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When my husband and I first got married we had a bit of trouble adjusting to our new life together around the Christmas season. You see I was used to going to look at Christmas lights, seeing all my family (extend and immediate) and tons of family functions all of which were scheduled on Christmas day. He, however, was used to a more low-key version 2 family functions and that was it. I was in a bit of a culture shock.
As time went on however we developed our own Christmas traditions. We cut back on many family functions because they just caused way to much stress on the day. Instead, we replaced them with a huge family breakfast that both our parents come to. The festivities here start Christmas Eve night when we all gather around to read about the birth of Jesus. We do still go look at Christmas lights ( I was very unwavering on this one!) but we do not travel far since we live around a few housing developments I can easily get my Christmas light fix. We spend the day at home where the children can play with their new gadgets and we get to watch Christmas movies. Ended with a family meal. It fits us perfect since we are low key people. This perfect for us system took time to agree on. It took compromising on both our parts. It also took being open to new ideas. But isn’t that like any other day when you are married.
Making Your Own Family Traditions:
- Decide which ones mean the most to you. It was important to me to see my immediate family on Christmas. It was important to my husband to have a somewhat low key day. Hence Christmas breakfast was born.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things. Movie day on Christmas was a first for me. But I must admit I liked not rushing around to a bunch of different places. Not to mention cooking for all those places. Ended up I LOVE Christmas movie day!!
- Be sure that you incorporate your husband’s favorites with your own. My husband’s favorite thing is to cover the tree with candy canes after the kids go to bed. He also seems to scatter them down under the tree and down the hall to each of the kid’s rooms. Though I don’t really understand the meaning behind this I absolutely love the child like grin he gets while doing it.
- Make sure to keep Christ at the center of all the fun. Read about Jesus’s birth. Explain why it is we give presents. And make sure to tell them the ultimate gift that Christ gave to us all.
So what are some of your family’s traditions? How do you make sure that it is Christ centered?
Until Next Time Just Keep Soaring 4 Him,
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I like your suggestions. This will be me and my husbands first Christmas married so I’m eager to sit down and talk to him about traditions our little family will start. Last year we went to Nashville to help with a homeless shelter project which was nice. But this year we are actually married with a 6 year old son and one on the way. Thanks for sharing your suggestions!
Such an exciting time for you!! Oh yes my husband and I did a lot of trail and error before we found exactly what worked for us. The main thing is to keep an open mind and make it work for you all. In the end our traditions that we have set in place with be wonderful memories to our children. Sure they will change their ways of doing things to meet their needs but they will still have the fond memories 🙂 Thanks for stopping by