Holiday Traditions...

It has been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember that we get to open pajamas on Christmas Eve and we wear them that night. My mom used to wash them, but once we were old enough she just gave them to us. I think that's a tradition I'm going to continue with my family as well. The only other "tradition" I can think of is making monkey bread on Christmas morning. My sister in law is always pulling it out of the oven when we get to their house so we pig out on that before we even have breakfast.

Thank you for asking this question because I was just telling my husband last week that I felt that families have no traditions anymore…so we are starting a new one for thanksgiving this year-

I took this idea to all of the moms in our mops group too ……we made a table runner with “Happy Thanksgiving” and decorate it a little and every year we will take it out and each family member will write down what they are thankful for that year (never can repeat the same one); can be nice to see after 15years what you where thankful that year. Hope it work well.

We really dont have a thanksgiving tradition but for Christmas on christmas eve in the morning/early afternoon we make our sugar cookies for santa and decorate them. Every year my son enjoys this more and more and then christmas eve after done with family events we drive around and look at all the christmas lights, when we get home after be put the cookies out and write a thank you letter to Santa we read the night before christmas. Christmas morning after we open all our present we have to find the pickle in the tree. Its a German tradition. We have a bright green pickle that you hide in the tree and then everyone tries to find it. You would think it would stand out but its so hard to find.

Kristina-
Mom of Brayden 5 and Bailey 10 1/2 months

Annie-Michele, what a GREAT idea for the Thanksgiving table runner!  What do you make it out of?

For Christmas, we always do the same Christmas cookies. We always put our tree and lights up on Thanksgiving night after we get home from my in-laws.  After we put the kids to bed, my husband and I watch Christmas Vacation.  Then on Saturday after Thanksgiving we decorate the tree and the house.  We also drive around several nights during the week and look at Christmas lights that people put up....Luke just loves this!  I'm sure there are more, I'm just not quite in the spirit yet so they aren't coming back to me :)

This is a great topic!  Anyone else have any traditions to share? 

Jessica
~ Mommy to Luke and Shawn

Since my son is only two, we don't have any of our own holiday traditions, but my mother has always made anyone who's around near Christmas watch "It's a Wonderful Life". It's in black & white, and they don't make movies like that anymore! But year after year it still makes you cry and warms your heart.

jenny

First of all, it's great to see so many of you moms keeping traditions going or starting some of your own...that is what your kids will always remember :)

Anyway, for Thanksgiving, my kids make their annual "Turkey Handprints" and write what they are thankful for...they make wonderful keepsakes!

For our countdown to Christmas, I wrap all of our X-mas/winter books like gifts, number them 1-25 and put them in a basket. My children take turns unwrapping the books for each day and then we read them together before bed. I always save the story of the birth of Jesus for the 24th, so they remember the true meaning of X-mas.

We also bake and decorate sugar cookies and make homemade gifts for teachers and neighbors!