Have a special stocking (preferably white) that is set aside as Christ's stocking. Each year have every family member go around and write down one gift of service they want to give Christ throughout the next year. For example, smile at five strangers every day, donate to the homeless shelter every month, visit the elderly every week, etc. Then the next year have each member of the family go around and share experiences they had while performing their gift. Then each person add s anew gift into the stocking for the upcoming year. We're starting this with Emma who is 4 and I think that is an appropriate age.
Luminaries were one of my favorite childhood traditions. In Arizona my parents went around to the neighbors and asked them to all have luminaries lining the sidewalks of our streets. It made for such an enchanted sight on Christmas Eve and really added to the spirit of unity. I will be asking the neighbors in our little cul-de-sac to participate this year with us. In Arizona brown paper bags worked great, but here we might have to use mason jars.
Lee's market place is my very favorite grocery store. They are always so great about baking bread specifically for you in any color you need. For every Holiday I like to special order colored bread and make a festive french toast or even just simple sandwiches. I have a buttermilk syrup recipe to go with french toast that is to die for and I like to color that as well.
A few years back my parents gave us all this book and encouraged us to read it by Christmas Eve so we could discuss it for our program. Then they gave us all jars and we started our own little collection of spare change. The next year we had such a great experience with finding just the right family/person to anonymously give it to. I think a mason jar and this book would make a fabulous gift.
The BEST TRADITION ever invented is the elf knock. The story goes that on Christmas Eve Santa sends one of his elves to go up ahead of him and knock on the window to signify that Santa will be there soon. The kids must then DASH off to bed as fast as they can, and if they wake up, or don't go to sleep, Santa will skip their house and not come. Sounds harsh, but we have yet to ever have a child not play along. Of all my nieces and nephews and all of the different personalities we have, we have never had a child get out of bed. I started this when Emma was two and it is just the cutest thing you've ever seen. Be sure to have your video camera out to capture the excitement. The best is that once the kids are down the adult program can start. It's nice to have a spiritual program without having the kids interrupting or worrying they might get up at any second while wrapping last minute gifts.
There wasn't a photo to show this, but this tradition started with my mom's dad, then passed down to my dad, and now this year Ryan will be doing it for our girls. On Christmas morning the kids wake up, etc. But they can't come to the family room where the gifts are until the dad goes to check and see if Santa has come, and if he has then he yells "Good ga'll he's been here!!" That's the signal for the kids to come running down the hall. I doubt anyone copies this tradition, but it was just such a tender part of my childhood and it meant so much knowing it all started from my Grandpa Earl.
Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!
