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I love reading about the Christmases of long ago, back when many gifts were handmade and when being with family was really the biggest gift of all.
For those who want to take a step back from the commercialization of Christmas, here are some suggestions from some of my readers of things they have turned into annual traditions.
When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things—not the great occasions—give off the greatest glow of happiness.
– Bob Hope
Traditions For The Kids
⭐️ Write a letter to each child and place it in a clear plastic, ornament ball to hang on the tree and read on Christmas Eve.
⭐️ Hide one present and give clues where to find it. It draws out the gift-giving. The hunt is just as fun as the find!
⭐️ Tell your kids that magic elves help to “grow” candy canes. Plant “red hots” or colorful mints in the snow outside or in a pot inside on Christmas Eve (or earlier), and replace with candy canes on Christmas Eve night so you will have a fresh “crop” of candy canes Christmas morning.
⭐️ Have your children write a letter to Santa each year and keep them in a folder to show them when they’re older.
⭐️ The Grateful Game. Let the kids decorate a notebook with pictures ahead of time, and on Christmas Day pass it around for everyone to fill in what they’re grateful for. Makes a nice keepsake. Make sure you put the date on the cover.
The Tablecloth
Here's a great tradition I heard about a few years ago and just love it!
The family that started this one does it on Thanksgiving, but it could also be done on Christmas. Start with a plain, white tablecloth, and every year, everyone who attends dinner signs their name with a colored marker, which is color-specific for that year.
The back of the tablecloth has the code of what color goes to what year. The signatures can be embroidered to make them last even longer.
What a keepsake this would be!
The Tradition of the Orange
In reading a lot of Civil War era memoirs, it’s interesting to see how excited the children would be to receive an orange in the toe of their stockings.
I’m old enough to have grown up with that tradition as well, but it wasn’t something that we appreciated all that much. To a child, an orange in their stocking didn’t compare to the other gifts under the tree.
Want a holiday read? There are lots of holiday traditions in the novel Sleigh Bells Ring and the booklet Making Christmas Magical .
Some say the tradition started because the orange served as a replacement for the gold coins Saint Nicholas gifted three poor young women.
But oranges were a truly coveted gift at times like during the Civil War. To enjoy a piece of citrus in the dead of winter was a real luxury.
Continuing this tradition today is a great way to remind us of how thankful our ancestors would be for the gifts we take for granted.
Top Ten Christmas Traditions
Christmas Caroling: Groups of people, often from churches or community organizations, go door-to-door singing Christmas carols.
Decorating with Natural Elements: Using natural materials like holly, ivy, mistletoe, and evergreen branches for home decoration, a tradition harking back to times before commercial decorations were widespread.
Making Handmade Ornaments: Crafting ornaments by hand, such as popcorn strings, dried fruit, paper chains, and hand-painted baubles, to decorate the Christmas tree.
Baking Christmas Cookies: Families coming together to bake and decorate Christmas cookies, often using recipes passed down through generations.
Reading Christmas Stories: The tradition of reading classic Christmas stories like "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens or "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore.
Attending Midnight Mass or Christmas Eve Services: Many families attend church services on Christmas Eve, a tradition that has been a central part of Christmas celebrations.
Roasting Chestnuts: A popular holiday activity, especially in the early 20th century, was roasting chestnuts over an open fire. (One of my favorite memories).
Exchanging Handmade Gifts: The practice of making and exchanging handmade gifts, emphasizing the thought and effort put into the gift rather than its monetary value.
Lighting Candles: Placing candles in windows or around the home, a tradition with roots in many cultures and religions, symbolizing warmth and light in the darkest part of the year.
Hosting Christmas Parties: Traditional Christmas parties often included potluck dinners, games, singing, and dancing, focusing on community and togetherness rather than commercial aspects.
Wrap-Up of Traditions
Christmas traditions help connect generations, evoke nostalgia, and embody the spirit of the season, while serving as a bridge between the past and present.
Does your family have any special holiday traditions? I’d love to hear about them, and I’m sure others would too! Please comment below.
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