Share Your Holiday Traditions to Win

One tradition we have is for the kids to bring out their computer and play their favorite Christmas songs while we all decorate the tree. They also always have their best friend over and they decorate a ginger bread house.

Every year the entire family helps put the ornaments on the Christmas tree. Then my sister and I leave the room while my mother puts six ornaments that are dolls of the world in glass cases on the tree. She calls us in when she has placed them and my sister and I see who can find the all first. We have been doing this for about 30 years and it still makes me feel like a little girl all of the time.

We have a family Christmas contest....everyone from grandchildren to grandparents compete in the Christmas throw-down. The first year it was decorating gingerbread houses, then cookies, then diaromas, ..... this year it's clear glass ornaments.....everyone gets together to work on the project and we have all kinds of laughs as we judge whose is best. It has become bragging rights take all......super fun and a great way to de-stress and focus on what's important---family time!

One of our best holiday traditions is the Nativity scene set up. When I was three a dear family friend made the nativity scene out of ceramic with the 3 wise men, sheep herder as well as sheep, camels, a little boy and girl, Mary, Joseph, a donkey and baby Jesus. There is real gold on many of the pieces and each character of the scene has very intricate eyelashes and other details. Each year I could not wait until I could put the Nativity scene up, it was the highlight of the season for me! When I became a mom ten years ago the set was handed down to me and we continue the tradition to this day. My son knows that it does not matter about toys so much, he knows what the true meaning of Christmas is.

On Christmas Eve an awesome tradition that our family follows every year for the small kids in the family is to get a large pair of boots, and starting at the front door, place a boot down, sprinkle baking soda around the outside of the boot, leaving an outline.. Continue on to the Christmas tree or wherever Santa leaves presents in your home. It looks amazingly like Santa walked in with snow on his boots and left a mess while he delivered goodies for all. I can honestly say this tradition has kept our kids believing in Santa long after their friends and classmates had given up believing. It really is so much fun to see their faces on Christmas morning. (Cleanup is super easy and the baking soda is actually good for carpets.)

I love when we get to go out and cut down our Christmas tree. Then the next day we turn on the music, have hot chocolate, cookies, and decorate the tree. A great way for our family (and friends) to bond.

Our holiday tradition has always been to put out cookies and milk for Santa. All my siblings and I are all over the age of 21, and my mom still insist on leaving cookies and milk out for Santa. It's so cute. With us all being adults, my still believes in Santa :)

We have several holiday traditions, but my kids favorite is our pickle ornament. Every Christmas Eve I will secretly hang the pickle ornament on the tree (typically hidden somewhere underneath or in the middle) and the first child to find the ornament in the morning gets a $5 bill.

My favorite tradition is for the whole family to ride the ferry across Bremerton to Seattle looking at all the Christmas lights.

We always go to Christmas Eve service and then come home, have hot chocolate and Christmas cookies, and the kids get to open 1 present before going to bed.

Since my oldest daughter (21) had her first Christmas, we would take my children out looking at Christmas lights while Santa came. My parents and my grandfather and brothers would come to my house and watch the kids with presents then we would go to my parents house to open presents. Now I still open presents at my house on Christmas Eve with my children (my grandpa is gone to Heaven, my parents and brother aren't able to get out due to disability and my other brother is married with kids) and we go to my parent's house to open more. Then Christmas morning we all gather at my parent's house and cook and eat. About 2 years ago my oldest daughter wanted to start a new tradition between me and her so we are doing Christmas ornaments to each other every year. Next year she will have her own baby so I am sure we will do new things. :)

Our family tradition is every Christmas Eve we have all family members to our home for a gift exchange and some wonderful time spent together. I get up early and put a huge pot of sauce on with meat balls and sausage and put out hard rolls for hot sandwhices along with trays of cookies, pretzels, chips and lots of treats. A good time is had by all.

As the big day draws near, the "elves" make periodic visits to the house, leaving little treats and surprises. Candy, gum, mints, nail polish, small books, neat pencils or pens etc. And of course they leave new PJs for all to wear on Christmas Eve..

#JingleHugs to everyone at SheSpeaks *+* Our Other Traditions are gathering Kleenex boxes and each of the kids make their own Ginger Bread houses. Then they put them under the tree and on Christmas Morning they all sit eating their Ginger bread houses while Christmas Music is being played by one of the family member on the piano. Been doing that for years it seems to be a happy moment for all. Thank you, Merry Christmas to you & your families.

Every Christmas Eve, we go to Midnight Mass as a family; sing, enjoy the reason for the season and then we head to my moms house for pesole(Mexican soup) and open presents! I am looking forward to this Christmas;)