Thursday, November 21, 2013

Christmas Traditions

 
I am always interested in what others' Christmas traditions are; so with that in mind, how about sharing what your family does through the years at Christmas? And not just the day itself, but the days leading up to Christmas. Do you put your tree up early? We put ours up the first weekend in December. The year I retired we bought a beautiful artificial tree. I had always wanted a big tree so we bought the biggest one they had at the store! I love looking at it in early morning, before the sun rises and it is shining in the darkness. It is so beautiful and sparkly with all the pretty decorations and especially the bright lights glowing; they represent the one and only Light of the World to me.

I think of Christmases past as a child and the anticipation of opening my gifts. It all comes back in a rush - our children's Christmas plays at church, parties at school, listening for Santa on the roof (yes I did!), and most of all telling Jesus Happy Birthday from my heart. I still wish Him a Happy Birthday and thank Him for the best gift of all - my salvation. As an adult, I love to decorate the Christmas tree, just as I enjoyed helping as a child. Most of my ornaments have been ones we've had for years. Many were made by my mother-in-law. She gives me a new ornament every year. That's a tradition I love and look forward to. (She also gives me a box of Brach's Chocolate Covered Cherries, too!). And for the past 10 years or so, I buy myself a new ornament when I'm out Christmas shopping.

I like to sip hot chocolate or tea while I'm decorating the tree and listen to Christmas carols. It really puts me in the Christmas spirit! Craig always does the lights for the windows and the tree and leaves the decorating to me. Some years I volunteer to help decorate our church campuses. That is fun and we all share lunch together.

Now let's hear from you - what are some of the things you like to do during this Holy Season?    

P.S. I'm adopting this warm, cozy house (pictured in the above graphic) for Christmas so that all of us can meet and share time together, enjoy lots of good food and treats, take a walk in the crisp, cold air and maybe even have a snowball fight! We're really not too old for that, are we?  ☺

2 comments:

  1. One tradition we have is to put up all our decor the week before advent begins.

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  2. I like that ~ thank you for sharing!

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