December 6, 2011

Our Own Christmas World

Memories are fleeting and traditions are a wonderful way to remember the good times. I might not remember all the wonderful moments of growing up, but I remember the traditions. This is especially true of the holidays.

When I started my own family, my husband and I took the best parts of our traditions and created new ones. This is how we ended up with two Christmas trees every year, one real and one fake.

Another tradition we created for our family… one evening the week before Christmas, we get in the car, crank up the Christmas music, and head to our favorite place to eat. After dinner, we ride around and look at Christmas lights until it’s time to head home for bed, Christmas music blaring the whole time. We always come prepared with comfortable clothes and blankets.

We have fun singing and talking about the best lights we’ve ever seen. This reminiscing inevitably leads to talking about all our favorite holiday memories. Sometimes we’ll even stop for hot cocoa and treats before doing one last round of lights.

When I asked my daughter about her favorite part of this tradition, she said, “We are all together in our own little Christmas world.” Every year we seem to find a new favorite Christmas lights display. Knowing my kids look forward to it each year brings me such joy. I hope they’ll always remember riding around, singing, and being with their family.

What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?

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From December 10 through December 22, Nadja Notariani is hosting the 12 Days of Christmas Reading Gift List on her blog, An Author’s Adventures. A new title will be featured each day, so be sure to visit all twelve days.

Our novel, Depression Cookies, will be one of the featured books/giveaways! Stay tuned!

9 comments:

Nadia @ Red, White & GREEN Mom said...

That's wonderful. I got so excited when I read this because I rave about Christmas lights all the time! In fact, I had a post last year about our own tradition of driving around and looking at lights. Except we always do it on Christmas eve and we have supper at my parent's house first. We've yet to get a tree - but our lights went up last night ;) I have my priorities...

Tia Bach said...

Nadia, Thanks for stopping by! We haven't gotten our real tree yet (my fake one is up *woot*), but we've planned our Christmas lights date!

Jenny said...

My family loves to ride around and look at Christmas lights, too, and my car's cd player is loaded with Christmas music.

Another tradition is the making of the homemade eggnog, homemade eggnog fudge and apple dumplings (a recipe passed to my mother from an old German woman who used to babysit me when we lived in Germany). It's also a family event to go out and pick out our live Christmas tree, bring it home and decorate it. I have ornaments I've collected all my life and we buy one new one each year for the tree. I also give one Christmas ornament every year to each of my daughters who are now grown and on their own. They may think it's cheesy but they go along with my obsession. (I raised such good kids. :-))

Then, on Christmas day, the extended family converges on our house for a grand feast. At any given time, I may have 25 people in my little home. It's wonderful.

Tia Bach said...

Jenny, What would I have to do to get my hands on the recipe for eggnog fudge?!? That sounds divine!

Thanks for sharing your traditions. It warms my heart. And thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Anonymous said...

Driving around looking at Christmas lights is great fun! I miss doing that, but my husband isn't really into it since the kids are grown. :(

Mama Lee said...

I LOVE IT!! We kinda do the same thing!!! On Christmas eve we go out to eat and catch a movie (Usually Alvin & The Chipmonks) then look at lights on the way home, where Santa has already been and we open presents. We also do the new Christmas ornament every year too, we all get one, and I plan to pass down my kids to them when they are older for their first tree. Both are very loved traditions of mine, as we got new ornaments and drove around with whole family(aunts, uncles, and cousins) to look at lights every Christmas Eve. I'm so happy to share these traditions with my kids! I hope you have a very blessed Christmas!!!

Tia Bach said...

Thanks for stopping by, Laura Lynn and Mama Lee.

What I love best about this tradition is now that my girls are getting older it forces us all into a tight space. Too often, we are running this way and that.

Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday season and enjoying whatever traditions your family loves!

J.R. Pearse Nelson said...

I also have great memories of driving around looking at lights as a kid. My kids aren't quite old enough to appreciate it yet, my oldest is about to turn three. It was dark on the way home from grocery shopping today, and we drove around a few extra blocks to look at the neighborhood lights. Some oohs and ahhs, and then "Mom, can I have a snack?" :)

Tia Bach said...

J.R., I know. Too funny. I take a small cooler of drinks and a bag of snacks just in case!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope the 12 Days event is going well. I keep popping over. Fun stuff!

Happy Holidays!