Magical Christmas traditions for children!
The charming Christmas moments that you create for your family are precisely the traditions that will carry on and become cherished memories for your children. Most likely, you still cherish and implement traditions that were passed along to you by your family when you were a child, right? We shall all miss being with our loved ones this year, but thinking about holiday memories, while dreaming of creating even more next year, brings a sense of comfort to me, and hopefully, to you too. Perhaps, a few of these ideas may become traditions for you to embrace when our families are finally able to gather once again to celebrate this joyous holiday season.
Every Christmas Eve, we all dress up and gather around the Christmas tree for drinks before dinner. While there, one of the men in the family, usually my husband, quietly disappears... and reappears on the front lawn, in a decades-old Santa outfit, bells and all. This is a beloved tradition from my husband’s family that we have inherited. Santa’s happy “Ho Ho Ho’s” are heard, and the children (adults too!) gleefully run to the window to catch a glimpse of Santa waving back, dashing across the lawn in the darkness. A REAL Santa sighting… sooo much excitement!! He even leaves his well-traveled big burlap bag near the front door. It holds one little present for each child to play with that evening. When the children were really small and unable to distinguish his voice, Santa would come in and sit down by the fire, holding a child on his lap to give them their present. Seeing him waving outside on Christmas Eve will always be a jolly tradition for our family! This year, since we cannot be together, I have replayed the video that I took last year, so that I may savor hearing the shrills of excitement from the children. It is the best gift ever!
When I lived in Germany as a child, my parents gave me twelve little red elves to place on our dining room table. One year, our dog licked off the hand-painted face of one, and a few others have been lost through the years, but five still remain, and continue to make me smile as they hop on the candelabra for my littlest grandchildren to discover! Magically, each day before Christmas, they dance around to various positions on the dining room table, and... up far enough from our dog, Miss Zsa Zsa’s, reach! Our grandchildren happily decorate the dining room table, hence the extensive army of nutcrackers and reindeer!
Here is a recent tradition that was kindly shared with me two years ago by a darling subscriber and dear friend, Mary E., who gave me the nod to share it with you. Have you heard of “Magic Reindeer Food?” Oh, it is a stupendously splendid activity for children! Each child is given a special bag of magic reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn, near the chimney or front door on Christmas Eve. I saved one of the bags that Mary sent me last year to show you. What is the secret recipe? Mix dry oatmeal with a touch of glitter (or sprinkles, to be more environmentally correct). Our eight grandchildren sprinkle a pinch of magic food on the lawn, or over the snow, on Christmas Eve, just in time for Santa’s surprise visit.
With a name like Holly, I am always eager to learn more holiday secrets! Do share some of your holiday traditions, for all beliefs, during this festive season.
Wishing you all a happy Christmas and may your new year be filled with comfort and joy.