10 of My Favorite Holiday Traditions ...

As long as I can remember, baking has been one of the biggest traditions our family upholds during Christmas and one of my favorite holiday traditions! My mother and my grandmother have passed on all the recipes for the cookies, candies, cakes, pies, pastries, doughnuts, and other goodies, which I now bake in my own little kitchen. Of course, I love to bake year round, but there are some recipes that are special for Christmas alone!

The year I was born, my mother purchased an advent calendar. Every night in December, we would read one window, until December 25th, which was Christmas day! It was a fun way to count down to Christmas, and my siblings and I always looked forward to it each year.

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a cup full of creamy and chocolaty goodness! Except maybe a cup full of steamy minty tea of course! Drinking peppermint tea or hot cocoa is one of the favorite holiday traditions I love to take part in, and particularly on cold, snowy winter nights.

My mother has a love for all cheesy, cutesy, funny, romantic, or heart-warming Christmas movies. So, starting Thanksgiving night, we would always try to watch one Christmas movie each night until Christmas, ending with “It’s A Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve. That movie remains on my top 10 list of favorite movies to this very day!

My tree is decked out in ornaments from every year of my life! My mother started the tradition of giving us each an ornament when we were young. She continues this tradition every year, and so our ornament collection grows a little more with each passing Christmas. This is one tradition I’m excited to hand down to my children!

I’m a firm believer in celebrating the true reason for the season. My parents raised me and my siblings to take turns reading the Christmas story every year. Now it’s become more than that. Since we are all old enough to understand why we celebrate Christmas in the first place, it’s become more valuable every year, and it's a tradition that I love.

Exchanging gifts is almost a universal sign of Christmas, since nearly every country that celebrates Christmas participates in this tradition! For our family, it’s a special part of the holidays. There have been years when we had little to nothing, but we made the best of it, knowing that every gift came from the heart. Giving and receiving gifts with your loved ones is a lovely part of Christmas, but our family tries to avoid making gift-giving the focal point of Christmas.

As soon as the last bite of turkey and dressing has been eaten, I like to start playing the Christmas music! Nothing puts me more into the mood for a little tinsel and garland than hearing “Silver Bells” on the radio. I never get tired of hearing cheerful Christmas tunes, and I love most genres of holiday music, including oldies and instrumentals.

Are you a buff for real trees or do you prefer the faux firs? I’ve had both in my lifetime and I must say there are benefits to both. I love the scent of a real tree, but putting up a fake tree is much less messy and of course, saves money from year to year. Either way, decorating the tree is one of my hands-down favorite holiday traditions!

Last but not least, my top tradition for the Christmas season is spending time with my family and friends. Gifts can be forgotten or lost, ornaments broken, and cookies all eaten, but the memories made with those most precious to you will always last. If I only had one Christmas tradition that I could carry out, it would be time with my family and friends every year!

What do you think of my list of favorite holiday traditions? I’m sure that as my family grows, I’ll be adding more traditions! Children just add to the fun of Christmas. What are some of your holiday traditions? Please comment below and share, I’d love to hear my readers’ opinions and different ways of celebrating Christmas!