When I was little, my dad would bring home the Christmas tree from his work on Christmas Eve. We would then decorate it to make it our own.
Gifts never showed up under the tree before Christmas morning. I loved the surprise of waking up and running into the living room to see the pile. We didn’t have a lot, but my parents always came up with some great things. We knew Santa wasn’t real, but there would always be one gift under the tree for each of us kids that was from “Santa”. We enjoyed playing along.
The gifts were often homemade. Mom and Dad hung a sign on their door that read Santa’s Workshop and we knew better than to go in! One year, Mom and Dad made stables for my sister and I for the model horses we collected. The roofs came off and there were stalls to put the models in. It was the coolest thing!
When I was in junior high, my parents started taking my sister and I on a “sleigh ride every year. Driving around town to see all the lights. This was one of my favorite things to do.
When I got married, we kept a few and added a few traditions of our own. They seem to flex and change through the years, but I have my favorite things to enjoy during the season.
Here are a few….
Putting up the tree
Christmas candles
Christmas music
Sleigh Rides (looking at lights around town)
Christmas movies
Making sweet treats to share
Parties with friends
Finding just the right gift for those I love
Opening gifts Christmas morning
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
Remember to sign up for my newsletter to receive your copy of the 21 Day Companion devotional to Where Hope Starts and the between the books Applewood Hill Christmas story. Share this newsletter link with your friends and invite them to sign up, too!
We did a lot of homemade gifts, too. Still do. We do decorate the tree early but wait until Christmas Eve to put the gifts under it.
Just yesterday, I delivered gifts to a friend. Loved the look of joy in their faces when they opened them. They were just right, even though I hardly spent any money! It's fun giving that way 🙂