Christmas Traditions

This was originally posted last Christmas Eve day but it still holds true and I wanted to share it again. I edited it slightly so that it makes sense now that Little Sister is here and all. And I left the original time frame even though we were away and had to do things on different days this year. I hope you all enjoy it. :)

Simply put I love Christmas!!! It is my all time favorite time of the year. We do lots of things to make the season fun and exciting.

For us Christmas season begins on Thanksgiving night. We put on our Christmas pajamas. Well, I suppose for me the season really starts just after Halloween when I have to start making our pajamas. Every year I make the family matching Christmas pajamas (I usually only have to make Hubby's and mine every other year as I over buy fabric and then can just remake Big Brother's. I made ones for Big Brother and Big Sister last year and only had to remake for them this year - Little Sister was even able to wear Big Sister's from last year).

Then we move to my favorite day of the year. Seeing Santa, seeing Christmas windows, walking and enjoying the day as a family. Including the big Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center.

When we get home from our Thanksgiving trip we take out all of our Christmas decorations. We start putting them around the house. We have decorations for just about every room, although we could always use more. :) Little by little everything goes up during the week.

That Saturday we buy our tree. Always a real tree. I love having a real tree. I love having the pine needles all over the house for months after Christmas. I love the way the tree smells and I think it looks pretty. So, we put up the tree in the afternoon. Then we order dinner (pizza) and decorate the tree while we eat.

My favorite part of putting up the tree is looking through all of the ornaments. Every year we each get a new ornament (well, Hubby and I share one and Big Brother and Big Sister and Little Sister get one). We try to pick an ornament that tells us of the year. That reminds us of what we have been doing that year.

Of course, we have to put the decorations outside.

Sometime during the days that follow we make Christmas cookies. Just like everyone else. It is fun. Of course, then I eat too many of them and getting on the scale is not so much fun. But I digress.

The Sunday before Christmas we have a big breakfast that consists of peppermint pancakes (pancakes with crushed candy canes in them) and peppermint milk (milk with a candy cane melted in it).

Meanwhile, throughout the season Hubby and I have been watching Christmas movies at night. Someday the kids will join in on this tradition. Right now it is just Hubby and me. We watch the following: The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, The Santa Clause 3, The Night The Saved Christmas, Muppets Family Christmas, Muppets Christmas Carol, One Upon A Christmas, Twice Upon A Christmas, Snow, Snow 2, Prancer, Prancer Returns, and Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas (That really is a lot of movies, we tend to put them on at night after the kids are in bed and we are trying to unwind - sometimes it takes more than one day to get through a movie).

Then on Christmas Eve we attend the pageant mass at church. I love the pageant mass. It is so beautiful. My favorite part is that at our church Santa brings the eucharist in at the end of the pageant. It reminds me of how Santa is very much a part of the spirit of Christmas.

Then we go out to dinner. Afterward we go home and bake chocolate chip cookies for Santa. We read The Night Before Christmas and the kids go to bed.

It is so much fun and I truly love it. So, I ask you..what are your Christmas traditions? Leave a comment or blog about it and leave a link. I would love to know how you celebrate. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!