Family Favorite Christmas Traditions ~ A Guest Post by Elizabeth...

My sweet friend, Elizabeth who writes at Elizabeth Mary Online, kindly agreed to share a beautiful Christmas post with my readers today!

In this post she shares some of her favourite Christmas traditions and oh!  Traditions are very special, especially at Christmastime, don't you think...?

Thus...I am sure you will enjoy her lovely post today, sweet friends!  And do pop by her blog for some sweet crafting and baking delights!

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Hello, friends! I am so excited that Kelly-Anne invited me to share a guest post with you all today. And since it’s about Christmastime, it’s all the more exciting!!

Christmas at my house has always been one of my most favorite times of the year. Growing up, my sister and I looked forward to December all year long. We would excitedly anticipate the day when we would go and pick out the perfect tree, when all the movies and TV specials would be on, and when we could finally pull our favorite decorations down from the attic.

 Merry be your Christmas,

Peaceful be your home,

Joyful be your family,

Blessed be each one.

 My parents always made sure that at Christmas we did things that stood out as special for this time of year. A few of my favorite traditions are…

Listening to Christmas music *all the time*…I am a music lover, and Christmas music is some of my very favorite. We love to play our favorite CDs while running errands during the day or while we are preparing dinner. I personally love the traditional sounding Christmas carols; they just seem to get you in the Christmas spirit. If possible, we try to go to a Christmas show or concert in December. And that is a particular favorite of mine!

Baking lots and lots of sweet confections…My mom has always baked a ton at Christmas and has passed on that love to both my sister and I. We have several old stand-by recipes that we make, several of which come from my mom’s childhood. I love getting in the kitchen, music playing in the background, and pulling out a tray of freshly baked cookies from the oven. Sharing with friends and neighbors is one of my most favorite things, too!

Decorating…Every year we set out to find the perfect tree. And in my mind, the bigger the better. It’s always so much fun pulling out old ornaments that my sister and I made as young children. (Even though some of them look quite interesting! Ha! Ha!) The centerpiece of our decorations has always been our Nativity scene. It makes its home on our fireplace mantle and is one of the most beautiful decorations I think we have. Such a simple reminder of why we celebrate Christmas.

 

Crafting…Making homemade ornaments was something we did several years ago, and it was the perfect Christmas craft. We also always, always made gingerbread houses out of old cardboard milk cartons. My mom would hot glue graham crackers onto the outside of the carton, and then my sister and I would pile on the icing as glue and tons and tons of brightly colored candies.

Another thing we enjoy making each year is a Christingle (which I will be sharing about on my blog soon). My sister introduced the idea to us several years back, and now it's become a favorite tradition. When I was in first grade, I made an Advent wreath at church using little tea candles. This year, I wanted to make one that could be used year after year. It is such a beautiful centerpiece on our kitchen table. I’ll also be sharing how to make an Advent wreath soon on my blog.

Christmas is always a very family-centered time of year in our home. We don’t really do anything too extravagant, but it is always a special time of year. Nights spent at home watching a favorite holiday movie, driving around to look at all the lights in the city, or going to a Christmas concert are some of the things I love most.

 

I would love to hear what your favorite Christmas traditions are, especially if you have any special traditions pertaining to where you live. I hope you all have a beautifully blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Lastly, I want to say a special thank you to Kelly-Anne. I loved getting to share on your lovely blog and with your sweet readers. Thank you for this fun opportunity!!

May your day be lovely and blessed!

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Thank you, dear Elizabeth for sharing this lovely post today...it certainly put me in the mood for some deligthful Christmas baking and crafting...{{smiles}}

Blessings to you, friends and happy December...the Christmas countdown has begun!