Christmas time is here...

The Christmas season is by far my favorite time of year. And it's not because of the presents, the family, or even the celebration of Jesus' birth. I mean, I get presents on my birthday, I see my family at other times of the year, and I actually get more excited about Jesus' resurrection than his birthday. The reason I love Christmas so much is because it's so full of traditions. Every year at this time, we make the same food, watch the same movies, sing the same songs, and do the same things that we've done every year before. The consistency is not just comforting, it's grounding. I think there's something about traditions that define and connect families, giving stability in the midst of frequent change. Keeping traditions going also gives me so much joy in anticipating them all year long. So I wrote down some of our family's traditions... if you're looking to add something to your holiday celebration, I can vouch for these activities :).

Pre-Christmas: Play Christmas music (constantly). Watch Christmas movies. Wrap gifts. Follow an advent calendar. Decorate the tree and the house. Check the weather for white Christmas predictions.

Christmas Eve: Welcome out-of-town family. Play Mannheim Steamroller. Put the presents under the tree. Set the Christmas table and make the dinner (staples: New England clam chowder and ham). Thank God for the feast. Eat with family. Clean up dinner together. Set out Grandmum's Christmas cookies and eat as many of your favorites as you can before they're gone. Gather around the player piano and sing Christmas carols. Laugh/groan through the ones that are inexplicably high and contain at least 6 verses. If feeling energetic, parade through the house during one of the carols. Eat more cookies. Open Christmas pajamas. Take photo in said Christmas pajamas. Read Luke 2. Some years, attend a Christmas Eve church service. Set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer (yes, still, even with no one in the house under age 16). Set out the stockings. Go to bed and try to sleep.

Christmas day: Wake up early and make a mad dash to the stockings. Take inventory. Bring stockings to parents' room for show and tell. Open "Santa gifts". Thank the elusive old guy. Wait for extended family to arrive. Eat brunch (staples: keish, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and "J" danishes). Don the Santa hat in order to pass out gifts. Open gifts one at a time. Hope for a "grand reveal" gift that was too big to be wrapped. Play with the new toys and gadgets. Drive to grandparents' house. Repeat gift scenario with additional family members. Eat dinner (staple: lasagna). Eat at the kids' table (still). Examine your "12 Days of Christmas" wine glass and try to trade with someone for a higher number. Sing a rousing rendition of the "12 Days of Christmas". Open stockings (round 2). Go around in a circle to tell stories involving the contents of the stockings. Eat Christmas log cake. Head home with full stomachs and hearts! :)

Do you have any fun Christmas traditions? Or are your holidays always changing? I'm always looking for more ideas... :)

Oh, and I just really wanted to include a picture of the gifts that Aaron and I are giving this year, because I tried so hard to make them pretty! Presentation went by the wayside during college and grad school, but this year I brought it back! :)