Christmas Traditions

Family Search's question for December 2nd was: What were some of your favorite holiday traditions in childhood?

I wrote this post back in 2013, but it answers the above question so perfectly, that I decided to add this introduction rather than write a new post. In the four years since I wrote this some of my wants for my own family have changed, but I'm keeping the original post the way it is as those were my thoughts in 2013.

In light of the upcoming holidays, I thought I would share my favorite family Christmas traditions. 

First Christmas Teddy Bear – I was only 2 months old at my first Christmas, but that didn’t stop my parents from giving me a gift.  They gave me a teddy bear that had a scarf and winter hat on.  The hat had “1990” sewn on it: the year I was born and my first Christmas.  My brother got one his first Christmas in 1993.  We obviously don’t remember opening our teddy bears, but we still have them!  This year will be Benjamin’s first Christmas; and I bought him a Teddy Bear wearing a red puffy vest with “2013” sewn on one of the paws. 

Christmas Pajamas – When my brother and I were younger we got to open one present on Christmas Eve; and that present was always pajamas.  We then would wear those pajamas to bed, and all day Christmas day.  This tradition only lasted a few years, but I really enjoyed it while it lasted.  It’s something I want to do with my kids. 

Count Down Calendar – This is also known as an Advent Calendar (I think).  Before I was born my mom sewed a giant candle onto a long piece of fabric, on the candle there are 24 plastic rings next to the numbers 1-24.  Before December 1^st my mom wraps candy in wrapping paper.  She wraps 24 sets of enough candy for each family member and ties them to the plastic rings.  We follow the days of December and unwrap one present a day, counting down until Christmas.  Because there is only one present a day, my brother and I took turns.  Every year we switched who unwrapped the odd days and who unwrapped the even days (because who ever got the even days got to unwrap on Christmas Eve).  Now my mom has added a piece of candy for Gerson (this year Benjamin is too young to eat candy), and my mom and I plan on making one for my home; until then Gerson and I get our candy in a bag.

Christmas Tree – Every year my family decorates our Christmas tree together.  The decorations on our tree are a mix of homemade ornaments and gifts from other people.  I used to think our tree looked cluttered because it had so many ornaments and they didn’t even match (I had always wanted to have a tree that had the same color ornaments or a theme like Disney).  But this year, while decorating the tree with my mom, I found myself enjoying the memories that the mismatching ornaments gave me.  I started calling it a “Memory Tree.”  I’m looking forward to when Benjamin and his future siblings are old enough to make Christmas ornaments and decorate the tree with me. 

Santa – My brother and I grew up believing in Santa.  Well, my brother grew up believing in Santa; I grew up creating stories about Santa.  When I was 5 years old I asked my mom if Santa was real and she told me something to the effect of: “Yes, but he is no longer alive.  His name was St. Nicholas.  He was very kind and gave people gifts at Christmas time.  Parents continue his tradition to honor his kindness.”  I know that there are more details, but I was 5 so my mom had to explain it in a way I could understand.  I’m sure that she also included that giving gifts also represent the Wise Men giving the baby Jesus gifts.  I’m glad that she told me the truth, because Christmas became fun for me in a different way.  My brother still believed, and I got to help him believe.  So every year I told him these elaborate stories about catching a glimpse of Santa, hearing his sled and reindeer on the roof, and showing him that the cookies were all gone.  It was really fun for both of us.  My brother was about 8 or 9 when he wrote Santa a letter asking if he was real and to circle “yes” or “no.”  Santa wrote, “talk to your dad.”  My dad told him the truth, and he took it really well.  We still do Santa gifts even though everyone in our family knows the truth.  It’s fun for us to say, “Thanks Santa!” and hug our parents.  And now that Benjamin is born we will all be “believing” in Santa again.  However, when any of my kids ask, my husband and I will tell them the truth just like my mom told me.  But we will still make it fun! 

Another thing my family does for Santa gifts is that the gifts from Santa are never the big expensive what-we-really-wanted gift.  Those were always from my parents.  Every year Santa gives us: a stocking full of peanuts, pistachio nuts, candy, fruit, and a toothbrush.  We also unwrap a Calendar for the next year, and something small (a toy when we were young, and a book when we got older).  Every once in a wile Santa would give us something expensive, but that was always a family gift.  Like one year Santa gave our family a DVD player (that was the year my brother found out about who Santa really was).  It was actually really fun to know what Santa was going to get us each year because then we would imagine what kind of Calendar we would be getting, what color of toothbrush, and what would be that small gift.

Sleeping by the Christmas tree – Once school got out for the Christmas holiday, my brother and I were allowed to sleep out by the Christmas tree.  The only night that we weren’t allowed to was on Christmas Eve.  We would spend the nights not sleeping.  Instead, we would play pretend with the ornaments, and make up stories about the ornaments, sing songs and tell Christmas stories!  We would laugh and be loud, and our parents would have to constantly remind us to fall asleep.  Eventually we would fall asleep.  It was so much fun!  If my kids ask me to do the same, I am totally letting them. 

Presents – Presents are obviously not unique to my family; but I included them because my view on presents has changed.  As a child I naturally was excited to open my own presents.  As I grew older I was excited to watch my family members open the presents that I had given them.  I have found that I have so much fun planning, shopping for and wrapping presents for my family members.  And I love watching their faces when they open it up.  This year will be Benjamin’s first Christmas and Gerson and I had so much fun picking out his gifts.  We can’t wait to help him open them! 

The Nativity – I saved the best for last.  My mom has three Nativity sets that are set up around the house at Christmas time.  When I was living at home I always called dibs on being the one to set up all three Nativity sets.  They have always been my favorite Christmas decorations.  This is what Christmas is all about: celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, and not only celebrating his birth but following his example of charity.  Every year at my extended family’s Christmas party the cousins perform the Nativity.  The roles of Mary, Joseph, the three Wise Men, 2-3 shepherds are filled and then the rest are sheep and angels.  (And yes, my family is big enough to fill all of the those roles and then some.)  I have played Mary once, a sheep once, and an angel the rest of time.  In our little apartment I have two Nativity decorations.  I plan on getting more over the years because I want my Christmas decorations to be Nativity themed. 

Have a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays!