The Sound of Music was always a Holiday tradition when the kids were little. The kids and myself would gather in the living room, all decked out in our comfy-est jammies, hot chocolate and cookies handy, excited to watch the movie. The kids would curl up and watch the movie while hubby and I decorated the tree. I'm not sure why The Sound of Music was classified as a "Christmas movie", but for some reason it was always on TV during the holidays and a seasonal favourite nonetheless.
I miss those days...
This year we all gathered at home to decorate the tree but "The Sound of Music" wasn't what the kids chose to watch, it was "A Hunting in Connecticut". A big -Bah-Humbug- to them!!
{Christmas 2009 Tree}
Today I was thinking about how much I miss some of the little holday tradition from when the kids were younger. So I compiled a list of my favourites from Holidays past.
1. Christmas Concerts
2. Christmas light watching
3. Kids homemade gifts
4. Letters to Santa
5. Listening for Elves or Reindeer
6. Making tree ornaments
7. Baking 10 different kinds of cookies
8. Making the gingerbread house
9. Singing Christmas carols
10. Holiday Movies ( The Grinch, Frosty, Rudolf - The Island of Misfit Toys, Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, It's A Wonderful Life, Sound of Music, )
What are some of your favourite Holiday traditions or favourite traditions from your past?
9 comments:
A few days before Christmas we hop in the car and drive all over town looking at the decorations of houses and yards.
We also open one gift each on Christmas Eve.
when I was little my mom and dad would take us hunting for the Christmas tree. We'd hike through the deep snow looking for the most perfect pinion pine--if you've ever seen a pinion you know there is no such thing. Dad would pull us on the sled behind the truck and it was great fun. Once dad got the wooden x nailed to the base of the tree he'd string the huge colored Christmas lights. We'd hang glass balls and hand-painted wooden ornaments on the tree. Then dad would start throwing the tinsel and all 6 of us kids would join in the fun--mouch to mom's dismay. I think she spent the holiday undoing the tinsel mess. I miss it and remember those days fondly. My husband is a fake tree man.
your tree is very pretty
Auburn...
We also open one gift on Christmas Eve but it is always a new pair of jammies to wear to bed.
Kaye...
I love that story! I remember tinsel on our tree when I was a kid. My mom was so meticulous about how the tinsel was placed on the branches, a strand at a time... it took days to decorate the bloody thing.
Let's see... Christmas tradition from the past: nothing unusual or spectacular. We'd go "hunt" the tree, cut it down from in the forest, decorate it, go to bed Christmas Eve with much excitement and wake up to our filled stockings (which we were allowed to have right away), but we couldn't open gifts until everyone was awake.
I like my Christmases more now. I have new traditions that I love.
1. Christmas spent with good friends
2. One gift to open Christmas Eve
3. Decorate the tree
4. Fave Christmas movie: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (it's just not Christmas without Chevy Chase)
5. Christmas breakfast: eggs benedict (vegetarian style) with mimosa
6. Still do stockings... even one for myself, although I'm the official stocking stuffer!
7. Giving tree (usually at the mall)--very important to show my son it's about GIVING to others
8. Baking goods to take to elderly shut-ins (which I continue all winter long)
I'm always looking for new traditions to do, so I'll probably add more to my list in the future! =)
Christmas Concerts would have been my #1 tradition growing up. I have a post in drafts about that. I miss it so much.
We don't do much now. Bake cookies, give to a charity or three, visit family. Our side of the family does a Yankee Swap right after Christmas that has been very fun of late.
I still do stockings, and make sure it is delivered in the middle of the night while he is asleep, so he wakes up to it and opens it in bed. He still gets excited about it. :-)
Great post, Jack!
Wacky...
I have to agree... The holiday season would not be complete with watching "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Cracks me up!
Love the baked goods idea too!
Movie...
Looking forward to the "Christmas Concert" post!
Love the idea of delivering the stocking to the boy in the middle of the night :D
you have some lovely traditions there. i miss 'schmalz platzchen', all those german cookies my mom used to make, my dad's potato salad (recipe lost), his home-made adventkranz, the barely containable excitement of christmas eve...
Holiday baking and driving around looking at the lights....
Great post Jack, and Happy Holidays.
Shadow...
Schmalz platzchen is a cookie, isn't it? Last summer we spent a weekend in a little town here in Nova Scotia and we happened upon a little German bakery... beautiful spot! Anyway, I think they had a cookie called schmalz platzchen, i'm positive of it. I can't wait to go back there next summer!
German Bakery and Cafe
Pseudo...
What is your favourite traditional Hawaiian Christmas treat to bake?
Mele Kalikimaka to you too!
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