Christmas Traditions

Well it's that time of year again.

I was looking through some pages on the Internet trying to find some fun family traditions and thought that I would share a few that I found. The first one below is one that our family did when our girls were little. It varied from year to year depending on what we could find around the house or in the refrigerator.

1. At our house on Christmas Eve, we like to make treats, not only for Santa, but for the reindeer too. We like to mix up sunflower seeds and glitter in a bag. Then we go spread it around the yard. This way, the reindeer will be able to see they're at the right house and snack while Santa is busy. Every Christmas morning we make sure to check outside to see if the reindeer ate their snacks!-From Shakopee


2. Two weeks prior to Christmas our family gets together to make the most beautiful gingerbread houses. Frosting and candy is decoratively placed on every house. Our last activity on Christmas Day is the ceremonial "blowing up of the gingerbread houses" using firecrackers, to the cheers of the entire family.- From Burnsville


3. The one thing my family and I especially love is my "special" tablecloth. Take a plain white cotton flat sheet. Buy LOTS of different colored permanent markers. When your guests arrive have them either write their names and dates, draw a picture, or write what Christmas means to them.

I use a different one for each holiday. When the babies come we draw their hands on the cloth. Then next year we draw their hands next to last years one. It is fun to see how MUCH they have grown in one year. I can also remember "who" was at my home what year. I have a lot of very pretty pictures drawn by guests who have talent.

I buy a clear plastic shower curtain to put over the cloth so I can keep it on the table. When it gets full I put it away and start another one. They will make great gifts for my children when I am gone. The girls can remember what boyfriend they had that year.- From Unknown


Every year around this time families gather to celebrate the holiday's. Its a time of year that allows you to show your love for friends and family with a simple card or a thoughtful gift. Sometimes just being able to all be in the same place at the same time is enough to make my mothers holiday. Arriving safely at our destination is my fathers only request.

I was trying to think of some family tradition that we have in our family and I really couldn't think of one as unique as the ones above. Like many mothers, mine has all of my ornaments that I made in Sunday School and elementary school hanging on her tree (I'm still not allowed to touch them...that's her job) So I suppose that is her tradition.

We make Tom and Jerry's every year, which was my grandmothers tradition. Since she has passed away this will always continue and has become our tradition and will be a fond memory of her for years to come. My brother and I will continue to pick at the turkey as my mother carves it just because we know it irritates her sometimes terrible. We will also fight over the dark meat and get our hands slapped in the process. There will never be enough chocolate pie to go around and everybody will disappear when my mom needs help making and stirring the gravy. This is a tradition I bet my mother wished we would stop. Sorry mom!

I suppose our Christmas tradition is summed up in just one word, chaos. We spend more time driving to get there then we do visiting. We are sometimes cranky and tired from the journey home, but its always worth it. We have stayed home for many other holidays and family occasions, but the Christmas season is just one that we feel we always have to travel home for. No matter where my own family settles down, there is only one place that I consider home during this time of year.

Home for the holidays is my mother and father, sister and brothers, nieces and nephews, cousins and grandparents. It's sleeping on the floor, sharing one bathroom, eating pie for breakfast the day after Christmas, a college football bowl game (if we are lucky) traveling with cranky teens crammed into a packed truck and best of all....not matter how odd we all are and what differences we may have, for a few days its the best tradition a girl could ask for.