Tag Archives: holiday traditions

Our First Christmas

This was going to be our first Christmas as parents and we were very excited. I had a definite plan in my mind about how we wanted to have our Christmas and unfortunately it did not match the way my in-laws expected it to be. They wanted us to come over Christmas Eve and then come back on Christmas day. Now my mother in law had the Christmas Eve celebration the same way every single year. It started at the same time every time; she wanted it to start at 6. Her evening is scheduled that we would go over, … Continue reading →

Quiet at Last

The fact that we did not go back to the in-laws house on Christmas Day or stay there overnight on Christmas Eve did not go over well with the extended family. My husband’s family is very set in their ways and they do not want to change for me, that is abundantly clear to me. We survived our first holiday season as a married couple with only a few hurt feelings so that was a slight improvement over our first Christmas. This is my husband’s second marriage; his first lasted for five years. I was curious if his family treated … Continue reading →

Traditions Part 2

When families try to make traditions for their kids it can be extremely difficult to mix traditions that both parents grew up with, with ones that they would like to have for their new family. At our house there are two holidays that we always have at our house and they are Easter and Thanksgiving. On both days we all take part in making the holiday dinner. For Thanksgiving we do something a little different. I started this one when my sister and I were grown up and she had her own children. I started taking the kids to the … Continue reading →

Christmas Tree Traditions

Each American family seems to have their own Christmas tree tradition. Some decorate the tree with a hodgepodge of ornaments acquired through the years while some have a specific color and ornament scheme. Some families like the ease and convenience of an artificial tree while others prefer the tradition and smell of a real tree. But, did you know that there are different Christmas tree traditions throughout the world? Most think that we got the custom of the Christmas tree from the Germans. It is believed that Martin Luther was the first to bring a Christmas tree into the home. … Continue reading →

Creating a New Holiday Tradition

I’ve always been the traditional kind of girl when it came to holidays. I like my turkey on Christmas and my ham on Easter. July 4th always meant barbeque. As I have gotten older, I have found that some traditions are worth changing. I always thought that having a little one in the house would make the holidays more festive and don’t get me wrong it does but I have also found that when you have kids holidays can sometimes mean more work and less time to enjoy the day. So this past Labor Day I decided to start my … Continue reading →

The Best Marriage Article of December

The best marriage article of December focused on a series that Sherry and I wrote detailing the traditions couples develop surround the holiday. In Why You and Your Spouse Should Create Your Own Traditions we talked about the holidays and what traditions my husband and I used to celebrate our first few Christmases before we had our daughter. Later, our traditions changed, but that is a natural event as families grow and develop. The birth of children will have a great deal of influence on the traditions you and your spouse celebrate and honor. For families with older children, don’t … Continue reading →

It’s Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Wow! Christmas Eve sure arrived fast. I hope everyone is ready. I’m almost there and I’m hoping I haven’t forgotten anything that will land me in a store today. It has been my goal to avoid shopping on Christmas Eve. Are your kids brimming with excitement? I think I am just as filled with anticipation as my children are. I can’t wait to see their faces when they open their gifts tomorrow morning, and I’m sure it will be early in the morning! I think I’ve got everything ready to go, so I should be … Continue reading →

Home For The Holidays: Celebrating Kwanzaa

Another title for this blog could be: “Everything I Know About Kwanzaa I Learned From Elmo.” It’s a reference to a “Happy Holidays” Elmo video my 2-year-old daughter loves to watch over and over and over—-by now we both have the thing memorized. Kwanzaa happens to be one of the holidays Elmo learns about from his young “friends” on the tape. Elmo does a fantastic job of simplifying the holiday–allowing children of all ages to better comprehend and appreciate it. Viewers learn that Kwanzaa is a modest celebration. At the heart of the seven-day festival is a focus on heritage, … Continue reading →

Holiday Traditions can be Fun!

Some holiday traditions come about in crazy or funny ways, but then they just stick. Some of them provide years of funny stories to tell to each new generation. Does your family like to break the wishbone after the turkey is eaten? It is said that this tradition began many centuries ago in Italy and that the Pilgrims brought this tradition to the New World. That is a long time to keep a tradition going! One time, my daughter and I were going to break the wishbone, and for some reason, she let go instead of pulling. I stumbled backward, … Continue reading →

Blending Holiday Traditions

Most families have at least a few traditions that they enjoy throughout the holidays. This can make things hectic for the couple that wants to spend times with both families, especially if plans are rigid. The best way to keep the peace and ensure that everyone enjoys the holidays is to find way to adjust, rework, and sometimes blend family traditions. Suppose his folks have always hosted Thanksgiving dinner but your Mom also has it at her house. Are you going to eat with his family then yours and then have turkey with all the trimmings at home? Doing so … Continue reading →