christmas traditions

I'm a lover of traditions. I love the mere idea of routinely, ritualized traditions but also their communal nature. One of my favourite things is being around loved ones, and I see traditions as a way to bring people together.  Growing up, my mother instilled in our family a great appreciation for the holidays and upholding practices to look forward to yearly. I have had to work on opening up to traditions that are out of the norm and creating new ones, because I hold on so tightly to the traditions we currently have! Here are some of my favourite Christmas traditions. The list is obviously not exhaustive, but it gives you a little idea of what the holidays in our home look like! 

1. Christmas cookie making 
This one is a classic. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we love making sugar cookies, mint chocolate meringues, gingersnaps and all our favourite holiday cookie recipes. Frank Sinatra is blasting, Santa hats are donned and my sis and I tend to eat more cookie dough than one should. Christmas cookies are great gifts for loved ones, and they are the best way to end holiday parties. We love this tradition!

2. An ornament a year
One might argue a Christmas tree should have a cohesive look. I disagree. Our Christmas tree is adorned with tons of mismatching ornaments, and I love it. Every single ornament has a story and it is so fun to decorate the tree and reminisce over the different places ornaments were found, or think of the people who gave them to us. 
Every year since birth, my parents have gifted my sister and I with a new Christmas ornament, so that when we move out we will have a collection of ornaments for our own. I find this to be a precious tradition that speaks to my nostalgic heart! 

3. Christmas PJs and living room sleepover 
This has always been a well-anticipated Christmas tradition in our home. Growing up, my sister and I were allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve- new pyjamas. The two of us would excitedly put on our new pair of PJs and get all set up in the living room for the night. We would then wake up to the Christmas tree bedecked with gifts under it on Christmas morning. So fun. 

4. Neighbour party
I will always appreciate my parents' deep desire to celebrate Christmas communally. Every year, they opened up our home to our neighbours during the Christmas season for a community party. I so admire their hospitality and their vision to see people of different backgrounds, faiths and creeds, ethnicities and family cultures to come together around food and conversation. In the past couple years, others have hosted the event and it has become a tradition on our block. I love it... especially the finger food involved! (see below picture)

5. Christingle service 
Growing up, my family headed downtown on Christmas Eve, for a Christingle service at a beautiful Presbyterian Church in the city. We would sign hymns and celebrate with brothers and sisters that Christ is Light ("Christingle"). This Advent tradition involves a set of symbolic objects, namely an orange representing the world, a candle pushed into the orange which represents Christ at the Light of the World, a red ribbon wrapped around the orange representing the blood and love of Christ, and, lastly, dried fruits representing the fruits of the earth and God's creation. Now that my dad is pastoring a church, we have been trying to incorporate the Christingle in our congregation's Christmas Eve services. I appreciate traditions that are tangible reminders of the hope of the Christmas story. 

What are your favourite Christmas traditions?