Christmas Traditions

(Sydney, Christmas 2007)

I got an email from a friend tonight asking about our Christmas traditions. This is an exciting year for us because we will be spending our first Christmas alone. When I say I it's exciting I mean I am excited about not having to deal with the horrific traffic and chaos of airports at Christmas, the transporting of gifts across the country, traveling with young (and usually sick at this time of year) children, the unfathomable convenience of being in our own home, etc.

There is one major downside to all of this, which of course outweighs everything I've just mentioned, and that is that we will be missing our family so much. Almost all of the Christmas traditions I can think of have come from years and years of wonderful memories with my family and my husband's family. Christmas will feel very different for us this year.

Anyway, so back to the email I sent my friend - it really got me thinking about all the things we do every year that make this time of year special. Here are a few:

-Advent calendars
-Christmas stories/songs every night before bed (the entire month of December leading up to Christmas - thanks Loralee!)
-Caroling
-Secret Santa activites
-Christmas goody plates
-Ward Christmas Parties (for better or for worse they are there every year, there's no escaping them)
-Driving around at night to look at the lights (in Utah, we'd add Temple Square to the list of places to see at night - in Vegas, we'd add Sunset Park - here in Kentucky, we drive around the horsepark to check out the lights - don't laugh! They're actually decent.)
-Gifts of Love on Christmas Eve
-Big Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve
-Homemade sweet rolls and granola on Christmas morning
-Christmas shopping (again, for better or for worse...)
-Family CD's
-Going to see the Nutcracker
-Messiah sing-alongs
-Decorating gingerbread houses

And the list goes on. Not a very flashy list, but all of these things and more make this time of year feel familiar and happy. What are some of your Christmas traditions?