Christmas Traditions

Most families seem to have Christmas traditions that they follow year in and year out. Our family is still so new that we are going to be starting our own traditions this year and reinforcing them for years to come. These are a few of the traditions we will be having in our family:

• Christmas starts on Dec 1st: Christmas tree up, decorations everywhere, wreath on the door.
• Advent Calendars: LP and LM are going to have ‘proper’ advent calendars each year. For now LP is just getting chocolates in hers but I’m looking forward to future years where they can both have actual presents in them – maybe doing the book advent one year too.
• Christmas Eve Box: Dave and I have always had new PJs on Xmas eve and this will continue with the kids but in future years I’d love to include a new Christmas movie in the box, maybe hot chocolate and snacks and have some really nice quality family time on Christmas Eve in the evening.
• Cinema Christmas Eve: Dave and I used to always go to the cinema on Christmas Eve. We even managed to go and see the Hobbit last year whilst Dave’s parents looked after LP. I’m looking forward to being able to do that again, maybe take the children to see a movie on Christmas Eve morning, have a lovely family day together and then the Christmas Eve Box in the evening.
• Polar Express at the Imax: Dave and I went to see Polar Express at the Imax two years running in London Waterloo. It was amazing, such a huge screen and the ultimate modern Christmas movie! I’m looking forward to when LP and LM are older and we can get the train into town at some point in December and see the Polar Express at the Imax each year.
• Visiting Father Christmas: As of next year we’ll be taking LP and LM to visit Father Christmas. We haven’t taken her up until this point because she hasn’t understood Christmas and so we didn’t see the point but next year we’ll start taking her. I’d love to take the children into London, maybe combined with the Imax trip in years to come, see all the Christmas lights, go to Hamleys to look the toys and see Father Christmas at Harrods or Selfridges.
• Elf on the Shelf: This may or may not end up being a tradition, the ball, or elf, is well and truly in Dave’s court!

Do you have any family traditions or are you making more of your own?