What is celebrating Christmas like in your house?

Several years ago…after rushing around madly, like all the rest of the mobs to get ready for Christmas…baking, shopping, wrapping, cleaning, decorating, cooking, more shopping, more wrapping…etc…only to have the celebration complete in one frantic rush…then the great,  inevitable, anti-climax ensued…

…we decided to slow ours down a little, while (hopefully) making it more meaningful and our kids more appreciative.  We decided to make our holiday giving like the song, and begin our season the week before Christmas, if not an entire 12 days. 

We purchased (or made) our regular type of gifts that we would normally give to each other, and several little gifts that were just fun, or sentimental, or tastey…and began each opening one gift a night, building up to Christmas day, when the remainder of the packages (even if just one 🙂  ) were opened.  We also spent the evenings together doing something fun as a family…like watching a favorite movie (or new one!), or going to a Christmas play, or driving to view the holiday lights, playing a game…what ever came to mind.  We would also have on hand all those yummy comfort foods and goodies that are craved so this time of year.

Since adopting this…”our tradition”…we have been able to make the holiday pace seem so much more leisurely, and tons more enjoyable.  We get to savor the good parts of the season a little longer, and really appreciate the generosity of our loved ones  all the more… as well as developing ourselves into more thoughtful givers.

As we  celebrate our fifth day of Christmas, we hope that you are finding as much enjoyment and peace as we are, and that the traditions you are creating with your family are just a memorable.

God Bless,

Bethany~