I loved this link up idea so much!
I was raised in a family that loves Christmas. I know that about 95% of it comes from my mom and her happiness for Christmas. It was always and still is my most favorite time of the year.
Our Christmas begins Thanksgiving Night, after we get back or get done eating our Thanksgiving meal then we put up all the decorations or the tree. My mom would give us our first gift of Christmas and it would always be a new ornament. Then when you moved out of the house you would get a shoe box full of the ornaments to take with you and put on your future tree.
This year at my apartment I put up the decorations the weekend before Thanksgiving. Both my roommate and I were leaving for Thanksgiving and every weekend leading up to Christmas is packed for me, so I got it up while I had the chance.
A couple of my favorite things to do at Christmas time are watching ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas, no matter what there is some good Christmas movie on and even if I am not "watching" it, the noise is on and it just feels right.
Growing up we always went to Christmas Eve service at Church and then went out to eat at IHOP, who doesn't love a good breakfast meal to get in the spirit!
Then we go home and everyone would pick either to open one present or open their stocking and we would go around and do that. On my mom's side of the family we all draw names since there are so many of us and that is the person you get the "big gift" for. It's an easy way to ensure not everyone spends a ton of money and everyone gets a good gift. Then of course my grandma would give us all something cute and small.
The next morning we would wake up and my dad would set up the video camera as we opened presents. Every year someone was appointed "santa" and they would get the role of calling out the person's name and welcoming to the front of the room to open the present in front of everyone. This took about 2 hours with 6 people in the family, and longer if we were out in Phoenix with my mom's family but it was always fun.
Stockings at my Grandma's House....yes. It's that crazy.
And yes we are that family that wears matching shirts at Christmas (Hello Crazies)
We have other traditions such as driving around every single night leading up to Christmas looking at Christmas lights. As we are all getting older things are changing and life is making it more difficult to all get together. I cant wait to have my own family one day because I plan on implementing my own traditions.
Here is my list so far
1. Advent Books (wrap 24 books and read on each night before bed)
2. Christmas PJs (But I plan on making them for my kiddos)
3. Gingerbread House Making
4. Elf on the Shelf
5. The Christmas Tree Pickle (Hide the ornament in the tree and the first kid to find it gets a special present!)
The list will continue to grow as I spend hours on Pinterest looking at things.
A lot of things I will keep though and I guess that's what makes a tradition, a tradition.
Make sure you link up and check out everyone else's posts!
Jenny
