This is our tree.
While technically, the only ornaments come from my childhood (we're getting my husband's from his parent's house soon), it's actually OUR tree. I've been looking forward to creating my own family since I was a little kid. More specifically, I've been looking forward to creating Christmas traditions. Actually, any time of year traditions.
Here are some traditions we've started already: We decorated our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend. We listened to Casting Crown's & Alabama's Christmas albums while we were decorating. I have an Advent calendar filled with chocolate that I got as a thank you from the Pittsburgh Project where I tutor. I have a 'Story A Day 'Til Christmas' book that we'll be reading. My in-laws always have a traditional Slovak Christmas Eve dinner - bolbalki and sour soup, but our church has Christmas Eve services (that I need to work at) until 10:30ish at night, so we'll see where that traditions ends up.
I love traditions. I love that families gather together and do the same thing every year. I love that even when kids become teenagers and complain "Do we really have to do that again?!", they love it deep down inside (sometimes VERY deep) and will treasure those memories when they get older.
I'm excited to start some treasured family traditions. I'm excited to do the same things again each year. I'm excited to start new traditions with my husband and kids, once they show up. God has blessed me with an amazing husband and we're going to start a family that is rooted in love and faith and traditions that our kids will think are stupid...and I will totally enjoy every minute of it!
Christmas traditions are definately one of the things that makes the season so special. I really like the idea of the Story A Day book. And don't worry -- one day you'll get to make it to that Slovak feast. (I'll be honest, I celebrate that this is the last year that Christmas Eve will be booked solid for me so we can finally split up our Christmas Day so we don't have to go 4 places in one day!).
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is that my mom bought me an orniment every year of my life so that when I moved out and had my own tree, I could have ornaments for it. When I decorated the tree my first married Christmas, it was like having my mom there in a way. This year K quizzed me on ornaments when he brought them out of the box ("What year is this one from?") and it was fun.
I'm excited for your traditions to grow!