Christmas Traditions

I just thought I would tell you about a tradition my grandmother did when we were kids and now I do it for my kids. When the family puts up the tree the next morning a small elf figure appears on the tree along with a note that explains that it is one of Santa's elf and they watch over the kids to make sure they are good. Every night if they are good when they go to bed the elf will move. If they aren't good it stays on the tree. If the elf moves the kids have to try to find it. Once found they put it back onto the tree. I had one for each child, they liked having their own elf. When Christmas day is over, put elf on the tree when the kids go to bed, the next day when they wake up the elf goes back home to santa for another year. (try to remember where you put it as I forgot one year and had to buy new ones).
Every year my kids will ask when will we put up the tree as they hope their elf come back.
Thanks for listening, Tammy

Our Christmas tradition is this---
We all gather around the tree. {we always draw names due to our large family.} We pass out all the gifts. We write down the nouns that are in the story "The Night Before Christmas", and put each noun on a piece of paper. You get a noun for every gift you have. My daughter puts a Santa's hat on and sits in the rocker to read the story. As your noun is read you shout " ho, ho , ho, merry Christmas" and open your gift. This way everyone gets to see what everyone else got and from who they got it. We love this and the kids look forward to it every year.Thank you,Cathy

Our youth group at the church does the 12 days of Christmas for shut ins, or seniors who do not have families near. We create an item for each night 12 days prior to Christmas. For example: On the second night of Christmas the elves brought to me, a two liter bottle of sprite to make your holiday's bright. We make a tag with the saying attach it to the gift, hang it on the door ring the door bell and run. This continues until CHristmas eve. It is a lot of fun for everyone. The elves try not to get caught, the receiver tries to catch the elves, and the joy of Christmas is spread out among people. The secret of who the Elves are..remains a secret. We got the idea when my father-in-law was very ill. We were visiting him during CHristmas. We told about the "Elves" and the joy and excitement that happened every night was wonderful. We waited each night for the Elves to come and then tried to catch them. My mother-in-law still talks about that Christmas, and the joy it brought to the family. So, we, my family and I do it with our church for people. Oh, the "Elves" get presents too. One night, the Elves found a batch of Christmas cookies left for them. Have a Merry Christmas and keep the Spirit alive! ~ Linda

I am from Australia and it is so different at this time because we are in summer. Our traditions are quite similar and yet so different too because of the heat here. One we have is to have a picnic in the garden the night before Christmas, before going to midnight mass. At this picnic we share with each other all the things we have to be grateful for as a family. We talk about our year, significant events and also special memories that we have. It is usually hot and hard to get the kids off to bed so we set out the reindeer food outside and some refreshment for Santa. Merry Christmas and all the best for a great 2000. Nicole

Every Christmas Eve I turn down the lights and light a white candle in rememberance of Jesus. I remind my son of this Holy night and tell him the story of the First Christmas. After I am finished; my son, my husband, and I blow the candle out as a family. This also reminds us of the one's who can't be with us. Thanks for listening, Chanda.

I our area of the country, since I was a child, we make popcorn bags, we now use zip-lock bags but they used to be made of a fabric like nylon netting and I have used that, with a string or yarn run through the top for closing. They are filled with popcorn, hard candies, nuts of all kinds, sometimes raisins were added and sticks of gum, I put little candy canes in mine. It is something everyone looks forward to receiving and the whole family gets together to fill them. We give them out at church the evening of our Christmas program and we have a family Christmas dinner with the extended family on Christmas eve and when the presents are distributed everyone gets their popcorn bag at that time. They are also a great tuck-in with delivered gifts and people in nursing homes love them, but I recommend leaving out the nuts or just putting in peanuts in the shell. (Tradition idea sent in by a Maine reader)

Moms and daughters (and sons) bake Christmas cookies together and give them to people who have no family or older folks. (Tradition idea sent in by a 15 year old young lady who makes cookies every year with her mom and says it one of the things that keep them close. Very nice! *Ü*)

How to stop sneaks from finding out what they get for Christmas: For each person in your family, have a different color code. Use post-it notes and put them on the gifts instead of name tags. Say you have Suzy and John. For John, I would use pink. Why pink, you're probably thinking, right? Well, if they ever figure it out, then Suzy and John will think that the pink ones are for her, and say maybe yellow would be for John. This is a big help, too because only you will know who's is who's. (Tradition idea sent in by Anne *Ü*)

Another tradition is this(fun for kids), wrap up, in a box, a piece of paper with a bunch of numbers on it. Each kid has to run around the house looking for the gifts with their numbers on them. This may take a while for them to find them all, if you scatter them all around. The extra time you have,(the adults), could be exchanging their presents(romantically!) You can also video tape them searching for gifts! You will have a blast watching over and over again. I hope you like my traditions, I know I love them! (Tradition idea sent in by Anne *Ü*)

Bake a birthday cake and explain to the children that Christmas is Jesus's birthday (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*)

Make a gingerbread house for Chanukah! Decorate it with draydels and menorahs and chocolate maccabees. Then put windows and lights inside. Since Jewish children don't have a Christmas tree, it is fun for them to have a "Chanukah house" (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*)

Explain to the children that Christmas is Jesus's birthday, but because he is up in heaven right now, we give present to each other in His honor. (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*)

Make a rough manger (or use a cradle) and put hay in it. On Christmas morning, add a baby to the manger in rememberance of Jesus. Sing happy birthday before opening the presents. (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*) (If you want instructions on how this elf put the manger together, e-mail me and I'll send you a brief description) I just loved this tradition. I thought it was very lovely! ~Kim

Leave Santa goodies, don't forget apples for the reindeer (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*)

Santa leaves the stocking at the foot of the bed and when the children wake up (usually too early) they can play quietly with and eat ANYTHING they find in the stocking, including candy, (which is rarely included in large quantities, tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*)

Roast chestnuts (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*, who is also going to be sending in the recipe!)

Get the kids new jammies to open on Christmas Eve so they'll be beautiful for Christmas morning photos (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*)

Have a male in the family call on Christmas Eve, playing the part of Santa and talk to the children on the phone. (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*) You can even take this one step farther and have a friend of the family dress up as Santa and pass out little token gifts.
Give your loved ones a dated and/or personalized ornament each year. Your children will especially love this as they will have a wonderful collections to take with them when they start out on their own. (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*)

Remember your pets!! (Tradition idea sent in by one of Santa's elves *Ü*)

Decorate inside the house.

Decorate outside in the yard.

Decorate the Christmas tree.

Put a nativity set on the mantle.

Drive around the neighborhood and look at the Christmas lights, get an ice cream cone to enjoy while you're looking.

Bake Christmas Cookies and bring them to the neighbors and people in nursing homes.

Sponsor a family for Christmas.

Donate some gifts to the tree of sharing.

Go through your unused household and personal items and donate something to the local mission or women and children's shelter.

Have your children go through their toys and give something to the local women and children's shelter or a local crisis nursery or children's hospital.

Donate to the food bank.

Volunteer your time at a local shelter.

Go Christmas caroling.

Go to a Christmas church service.

Put on a play of the first Christmas. (The kids look soooo cute doing this!)

Make a Christmas memory book that you add to each year, take lots of photos and write down everything you did that holiday season.

Start a Christmas collection - nutcrackers, ornaments, stockings, Santa, snowmen, etc.

Make a Christmas quilt.

Invite a widow, widower, single mom or dad, or anyone who is alone for the holidays, over for Christmas dinner.

Prepare Christmas dinner together.

Make your Christmas gifts or cards.

Send out family photos as gifts or greeting cards.

Hang mistletoe and kiss everyone, everyday!

These are just a few ideas I came up with, if you have any other ideas, please let me know!

Merry Christmas
~Kim

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