First, is our cute little advent calendar. I think every family does something of this nature to countdown the days of December until Christmas. Well, we love our fun calendar... Emily, my very talented sister-in-law, labored many many hours to make this for us as a previous Christmas gift. We are most grateful because we just love it. Ben and I have always fought over who gets to put up the next piece. ;) Now we have an Emma to share with too... oh bother. he, he. So, each day there is a decorated felt piece of something Christmas related that is to be pinned to the tree. How cute.
Another tradition is more obscurely known as "Preparing Your Heart for Christmas", but is most commonly called "Advent". Every Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, in addition to Christmas Eve (which happens to fall on a Sunday as well this year) we have a simple celebration involving lighting a candle on the "advent wreath", reading some pre-assigned scriptures that focus on a different theme each Sunday, singing Christmas hymns and then eating yummy desserts. So, yesterday was the second Advent. We did this with Ben's family over at their house. My favorite part is the singing and the eating. ;) 
When we got home from our Thanksgiving vacation, we decorated the apartment for Christmas. One reason why January can be so sad for me is because we have to put all these lovely decorations away. The apartment then looks so barren. So, in the meantime I will just enjoy the colors and the lights. Emma's figured out how to turn the Christmas tree lights on by herself. She likes to do this first thing when she wakes up. She turns on the tree and then claps, "yay!!". If I wasn't so old and mature, I would do the same every time the Christmas tree lights came on. "Yay!!" 
What are your favorite Christmas traditions?
The most important part of advent is the eggnog!
ReplyDeleteYour decorations look very nice in your apartment. When you come, please do your advent tradition with us. Every year my dad would read the christmas story from 'Luke', and I've tried to continue with that. My other thing is making a birthday cake for Jesus. It's sort of corny but I like the idea anyway.
ReplyDeleteThis post was even better a year later, in 2007. I like the thought of preparing your heart for Christmas, this season is much more than shopping and all the hub bubb.
ReplyDeleteDadoo