Christmas Tradish

As I have said before, and as several of my blogettes have concurred, I love Christmas!  You would think we'd be entirely disaffected by now.  After all, the season comes every year with perfect regularity.  Yet I'm still so excited about the recipes, the sales, the TV programming, and the songs on the radio, even though not much of this changes year-to-year.  Maybe at some point I won't really care about the holidays, but I truly hope that day never comes.

One thing that has changed about my Christmas excitement is my perspective.  I now look at all Christmas stuff through the lens of a married lady.  For the first time, I have my own little family.  It's just me, my husband, and my dog-- but we're getting there.  Each family lives their lives in their own specific way.  And our little unit is no different.  We do some things like my parents, some like his, some like our friends, and some uniquely our own.  We keep the coffee in the freezer, we let the dog on some furniture, we say grace before eating.  It's fun to develop our ways of living.  The longer we've been married, the more carefully defined they become, and it's a wonderfully comforting and empowering feeling.

So back to Christmas.  The first few years you're in a serious relationship, it's common to go "home" to mom and dad for the holidays, if possible.  It often stays that way until you have kids, or even for a few years after that.  But sooner or later, the grandparents will probably come to you, or you'll just choose to stay at home.  Most people I know had Christmas at their own homes growing up.  I love hearing about my friends' Christmas experiences, because they always vary in the cutest ways.  And it gets my mind churning in terms of the traditions that will be a part of my household- some like my family, some like my husband's, and the new ones we create.

Luckily, most of my friends and I are in the married-without-kids or married-with-very-young-kids stage, which buys us some time to think of those special ways in which we can make Christmas special for our family units.  Christmas activities that could turn into traditions to create lasting memories.  I thought I'd have some fun sharing what I've heard from others and things I've come up with.  Enjoy!

Opening one gift Christmas Eve, and the rest in the morning.

Opening the gifts from mom and dad Christmas Eve, and the gifts from Santa in the morning.

Only wrapping the gifts not from Santa.  (His come straight from the workshop, didn't you know that?)

Putting out cookies and milk for Santa, or, alleging that you have the inside scoop and you happen to know for a FACT that Santa prefers Rice Krispy Treats, Brownies, or some other family favorite desert.

Leaving out carrots for the reindeer.

Getting the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, or the first weekend in December, every year

A special Christmas morning breakfast that you don't usually eat

Getting a stocking stuffed with little presents, then one big, wrapped present

Having a holiday movie marathon on Christmas Eve

Making ornaments with the kids, or giving them each their own each year

One present given on Christmas Eve- pajamas, so the kids look cute opening their presents the next day in the photos

Volunteering with a charity during the holiday season, brining your kids along

Driving around the neighborhood, looking at light displays

Stockings filled with only that child's favorite candies

Let the youngest child pick up each present and read the name and hand it to the recipient

Order pizza, or something the kids really love, on Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day-- whatever day you are not having the big dinner

Be open to new traditions as they naturally develop!