The holidays are my favorite time of year. Cold weather, time with family and friends and holiday spirit in the air. Here are a few of the traditions that my family and celebrate year after year.
Elf on the Shelf
Our Elf, Jacket, arrives the day after Thanksgiving and leaves on Christmas Eve. Some people find it creepy to have a little elf skulking around the house watching your every move. But our son loves it! We start each day hunting for Jacket and wondering what he told Santa on his evening visit the night before.
Good Deed Angel
When I was a child, we would cut out paper angels and decorate them. Every time we did a good deed, we would put a button on the angels robe. I’ve continued this tradition with my son. Angels from previous Christmas decorate our house as reminders of his good deeds and Christmas spirit
Kris Kringle Day
On the night of December 5thwe leave out shoes outside our bedroom because Kris Kringle will visit us in the night. If we’ve been good, he will leave us a little treat. If we’ve been naughty, he leaves us coal as a warning to improve our behavior before Christmas.
Advent Calendar
The December countdown to the big day! We’ve used chocolate, sock, Lego and traditional picture calendars. No matter what the method for counting down, it is always fun way to start our day and see what will be revealed on our calendar.
Baking Christmas Cookies
My mother in law is a wonderful baker. Every year we help her bake Christmas cookies for Santa. We start early in the morning, mixing, cutting out shapes and baking. My favorite part is the decorating – no matter what your artistic skills level, all Christmas cookies are beautiful. And tasty!
I hope you enjoy whatever traditions you celebrate this holiday season. Happy Holidays!