Afterthoughts: Traditions add charm to Christmas
Traditions add meaning and character to any family holiday, and Christmas is no exception. In our home, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without me scurrying around the house for about two weeks putting up our holiday decorations. I am a lover (or was) of the Snow Village houses. The cute miniature houses and businesses dripping with both snow and eye appeal. That is after you get the entire display set up, fake snow in place, characters in position and every light working. I put them on two mantles and on every flat surface near a plug outlet in the house. It’s a daily chore to check the lights and make sure they are burning.
Do you pick up on a little animosity here? I do love my houses, I’m not even sure how many I have, but they are all very special to me. They have either been gifts from my husband or others, or they have been great “deals” I have picked up at different locations.
They just take a lot of my time. I have, over the years, enlisted help from the children, but you know, they never quite did it to suit me. I do get them to carry all the boxes down from the upstairs storage and, of course, carry the empty ones back up.
The finished project is quite lovely, when all the lights are working and blinking like they are supposed to. I even have a cabin that sends out smoke from the chimney. That hasn’t worked in years. But, I will tell you this, Elvis’ Graceland still has six red, gold and green blinking Christmas trees right next to the pink Cadillac.
I’ve told you about one of the Hobbs family holiday traditions, how about yours? I hope you have traditions you enjoy each year with your family. If not, it’s not too late to start one. Select an activity, do it a couple of times and say to your family, “This is our new holiday tradition.” Choose something that suits your family and your personality.
Get together right after Thanksgiving and have a brainstorming session. Ask each family member what they would like to do special the upcoming holiday season. Take every suggestion seriously and choose what is best for you and the family.
Why not have a cookie baking session? If you are pressed for time or can’t bake, buy the frozen ones and decorate them. It’s the time together that counts. Purchase a gingerbread house kit and put it together, or eat it!
Does your family enjoy reading? Read a Christmas story each night for several days before Christmas. Get everyone in the car and go look at holiday lights, or go Christmas caroling in the community.
Do crafts together. Children enjoy making ornaments either for their own tree or for someone else’s. Does your family send out a family Christmas letter? Let everyone have an input in what goes in the letter.
Go out and cut your tree down as a group, or purchase one together. It doesn’t matter as long as your are together. Decorate it and let all have a say in how it’s done.
We do, now, have an artificial tree in our house. Being married to a nurseryman, we had the real thing for many years and enjoyed each of them in different ways. My fake tree is just right for me and the girls to handle ? we do not have to wait for the troops to put it up for us!
Do you have special ornaments you like to use each year, perhaps some your children have made for you? We do, and the girls are always wanting me to change them out, get new ones or go with a different “theme.”
I like my ornaments representing different stages in the girls’ lives, vacation memories or gift tokens from friends and family. I like my traditional red and green color scheme and I love my miniature houses.
Another wonderful family tradition is the watching of holiday programs and movies together. Pop some popcorn, get some chocolate and enjoy “Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” or ” A Christmas Carol” in front of the fireplace.
I’d love to enjoy this holiday tradition, but. . . you know I think I see a light out in the antique shop on the mantle.
Merry Christmas from our family to yours.