Christmas is around the corner, and I don’t know about you, but I am in serious denial that we will be having a family Christmas celebration on Sunday. It simply doesn’t seem possible that we’re less than three weeks from a new year. Despite my denial, it’s here. Because it’s the season of giving, be sure to go to the end of the post to enter a gifting of one of my books–winner’s choice. For each 200 entries, I’ll add another book, so be sure to send your friends here.
Do you have special traditions with your family that surround Christmas? One of ours is that the kids and I use Adronaments as part of our advent celebration. These ornaments come with a devotional that point us back to the different names of Jesus. They’re a great way to keep our focus on Him during the season.
These graphics are my gift to you. Feel free to share them!
One of the things we’re doing again this year, I’d like to make a tradition. We’re going to give the kids Monopoly money and gift catalogs from World Vision, Compassion, etc. They can then spend the money as they like, and we’ll make the donations. I love the way this allows them to be part of directing our family giving and lets them experience the joy of giving. The times we’ve done this I’ve been impressed with the way the gifts reflect their heart for others.
Do you have any books you like to read as a part of your Christmas tradition? A friend of mine reads Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers every year. I bought it, but have had too much writing to do to read it yet. Maybe I’ll start 2018 with it. About every other year I read the Best Christmas Pageant Ever with the kids. I love the fresh perspective on the nativity. Another favorite that is a short read is O Henry’s the Gift of the Magi. I can’t wait to see which books and traditions make the season special for you!
Did you know you you can read the first five chapters of my latest novel Imperfect Justice? All you have to do is go here.
Latest posts by Cara Putman (see all)
- Six Books I’m Excited to Read - November 14, 2024
- AI and Managing Time - October 24, 2024
- The Juggling World of Writers - October 10, 2024
Opening gifts early on Christmas Day and then spending the rest of the day with family.
I love your idea about the Monopoly money and then making decisions about where to donate real money as a family. One of my husband’s and my Christmas traditions is giving a Christmas gift of money to our house-bound seniors to whom we deliver groceries once a month through a local mission. They have so little, are so sweet, and receive so much joy from our visits and gifts that it gives us great pleasure to have that interaction with them.
We keep Christmas pretty simple. Just family and a nice meal.
I like to read some kind of Advent devotional through December. For a few years I read Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus compiled by Nancy Guthrie from Christmas-themed writings as far back as Augustine and as recent as Tim Keller. A couple of other good ones are Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room, also by Nancy Guthrie (designed for families, but I enjoyed it on my own), From Heaven by A. W. Tozer, and The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs. This year I am reading a brand new one, Gospel meditations for Christmas by Chris Anderson, Joe Tyrpak, and Michael Barrett.
We go to Christmas Eve candlelight service. On Christmas day we open presents, have a big meal, dessert selection of pies, cake, and cookies, just enjoy spending the day together.
I love watching A Christmas Carol and Miracle on 34th Street. In addition to Gift of the Magi, I discovered a wonderful picture book, good for all ages – The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey – so heartwarming!
We have many family traditions, but my favorite is sitting down after church and a huge extended family get-together and quietly reading the Bible story from Luke 2. When our kids were small they were then allowed to open one gift as we reflected on the greatest gift of all. Now it has just become a time of quiet and reflection amid all the bustle.
One of my favorite family Christmas traditions is making caramel-wrapped, chocolate-dipped pretzel rods. They are so delicious with that sweet-and-salty flavor!! We keep some for ourselves, but we also give more as gifts to others and make their day a little brighter.
One of our traditions is having our kids & their families for a supper of Eggs Goldenrod & Sausage, etc. My husband grew up with this Christmas menu for breakfast, but we have changed it to supper. I love the Monopoly money idea, too, but would add Samatitan’s Purse gift catalog.
My favorite Christmas tradition was my Dad always arriving very early so he could go down the hall saying “Hohoho Santa’s been here!” and waking up my daughter to go see what was under the tree. It was a tradition that we all loved – including his granddaughter. When she had just turned a teenager, she actually woke up very early to get dressed and fixed up (you know teenagers when it comes to having their photos taken) and then crawled back into bed just so Pappaw could “wake her up” Christmas morning like he always did. I cherish these memories since both Dad and our daughter are together now having Christmas in heaven. <3
Although our Christmas has changed over the years, it’s good to cherish old memories and create new ones. We just downsized and moved in our new home this year at the opposite end of the state. Been a lot of adjustments including this Christmas decorating since there’s not the room to put up the seven Christmas trees of the past. However, we will have new experiences and joys this year as we celebrate Christmas making new traditions and memories.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is driving around to see all of the colorful Christmas lights and decorations!
I love to read Luke chapter 2, and the children’s book The Three Trees.
Attending Christmas Eve Candlelight Service together with family and enjoying the evening together afterwards. Have a blessed and Merry Christmas 🎁🎄
In years past, a favorite family tradition was getting a “gag” gift. Some of them were hilarious and others were not, if you know what I mean.
Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.
Christmas is simple, and sometimes I have done something very different for the meal, such as making homemade lasagna.
Our best tradition…..going to see our grands faces on Christmas morning when they spy what Santa has left them.
On Christmas Eve, my family watches old Christmas specials and we eat Christmas cookies together.
One of my favorite traditions is cutting down the Christmas tree and then taking it home to decorate.
One of our favorite Christmas traditions starts on Thanksgiving Day. We put up and decorate the Christmas tree while watching the Macy’s Thnkagiving parade.
Well, this past May my brother found our long, (over 50 years). lost Armenian cousins. (They live in Armenia.) They celebrate Christmas on January 6th! My daughter and I are thin king of saving a few gifts and celebrating like they do.Even though it’s the New Year we celebrate twice! I kn ow what you mean, Cara. The older i get the faster the time goes! wasn’t it just New’s Day, 2017, yesterday??
We don’t have any special traditions. We have my parents and siblings over for either lunch or dinner.
One tradition is placing the ornaments made by my mom and my son on the tree.
For 25 years (beginning when she was two) my daughter and I have made Peppernut cookies enjoy and give as gifts at Christmas. I don’t think she’ll make it home to help this year. I’m not sure if I’ll make them by myself or not.
A tradition at our house is to always read the Christmas story after eating chili dogs for supper! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
We open our gifts for each other on Christmas Eve, then Santa brings gifts on Christmas morning. It’s been a tradition since I was a kid!
We have an advent wreath. We like to go to advent services at Church each Wednesday and candlelight service on Christmas Eve.
Christmas is simple for us. It’s my husband and I and our two adult daughters. We have English Pancakes for one meal and Quesadillas for another.
We have an advent story we read together each year, and on Christmas morning we read from the Bible the Christmas story from Luke 2.
What a different and unique story! Would like to know how it ends.
We love going to our church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service
We do Christmas stocking stuffers for the fun of it.
I enjoy attending a Candlelight Christmas Eve service.