Christmas was one of my mom’s favorite holidays. There was this specific CD she pulled out every year that had all the “dramatic” Christmas songs on it (I have no idea what it was called. I just know it was green and that I got excited when I saw it). As many families do, we had our own set of Christmas traditions.
My mom LOVED nativity scenes. But there was a specific one that went under the Christmas tree. Every year when we set it out, we sang the hymn, Friendly Beasts. With each verse we set up a different piece of the nativity.
When it came to the Christmas tree, we had a rotating schedule. One year we would decorate the tree with homemade decorations of cranberries and popcorn. The next year we would decorate the tree with our ornaments.
As young kids, we would go see The Nutcracker performance at Casa Manana. I still have the ballerina ornament I got from one of the shows! We stopped going as we got older, but I’ve managed to take some friends to see the performance over the last few years. I feel like a little kid again when I go.
A family tradition I think many of us have is taking a family photo in front of the Christmas tree at church. I had fun going through all our past photos by the tree!
Finally, my siblings and I had fun setting cookies and milk out for Santa. We were amazed each year that he was able to find us, even when we were in Wisconsin visiting family! The best year was when we set out a Diet Coke for Santa instead of milk. That happens to be my dad’s favorite drink. Oh well, I’m sure that was just a crazy coincidence.
The Christmas season can be incredibly hectic. So much shopping, so many performances, so many finals. But I encourage everyone to take a step back, breathe, and reflect. What holiday traditions does your family have? What traditions would you like to start? I can’t wait to hear about it all!
