Christmas Traditions

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope you all have a lovely day with your families or whoever you get to spend your day with.

Mom sent me a few pictures the night before last of her tree and all the presents under it. It got me to thinking about all the things that, over time, have become traditions in my family.

• Every year on the morning of Christmas Eve we always get together and have a BIG family breakfast. Everyone comes and with my Dad being the baby of 7 there are a lot of people. Most of the cousins are married now and have kids of their own and it’s a great time for our entire family to get together and enjoy each other’s company for a few hours. Not to mention all the great food that is to be eaten. My favorite is the hot chocolate made from Hershey’s cocoa and my Aunt Hannie’s homemade cinnamon buns that are AMAZING.

• Putting up the tree has become one of my personal traditions. I mean yes I know everyone puts a Christmas tree up so how is that a tradition. Well, to me it’s one because I love it so much I always help my mom put her tree up as well as mine. I am usually the one begging her to get all the stuff out and we will do it because by this time I’ve had my house decorated and ready to go for the past week. Hehehe Not only do I love putting up trees but outdoor Christmas lights have always been my favorite. I remember when we were little my parents would load us all up and we would drive around looking at all the pretty houses all lit up. I do the same thing now and I love for my house to be decorated.

• Watching White Christmas is something that my mom and I started only a few years back but I instantly loved the movie and it quickly became a tradition. Last weekend my mom texted me…”guess what I’m watching” I had no clue but she soon told me it was White Christmas. She assured me that we would watch it together once I got home in January.

• Shopping for gifts for everyone and wrapping all my newly purchased treasures is a lovely past time of mine. I can’t keep surprises at all but at Christmas I usually do a pretty good job of waiting until Christmas to spill the beans and force everyone to unwrap their goodies. I am always WAY more excited about everyone’s gift than they are! LOL

• I have no clue how long this tradition has been alive but I know that as long as I have been at home we have done it… the candle light ceremony at church. The Methodist Church always has the candle light ceremony on Christmas Eve and I love going. The entire church is dark and only the light of everyone’s candle is shining while we all sing Christmas songs and listen to a short sermon. This was a hard one to keep alive after my grandparents passed because they were the ones who really held that tradition together. We all still go but for the first couple years it was sad and always reminded me of them. I am glad that now I can think of this as a happy tradition and something I always plan to keep alive.

• I can’t forget about cooking Christmas dinner. I love cooking and Christmas is a great time to make all those comfort foods and just overload on goodness. I plan on doing this one when I get home in January just to make up for all the ones I have missed and to have an excuse to have EVERYONE over to my house and cook loads of yummy food.

All these traditions have fallen off my radar for the past 3 Christmases only because I haven’t been home. I love doing all these things and I can’t wait to be home next year and do all these plus maybe even start a few more like baking cookies with my nieces.

Again Merry Christmas and get ready for 2011.

I have a feeling it’s going to be an AWESOME year.