How To Start Your Own Christmas Traditions
(And Why You Should!)
My husband and I only had one Christmas together before we started our family, and Christmas #2 was spent in the hospital, as I had our first daughter on December 23! We navigated each Christmas a little differently than the year before, trying to find a happy medium between what we needed and wanted as a young, growing family and the obligations our extended families wanted from us. It was so stressful going from place to place and feeling rushed and stuffed and just too busy. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t meaningful. The hustle and bustle of the holidays can be a lot to take in as is!
Our second daughter’s first Christmas was a nightmare- she was so sick and we ended up in the emergency room the next night. At 10 months old, she had a fever of over 105 and an infection in both eyes and both ears. We grew as parents through that terrifying night and learned a lot about how we wanted to handle childhood sicknesses in the future. Scarlett only wanted to be held for days. I was an exhausted mother to a baby and a toddler. All I seen when I looked around my small house was the remnants left from the tornado of Christmas Day- mountains of unopened gifts from all the grandparents, dishes to be done, clothes to be washed. It was overwhelming.
That’s when we said no more. We wanted our Christmas Day to be spent at home, where we can move at our own pace, eat when and what we wanted, and not feel obligated to anyone but each other. If we woke up Christmas morning and decided to go to point A, then that’s okay. If we woke up Christmas morning and decided to go watch a movie, that’s okay, too. But we didn’t have to do anything.
And it’s been one of the best decisions ever.
Since making the decision to not obligate our family on Christmas Day, we have slowly found our own way of doing things, and it is now safe to say we have our own traditions. That is so exciting to me! Our traditions somehow all start with the same letter, too. Here are our 6 ‘Cs’ of Christmas!
Christmas Tradition: C #1 and C #2:
Chloe and The Christmas Story. Ever since she learned how to read, we have made Chloe read the story of baby Jesus to the other kids. We have the Little Golden book version of The Christmas Story. Each holiday season, we reintroduce the true meaning of Christmas. It has always been important to me to read this book before we open gifts. I know many families have children that wake the entire household up at 5am and that is fine! Luckily, however, we are not that family. (I guess we like our sleep!) My kids did not wake up until 9:30am this Christmas!
This year, she also read a nativity flap book to Asher. He was so excited!
Christmas Tradition: C #3
Crepes! I loathe making breakfast most days, because I do not like mornings. However, I love making breakfast Christmas morning! I am not sure why- maybe because it sets the pace for the rest of the day? I have tried different Christmas morning breakfast ideas and the past few years, we have settled in with making crepes. If you’ve never had a crepe, you’re in for a treat! A crepe is a mix between a pancake and a tortilla. It can be savory or sweet. We like to fill ours with pudding and sliced fruit and top it with whipped cream. We only eat them on Christmas morning, so it makes it really special!
Christmas Tradition: C #4 and C #5:
Cocoa and Coca-Cola! Not just any type of Coca-Cola though. It has to be Coca-Cola in a glass bottle. This year, I made hot cocoa bombs. They have been a huge hit!
Christmas Tradition: C #6
And finally…CRAB LEGS. Again, only something we have on Christmas (unless we are at a restaurant). Crab legs are remarkably easy to cook at home! Most grocery stores will have some sort of crab legs at either their fresh seafood counter or in their frozen meat department. This year, we bought 6 pounds and it fed my family of 6, 2 grandparents, and my brother and niece. We also made a butter garlic pasta with mussels, shrimp, and lobster. It was all delicious!
The Bottom Line
Maybe you like being busy on Christmas Day, and going from dinner to dinner. That is fine! By all means, do what makes you happy.
But do not feel bad if staying home for the day sounds better! My kids enjoy staying in their pajamas all day and playing with all their new toys. We usually watch a family movie together, and we almost always have company over sometime throughout the day. If all of that sounds like an amazing Christmas to you, start your traditions now! It is not too late.
I heard my girls, who are 12 and almost 10, tell my boys (5 and 2) multiple times, “Enjoy this crepe! These crab legs are delicious! You won’t have this again for ONE WHOLE YEAR!” Knowing that we have established our own traditions makes my heart happy; especially thinking about how we have a very limited number of Christmas Days before my own children will start their own families and their own traditions. I’m truly thankful for all the Christmas Days we get with each other. ❤️