I blogged last year about our Christmas traditions, about creating memories and making our own traditions as a family. Including a little of mine and MadDads best Christmas’s and sprinkling some new things, some things that are unique to us and to our life. I want these tradition to cement the boys memories of their Christmas’s past and lead them happily in to their Christmas’s of their future.
We have our advent stocking activities each day, which is wonderful and we also make sure that we have done all the shopping, wrapping and running around by Christmas Eve and we make a big day of it.
The Christmas Eve Elves visit on the morning of the 24th, they leave a bag for each of us and it includes:
- New Pajamas (you need to look good in the photographs on Christmas morning)
- A book to read or colour
- DVD’s
- Some chocolate!
MadDad takes the day off and we listen to Christmas music and prepare the vegetables, we watch Christmas movies and eat popcorn whilst stringing it up to put round the Christmas tree and we sprinkle reindeer food on the drive. We leave a mince pie and milk for Father Christmas and a carrot for Rudolf (I made a special plate last year just for this).
We also hang up our special key for Father Christmas to get in to the house, as the boys worried that we don’t have a chimney for him.
We always drive down to Denmead and take a walk along Hilda Gardens. It might sound strange but the residents there go all out with the Christmas lights as if they’re competing against one another. You wouldn’t want it in your own road but it’s great to look at and the kids love it!
I don’t know which part of this tradition I love most – the key or the bag from the Elves… Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about looking good in my PJs, as the ‘Christkind’ is bringing the presents in Christmas Eve. It flies in through the open window, which makes for a cold afternoon, depending on how many children leave open how many windows…
PS: Giving away the toys from the Toys R Us is a great idea!!
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You have some wonderful traditions Jen. We are slowely building ours up too now that the twins are old enough to understand. No 1 son loves it all as well. I started buying new pj’s for us all to wear a couple of years ago. Will get my thinking cap on for something new to do this year.
I have learn’t its not money that makes for a wonderful, magical christmas, its love and thoughtful effort xxx
It’s hard knowing which traditions to pick, and which to miss out. I love the idea of Christmas Elves though….might have to snaffle that one!
I love your Christmas Eve ideas and what a lovely traditions to be making. I think maybe I need to do a bot more thinking about how we go about things.
Hope you have a wonderful time over the holidays. Juliex
I love the idea of the the Christmas eve elves, not sure new pyjamas would work well for me here although I love the idea, they are just so expensive out here! Could do something similar though when Leo is a bit older.
Happy Christmas!
I love Christmas Eve, the Christmas Elves visit us too although they don’t bring pyjamas – the pyjama fairy brings them a couple of days before ;-).
I’m a bit gutted as I’m at work this year till one O Clock – I was due to have it off but I cancelled my holiday so someone else would be able to have it of instead as they wouldn’t finish until five otherwise whereas I finish at one which isn’t so bad! Regretting it now though lol
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Lovely! We are all about the christmas traditions too – and it is lovely hearing about how other people do theirs – the elves visiting is a lovely one!
I have been reading a lot recently about how people leave milk for father christmas – we have always left a big glass of sherry!
Happy Christmas! x