorite traditions is going to look at the Christmas lights for FHE. We did it when I was a little girl and I enjoy taking Luke now. It's just a great time of year and I love the Spirit of the whole season.
O - I remember Slim and Linda and those girls. I often wonder what ever happen to them. I'm so glad you reacted that way. I don't remember that Christmas. One day I'll have to tell you about and intersting Christmas i had when I learned about give and not recieving. I have a saying on my wall: "The magic of Christmas is not in presents but in His Presence."
My favorites are nothing new, but I LOVE new pj's on Christmas Eve, and the progressive dinner.
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