new traditions for Christmas--any ideas?

[jpasanski]

This will be the first year that we stay home for Christmas morning. I have 2 children, 4 and 2. They are so into Santa and the whole idea of Christmas. We will attend church Christmas Eve, and Santa has presents, but does anyone have any suggestions for something special for us to do as a family, either Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

I am looking to start new traditions, something to make staying home special (sooo glad that we won't have to travel this year!)

Thanks for the ideas,
Jenn

 

[CurlyQ]

Your 2 year old would be too young for this but there's the christmas pickle tradition. I'm not really sure what the story is behind it but it's a green glass pickle ornament that is hidden somewhere in the tree, whoever finds it gets a special gift. You could use any special ornament other than a pickle.

My dad used to (still does some years) play all our home movies while we opened gifts - it was fun to see how we'd changed through the years, etc.

 

[lesliemarie]

I am going to try something new on Christmas eve. We all love fear factor so much so we are going to play it a little with the gifts that they got for each other. We also have never tasted Egg Nogg. So the stunt is to fill a glass of egg nogg and if they drink it all then they can open the one gift, but if they don't drink it then they have to wait till Christmas morning. Should be pretty fun. but then my kids are older, 15.13.10.5

 

[bobbisey]

My kids are 4 & 2 and even though we are far from family, we do not go to visit anyone until the day after Christmas. Therefore, it is always just the four of us for Christmas Eve and the next morning. We go to church too, then come home for a special dinner in the dining room (as if we were having company). We also have a birthday cake for baby Jesus. This year a Magic Elf started visiting us last week and has been doing silly things that DH & make up. My kids have loved it! Her letter said that she will go back to the North Pole with Santa on Christmas Eve, so she will probably pull her last prank while we are at church. If you don't have one already, it is something to think about for next year. (elf-magic.com) We also sprinkle reindeer dust on the front lawn, so they can find our house.
This is not my idea, but I heard this on the radio this morning and thought it was neat. The caller said when he was young, his dad would sprinkle "sleepy dust" in their bath so they would get tired and go to sleep easier for Santa. He said he found out when he was older that it was bath salts, but it still worked psychologically.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Bobbi

 

[endorphin_junkie]

Hi Jenn! We have always built a gingerbread house on Christmas eve, even when my kids were as young as yours. If the little ones got impatient as the icing was setting I'd have some graham crackers and a few raisins, Cheerios and candies aside for them to build a little house while we all worked on the big house. I wish I had pictures of all of those houses and how they progressed over the years, we have built some pretty crooked and dilapitated looking gingerbread houses but they were all delicious:9 and the memories of making them are priceless. If we are visiting family or friends we bring the gingerbread house and then it's fair game. My Kiddos are 15, 13 and 10 now and they love this tradition.

Merry Christmas
Laurie

 

[smoogy]

What an awesome Dad, CurlyQ!

 

[jtlane25]

I have a 7 and a 5 year old and we started this tradition 4 years ago. In this day in time many people get caught up in the hype of shopping and decor for Christmas but many forget the TRUE meaning of Christmas. It's a celebration of Christ's birth! So...with this we have our own tradition of making or crafting a gift FOR JESUS and wrap it in Birthday paper and put it under the tree. On Christmas morning we discuss the birth of Jesus and how important he is to us in our lives today and in his honor we made him a gift. So..we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus...open the gifts and say a Prayer for him giving his life for us. And then we move on to our special gift exchanges for each other. I just want my kids to know and UNDERSTAND the meaning of Christmas and how unselfish we should be. Now...by my ideas for gifts for Jesus usually is an ornament that we make or paint but this year we made stained glass crosses for us to enjoy year round. I am sure there are other special gifts that someone can come up with.

I think it's a fabulous tradition that we have started. I hope my kids remember it for many many years and hope they carry it on to their children.

Tanya