Holiday Traditions

While we followed through with the advent calendar all month & stuffed french toast on Christmas morning, we tried out some new possible traditions this year. 

(1) Celebrating St. Nick’s Day.  I tried to convince Kole to celebrate St. Nick when it was just us – he didn’t buy it.  Even with kids, I’m not sure either of us is into this one, though it’s hugely popular where we live.  We’ll think about this for next year.

(2) Concentrating on more thrifted and handmade gifts.  This one we’re looking to up the ante on for next year.  Most of what our kids got was ‘previously loved’ and neither of them cared a bit.  We also did a lot more wrapping in reusable fabric bags.  I thought Maggie might baulk at not being able to tear the paper – nope! Not a word was said, and as for the clean up?  Well, it was a piece of cake!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Christmas dinner by candlelight.  This was a winner for sure.  Eating by candlelight, though dangerous with a 2 year old, made for a more relaxed, slower meal.  We laughed and talked about our day and just enjoyed some time together.  We will definitely be doing this again – perhaps more than once a year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) Purchasing a tree from a retail store instead of cutting our own.  This was not a planned break in our traditional family cutting of the Christmas tree…  It was a product of rain, cold and a 6-week-old baby that propelled us to Stein’s for our tree.  NEVER AGAIN.  The darned thing caved in on itself a week and a half before Christmas.  We weren’t facing lost needles; we were facing lost branches, ornaments laying on the floor while still “hanging” from their branches.  It was , straight out, a FIRE HAZARD.  It came down earlier than any tree in my entire life – December 26th.  We were the fourth tree dropped off at the recycling center. 

Out of respect to Stein’s, I should provide the following disclaimer.  This particular tree was set up in fairly close proximity to the blower for the gas fireplace.  And we may have fallen asleep (several times) with said fireplace running which may or may not have contributed to the tree’s demise.  Maybe.

 

Any ideas for future traditions?