Monday 18 November 2013

Our Christmas traditions


With it being our first Christmas as a family of three, we can start our own traditions this year that we'll enjoy doing every Christmas.

The great thing about becoming a family is you bring together all the best bits from both your backgrounds to make a Christmas that's special and exclusive to just you. 

I vividly remember my Christmases past. Father Christmas delivering to me my first bike, in the snow, whilst my Dad had mysteriously disappeared. Meeting Father Christmas at the grotto at the school we lived next to during a festive fayre and thinking that he wore the same wedding ring as my dad but I still promised I'd been a good girl just in case. Leaving a carrot for Rudolf and a glass of sherry and a mince pie by the fireplace for the man in the red suit. Opening my stocking on my parent's bed and having chocolate for breakfast. Playing games after Christmas dinner with my grandparents and opening our special table gifts. 

My husband has many fond memories too, such as opening all his Christmas presents on Christmas Eve after midnight mass every year and playing his new video game and completing it by Christmas Day night. 

We both love the season so much and like every other new parent, this year is going to be the most magical yet - and it'll only get more magical every year as Ethan grows and understands more of the sentiment and tradition.

So, what will our Christmas traditions be? Well, I'm sure we will probably make more along the way, but here are the key things we'll be enjoying as a family in the lead up to and on 25th December:

 * We'll go to see the Christmas light switch on in town every year. We went last weekend and although it was busy, it was a nice way to kick things off.


 

* Open our family advent calendar to nibble a chocolatey treat and read a Christmassy task for us to do together, from watching Elf to making gingerbread.


* A letter to Santa from Ethan is a must, so he knows he's been a good boy and what he might like as a present.

* Every Christmas Eve, we will all have new festive pyjamas to wear.

* The Muppets Christmas Carol is our Christmas Eve film of choice and we have to be in bed and asleep before midnight (not before leaving something for Santa and his reindeer). 

* We'll be allowed to open one present each before we go to sleep, which Santa forwarded to us in advance for good behaviour. I bought the mini sacks below from eBay and had them personalised just for this purpose.


* Stockings get opened on Christmas morning before breakfast and it's ok if our first meal of the day is a Terry's chocolate orange (not for Ethan though, he's too young!).


* Christmas jumpers, no excuses. Even the dog.

* Family photo in front of the Christmas tree. We started this last year with bump!


* Christmas presents before dinner, one at a time and in turn. I like to make it last as long as possible!

* Games after dinner - the 'who am I?' game was a classic in our family.


What are your Christmas traditions? What are you most looking forward to this year?
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3 comments

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  3. Aww those are lovely traditions x

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