Starting Holiday Traditions with Children

When I was growing up Christmas was always and exciting time.  Not only for the obvious reasons but because we came to look forward to the traditions our parents had established. We'd spend a weekend or two after Thanksgiving in the kitchen making every kind of Christmas cookie you could imagine.  The tins would be stacked 5 high in the garage just waiting to be eaten (and given away, boooo!!) We'd take a night every year to drive around and see the Christmas lights and pick which house was our favorite. We'd go to Christmas Eve mass. When we got home we'd slip into our flannel pj's...made new each and every year by my mom. We'd read The Night Before Christmas and slip into bed.  The next morning we'd open presents at home, then get into our dresses (again made with love by my mom) and head over to Grandmom and Grandpop's house. After dinner we'd sit around and watch a movie or play a game like Taboo. They were small traditions nothing too fancy, nothing extraordinary, but they were ours. 

My husband's family always drove nearly an hour to go to the same tree farm to cut down a real Christmas tree. It was something my sister-in-law held onto for years after her older brothers were long ready to give it up. But it was something that was special to all of them.  And they created a lot of good laughs and memories doing it! 

Now that my husband and I have a daughter of our own we're looking forward 

to celebrating her first Christmas. We'd like to establish a few traditions of our own that she can grow up with and look forward to. I think it's an important way for children to celebrate and more importantly make memories. These are things she'll look back on years from and hopefully think of fondly.  This year, for the first time we're hosting Christmas breakfast at hour house. Maybe it will become a tradition, maybe it will be something that each and every year we look forward to...getting both sides of the family together to exchange gifts and celebrate the true meaning to the season.