Photo used under the Creative Commons from George Eastman House
As the holiday season nears I often find myself thinking about how I can make this time more meaningful for my family. The Mr. and I were both raised in big families. Rather than try and merge our two families’ customs, I started looking to make our own. Here are some fun holiday traditions we keep:
•Christmas Book Bin: I’ve collected many Christmas books over the years. I store them all in a in a plastic bin during the year, and take the bin out only for December. We read one book out loud together each night, and put them away with the holiday decorations until next year.
•Nuts: There is already so much candy and junk at the holidays, we try and cut down on how much goes into our stockings. In addition to toys and treats, we add a piece of fruit and some shelled nuts to each stocking. I must admit, my oldest was more than mildly irritated when I began this tradition. He saw no need for nuts in his cache of goodies. We do it anyway, and now he just goes with it. Hey, everyone could use a healthy snack on Christmas morning, right? I’m sure this is one of many things my kiddo will be recounting to future girlfriends while rolling his eyes. What are parents for if not to annoy their children?
• The Christmas Pickle: Ok, we haven’t actually done this one yet but it’s in the works for when the twins are old enough. It requires having more than one child. You hide a pickle ornament somewhere in the branches of the tree after it’s been decorated and without telling the kids. One evening, you set the kids to the task of finding it. The kid who finds the pickle gets a prize! We had a variation of this game in my house and I think it would be a fun one to keep doing. If the Mr. gets to put nuts in stockings, I get to hide a pickle!
Do you have a unique family tradition? Please share in the comments!