Making Traditions our Own

1. Feast Day of St. Nick, December 6

This is something that Todd & I have done with our kids every year. This year, we did some extras too, we printed off coloring sheets, we read a story about St. Nicholas , & then we laid our shoes outside our doors. It’s so much fun for the kids & I have so much fun with it too! I keep it small, because we will have stockings on Christmas Eve, but this allows us to have fun while learning a lesson on the history Santa & why he is even a Christmas tradition!

Another favorite, is to read the story of the Legend of Santa. We bought this at Hobby Lobby, here it is on Amazon. Here’s another book that we are just waiting for it be delivered: Santa’s Birthday Gift.

2. Advent Wreath

This is one of my most favorite traditions that we do! My parents did this with us every Sunday during Advent & then on Christmas morning. We start with an opening prayer, we light the candles (1 candle on the first Sunday, 2 candles on the second & so on. Then in the center we have a Christ candle to light on Christmas Day), we read from the Gospel leading up to the birth of Jesus, then we sing some of our favorite Christmas Carols. Before we open gifts we do the same prayers, Gospel reading & then we sing. It doesn’t take long & it reminds us all the real meaning behind the day.

Lboy told us tonight that he wants to do this every night! Ha!

3. Going to look at lights.

One night when I was pregnant with O, Lboy was extremely restless. It wasn’t quite bedtime, so I loaded him in the car, we went through the drive-thru at Starbucks, ordered 2 hot chocolates, then drove around to look at lights. From then on, it became a nightly tradition during Christmas. And we haven’t stopped! Only now I’m cheap & I make the hot chocolate before we leave the house. 🙂

Sometimes we have little sister, sometimes it’s just the two of us, but it is always something special that I do with the kids. Our town has this amazing downtown square with all these amazing lights. We always make sure we do a loop through there (Todd proposed there too!)