I love the Christmas holiday season, but I will admit that for the past few years it has been a difficult time for me. A sweet friend recently reminded me of one of the best ways to help with "Holiday Blues" - make your own traditions. For many years, I cringed at the thought of having traditions. I married into a family that openly admits they are full of traditions. To be honest, at first, it was very difficult to relate to and even to find my place in a family with so many traditions that had to be up-held each year. I think we have all learned a lot through the experience. I do love having traditions at our house, but I think the thing that keeps it at a good balance is that one of our traditions is to come up with something new to do each year! I recognize that traditions are good for a transitional family like ours. William and Grace need
concrete things in their lives: things that they can count on and look forward to each year. However, we have tried to think of things to do each year that are not dependant on location, foods, places or things that would be difficult for us to replicate. Our focus has been on things that bring true meaning to what we are trying to celebrate, things that bond us as a family and things that fit within
our family purpose statement. One of the big things we do every year is the lighting of the Advent Candles. I posted several blogs last year on this tradition. You can
click here to read more if you are interested. One special tradition that the kids love
is the opening of Christmas books. I re-wrap the same books year after year and the children open one each night leading up to Christmas Day. Some of the books re-tell the story of the birth of Christ and some of them are simply fictional stories that point to the true meaning of Christmas. This year our new activity was stringing popcorn to decorate our doorways. We have been reading about early Christmas traditions and this was one of them. It is very interesting to see how people around the world and over different generations have remembered the birthday of the Savior. This year we are enjoying being a part of a local body of new believers. They call the holiday, "The Birth Holiday".
Being isolated, they know nothing of the commercialized holiday of Santa Clause. Everything they do is focused on remembering that God came in the flesh. They sing a song that the children dance to entitled,
Welcome Jesus, Happy Birthday. William and Grace love it. The kids pair up and do their routine at the front of the church each time we sing the song. I would love to hear your holiday traditions. Write as you have time. AT
I love the Christmas holiday season, but I will admit that for the past few years it has been a difficult time for me. A sweet friend recently reminded me of one of the best ways to help with "Holiday Blues" - make your own traditions. For many years, I cringed at the thought of having traditions. I married into a family that openly admits they are full of traditions. To be honest, at first, it was very difficult to relate to and even to find my place in a family with so many traditions that had to be up-held each year. I think we have all learned a lot through the experience. I do love having traditions at our house, but I think the thing that keeps it at a good balance is that one of our traditions is to come up with something new to do each year! I recognize that traditions are good for a transitional family like ours. William and Grace need 
concrete things in their lives: things that they can count on and look forward to each year. However, we have tried to think of things to do each year that are not dependant on location, foods, places or things that would be difficult for us to replicate. Our focus has been on things that bring true meaning to what we are trying to celebrate, things that bond us as a family and things that fit within our family purpose statement. One of the big things we do every year is the lighting of the Advent Candles. I posted several blogs last year on this tradition. You can click here to read more if you are interested. One special tradition that the kids love 
is the opening of Christmas books. I re-wrap the same books year after year and the children open one each night leading up to Christmas Day. Some of the books re-tell the story of the birth of Christ and some of them are simply fictional stories that point to the true meaning of Christmas. This year our new activity was stringing popcorn to decorate our doorways. We have been reading about early Christmas traditions and this was one of them. It is very interesting to see how people around the world and over different generations have remembered the birthday of the Savior. This year we are enjoying being a part of a local body of new believers. They call the holiday, "The Birth Holiday". 
Being isolated, they know nothing of the commercialized holiday of Santa Clause. Everything they do is focused on remembering that God came in the flesh. They sing a song that the children dance to entitled, Welcome Jesus, Happy Birthday. William and Grace love it. The kids pair up and do their routine at the front of the church each time we sing the song. I would love to hear your holiday traditions. Write as you have time. AT
1 comment:
I LOVE that your "tradition" is to find something new to do each year! The popcorn around the doorways is a gorgeous idea! One of our traditions is reading 3 stories: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (in Texas that is), and of course the story of Christ's birth. BTW, Momopoly is Jt's favorite as well (re: Matt's Bday). I'm sure those two would "raise the roof" :):)
Post a Comment