On this page we will feature some of the fun traditions you celebrate
at this wonderful time of year.
Please send your traditions to: christmas@myholidayplace.com

Annual Ornaments
Remembering Jesus
Ding Dong Ditch
Family Manger and Nativity reenactment

An Act of Kindness each day
Another 12 Days of Christmas
Contributor: Margo Mead

I found this when looking through a bunch of stuff that was sent to me on another list.

We either try to do the 12 days of Christmas for a family in our ward or we purchase presents and food for a family that is struggling financially. Here is a suggestion that can be done with not too much expense for the 12 days of Christmas.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

On the first day of Christmas I've often heard it said
Its' nice to give someone you love a loaf of homemade bread.
On the second day of Christmas Two rolls of sticky tape
To help you wrap your Christmas gifts for that extra special date.
On the third day of Christmas Three packages of jello ---
The light dessert, the bright dessert, red green and yellow.
It's the fourth day of Christmas and I bet you thought we'd miss you.
We didn't though and here you have four rolls of bathroom tissue.
On the fifth day of Christmas Five treats of sugar sweet
We hope that you will all enjoy the taste that can't be beat.
On the sixth day of Christmas with 6 more left to go,
Take time to trim the Christmas tree and hang some mistletoe.
We're sure by now you need a break to have a nice cold drink.
Six cans of pop is sure to help, at least that's what we think!
For the seventh day of Christmas we wondered what to do,
But then we found these apples and we're giving them to you.
On the eighth day of Christmas we're nearly out of rhyme
But here's 8 nice cookies to enhance your Christmas time.
On the ninth day of Christmas we know you're on the run.
So we want you to stop, relax, and have a chew of gum.
On the tenth day of Christmas Ten eggs (not quite a dozen)
To scramble, fry, or use in baking or any way that you love them.
On the eleventh day of Christmas it was hard to choose
But by giving you 11 candy canes we felt we could not lose.
On the twelfth day of Christmas Twelve fruits you'll find in here,
Sent with love and the hope we've brought a touch of cheer.
And as a final note we add "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!"

Families across Canada and the U.S. practice and cherish different holiday traditions; whether it's making Christmas cookies and decorations, celebrating the North-American African holiday of Kwanzaa or just observing the winter solstice. These families are tied together by the conviction that traditions and memories are an important and often overlooked part of the holiday that do balance the frenetic and materialistic focus that -children and parents alike- can have. They teach children life lessons and provide a sense of love and connectedness. Listed here are several family traditions to help bring out the spirituality of your holiday.

Christmas Family Traditions. . .

    • Adopt the old European custom of Advent candles and/or an Advent calendar, fun and traditional ways to count-down to the big day!
    • Set up a crŠche , a Nativity scene. Involve the whole family. This, and seeing the crŠche through the Holidays will remind all of the meaning of Christmas.
    • Put up your tree and help friends and extended family members do so.
    • When trimming your tree, leave room for a few additional ornaments. Keep some decorations handy, then when visitors come to call, invite each of them to place an ornament on the tree.
    • Offer to take Grandma, Grandpa and/or other family members Christmas shopping. Disabled friends and acquaintances would greatly appreciate the favour as well.
    • Watch Christmas shows taped from earlier years and try to catch some of this season's shows.
    •  Play all kinds of Christmas music.
    • Play Christmas songs on a musical instrument, even if you're not very good.
    •  Sing Christmas carols and/or see carolers singing.
    • Volunteer at a holiday function at your child(rens) school.
    • By a new ornament each year and also add to your kids collections. Don't forget to mark the year on it!
    • Read lots of Christmas books. On Christmas Eve, read the Christmas Gospels of Luke and Mathew, as well as A Visit From Saint Nicholas/ The Night Before Christmas.
    • Attend the Nutcracker Ballet each year or another Christmas production.
  • Christmas Traditions - Each Day of December


    • Dec. 1 - Christmas Dishes: Bring out any Christmas dishes and serving pieces
    on the first day of December.  Use them every evening until the Christmas
    holidays are over.

    Dec. 2 - Personalized Advent Calendar: Put your own messages behind the
    windows of store-bought Advent. calendars.  These messages might say, "I
    love you," give locations of secret hidden treats, or name a favor that the
    receiver may claim that day.

    Dec. 3 - St. Nick's Stocking: Hang St. Nick stockings early in the morning
    on the day before St. Nick's arrival (December 6).  Throughout the day, each
    person in the family may sneak to the stockings and put a gift in the other
    family member's stockings.  These surprises may be discovered upon wakening
    on St. Nick's Day.

    Dec. 4 - Deck the Halls: Set aside one Saturday when the whole family helps
    put up all the house decorations (everything but the tree).  Hang all the
    garlands, house lights, wreaths, and stockings and don't forget the
    mistletoe!  Have carols on the stereo and chili in the crockpot.  Then when
    all the decorating is completed, let your children invite some friends to
    join the family for dinner and a chance to admire the day's decorating work.

    Dec. 5 - A Tree of Their Own: Let the children choose and decorate their own
    tree for their playroom or bedroom.  Encourage them to be creative, and let
    them know that anything goes!

    Dec. 6 - Christmas Greetings: Play Christmas music in the background on the
    telephone answering machine during the holidays.

    Dec. 7 - Tree Decorating Party: Invite your friends to a great dinner party,
    and have each guest bring a tree ornament.  After dinner, gather around and
    decorate the tree together.  A wonderful variation would be to give the
    decorated tree to a needy family or a newlywed couple.

    Dec. 8 - A Tree For Two: When cutting down or selecting your Christmas tree,
    get an extra one to give to grandpa and grandma, an elderly neighbor, or a
    single mother.

    Dec. 9 - A Storybook Christmas: Each year, buy a new Christmas storybook for
    the family to read together for the remaining days until Christmas.  Some
    favorites are "The Other Wise Man" and "A Cup of Christmas Tea".  If your
    children are old enough, allow them to be a special part of this family time
    by designating certain nights for them to take turns as the reader.

    Dec. 10 - Glad Tidings We Bring: Choose a night for writing letters to
    include with some of your Christmas cards.  Have the whole family help by
    adding their own notes to each letter.  Use attractive Christmas stationery
    for the notes, and embellish with stickers.  Make it an evening of good
    food, good music, and good-hearted fun.

    Dec. 11 - Special Delivery: On the last Saturday before Christmas, play
    Christmas carols on the car stereo and hand deliver your Christmas cards to
    friends who live in your city.  For that extra touch, include a small loaf
    of nut bread or a plate of homemade cookies.

    Dec. 12 - A Note of Thanks: Place a pretty box of thank-you notes in each
    child's stocking to encourage your children to express their gratitude to
    relatives and friends.

    Dec. 13 - The Gift of Time: Send a friend a postcard telling them about a
    special gift you plan to give them.  For example:  send a postcard saying
    "I'll pick up your child at 10:30 on December 15 for lunch and a movie so
    you can get some shopping done".  Giving the gift of time to a busy mother
    can be the best gift of all.

    Dec. 14 - A Christmas Puzzle: Start a new puzzle with a holiday theme on the
    first day of Christmas break from school.  Make it a family project, but
    have guests to your home to contribute to it as well.  Work toward the goal
    of completing your masterpiece by midnight on New Year's Eve.

    Dec. 15 - Forget the Frenzy: Leave the Christmas frenzy behind today and
    take the family to a special Christmas movie or play.  Top off the evening
    with an ice cream sundae at a favorite restaurant.  Or just enjoy a quiet
    evening together around the fireplace -- add mugs of hot chocolate, pictures
    from past Christmases, and home movies for some old-fashioned fun.

    Dec. 16 - A Birthday Celebration: As Christmas Eve draws near, have the
    children bake a cake for baby Jesus.  Let them do it by themselves,
    including the baking frosting and decorating.  The cake will be their own
    birthday gift to Jesus.  This tradition reinforces to children the reason
    for Christmas (and also gives mom time to put the finishing touches on her
    gift wrapping).

    Dec. 17 - Don't Open Until Christmas: A couple of days before Christmas,
    barricade the door to the room which contains the Christmas tree with large
    sheets of gift wrap.  When the whole family has assembled to open gifts on
    Christmas morning or eve, the kids may run through the paper to see the
    brightly lit tree and all the gifts.

    Dec. 18 - Hidden Treasures: Often children receive checks or cash for
    Christmas.  When mom receives the money intended for the children, she can
    create a fun treasure hunt by hiding it in the Christmas tree.  These gifts
    may be hidden in ornaments, on the treetop, or just stuck in the branches
    near the base of the tree.

    Dec. 19 - A Christmas Basket: On Christmas Eve, drop off a basket to an
    elderly couple, a single mother, or a financially-burdened family.  Fill the
    basket with a coffee cake for Christmas breakfast, sliced cooked turkey for
    dinner, and a tablecloth and decorations to make the meals festive.  Tuck a
    small wrapped gift amid the food for an extra surprise.

    Dec. 20 -  Informal Christmas Dinner: Instead of an expensive, traditional
    Christmas meal, try eating sandwiches on the floor, picnic-style, by the
    Christmas tree.  Then donate the money saved by forgoing turkey and
    trimmings to a mission or homeless shelter.

    Dec. 21 - Fun and Games: Each year have your child to give his or her
    grandparents a favorite board game for Christmas - one that your child does
    not have at home.  Then the child and grandparents will have something fun
    to look forward to when the child comes to visit.  To spark competition, put
    a chart in the game box to keep track of the winners.

    Dec. 22 - Grandparent's Ornament: As your family increases, give the
    grand-parents a tree ornament with each new grandchild's picture on it.  Or
    make them an ornament each year that includes a recent family photo.
    Involve your kids in creating the ornament -- they'll have fun making it,
    and the grandparents will treasure the gift all the more.

    Dec. 23 - The Christmas Story: Gather your children before bedtime on
    Christmas Eve and read them the story of Jesus' birth, found in Luke,
    Chapter Two.  Or for an illustrated Christmas story, read from a children's
    Bible or another book available from the library.  On this special evening,
    make sure the children fall asleep knowing the reason we celebrate this
    season.

    Dec. 24 - A Candlelight Service: Since it is often difficult for parents
    with young children to go to a candlelight church service on Christmas Eve,
    why not hold your own candlelight service at home?  Give each family member
    a Scripture verse to read, then light some candles and sing your favorite
    Christmas hymns.  After dad closes the service with a Christmas blessing,
    tuck the children into bed with pleasant thoughts of tomorrow.

    Dec. 25 - Prolonging the Joy: Instead of frantically opening all the gifts
    Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, why not spread the presents out over
    several days?  How about opening only the gifts from friends on Christmas
    Day?  Then over the next week, open the presents from family members, one
    each day, until the presents are gone.  This allows children (and adults) to
    enjoy each present more fully, avoiding the mad rush for gifts on Christmas.

    Dec. 26 - The Christmas Photo: Have a picture taken of your family by the
    decorated Christmas tree each year and display these pictures in a special
    photo album.  Try to change one small thing on the tree each year, then as
    you look back through pictures, see if you can find each of the changes.

    Dec. 27 - Theme Card Collection: Save the Christmas cards you receive that
    pertain to a chosen theme, such as cards with angels, village scenes,
    antique toys, or Christmas trees.  Opening cards each Christmas will be more
    exciting if you have a collection in mind.  Set the cards from this
    collection on the mantle or piano during the holidays for friends and family
    to enjoy.

    Dec. 28 - Curing Christmas Blues: When all the relatives have left the
    grand-parent's house after Christmas, the blues can act it.  To brighten
    their days after your departure, encourage each guest to hide small "I love
    you" and "thank you" notes around the home for them to find in the days and
    weeks to come.  These little discoveries will surely give grandma and
    grandpa a deserved lift in spirits.

    Dec. 29 - The New Year's Eve Photo: Gather the family for a picture every
    New Year's Eve.  Have each person wear clothes significant to an important
    event in the past year -- a T-ball outfit for the first year on the team or
    a brownie scout outfit for the first year in scouting.  Hold objects that
    pertain to the year's achievements or have the family stand around a new car
    for the picture.  Frame this picture to hang on a special family history
    wall.

    Dec. 30 - Festivities For Feathered Friends: Decorate a small potted tree
    branch with pine cones dipped in peanut butter and seeds and set this on the
    picnic table for the birds.

    Dec. 31 - Epiphany Cookies: Bake and decorate star-shaped cookies to eat and
    give to friends on Epiphany (January 6).  Put them in decorative bags with a
    note that says, "Wise men still seek Him".

    Memory Makers

    ONE: Be aware of how a young child might appreciate Christmas. Talk about what each member of the family is grateful for.

    TWO: Make a craft with your kids so they can give the holiday a personal touch and enjoy preparations with the family.

    THREE: Prepare holiday foods with the kids. They love to cook or bake when given the chance.

    FOUR: Share with your kids your happy holiday memories from when you were a kid (come on, there must be some).

    FIVE: Read a few books about Christmas with your kids or better yet, ask them to read to you.

    SIX: Place an emphasis on reaching out to help the community by letting the older kids serve food at a soup kitchen under your guidance, or bake cookies for a homeless shelter. Kids can also donate a new toy (or not-so-old one of their own) to a local fire department or merchant's toy drive. Even very young children can sort cans into bags for a local food drive.

    SEVEN: Attend services with your kids to keep the original meaning of the holiday in focus.

    EIGHT: Decorate the inside of the house with Christmas curtains or swags, big red bows, fresh or silk poinsettias, wreaths, window clings for the kids and whatever else adds to your Christmas spirit.

    NINE: Put up outdoor lights, decorate the mailbox, and hang live greenery around outside of your home.

    Submitted By: Paul Manning