Making Christmas Memories and Traditions
By: Michele Tarter
Christmas can be an exciting time of year for most people. For others, Christmas can become a stressful season with worries about money, buying gifts, planning family events, and just trying to live up to the expectations of others or ourselves. To start your holiday planning, you may want to think about the special memories and traditions that you and your family had as you grew up and incorporate those with your own children. You may just want to start new traditions and memories that fit you and your budget or beliefs better. Creating happy, memorable moments doesn’t have to be expensive to be special, but you do need to make a plan, so you don’t go into debt to bring that holiday excitement to your family. Here are some ideas to celebrate Christmas without spending a lot of money.
Gift-Giving
- Use a guide for your gift buying so you don’t get carried away. The “Three-Gift Rule” represents what the three wise men brought to Jesus at His birth. There are variations to the rule, but basically, the children get something they WANT, something they NEED, and something to READ as their three gifts for Christmas.
- Homemade cookies, pumpkin bread, or other delicious treats can be a gift that many people will enjoy receiving.
- If you have skill or see a need, give a gift of service. As a Christmas present, I just painted my mother-in-law’s living room that she has been wanting to have
painted. Other people may appreciate a good house cleaning or car cleaning as a gift.
The Christmas Pickle
- There is a supposed German tradition of hiding a glass pickle ornament somewhere in the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Since a green pickle is difficult to find, the finder of the pickle gets a small gift as a prize. It is a silly, but fun Christmas game to incorporate every year with children or adults.
Christmas Lights
- One of my favorite Christmas memories is driving or walking through neighborhood Christmas light displays. There are many local neighborhoods that are known for their magical displays, and the list with directions can be found on the letsgolouisville.com website. You can also go to places like the Christmas Lights of Charlestown, Indiana or the Jones Family Christmas Light and Music Show at a house in Lexington, Kentucky. Grab some hot chocolate to add to the Christmas magic. You can even decorate your own home inside with inexpensive lights from garage sales or end-of-season sales to feel the Christmas magic every night.
Read a Christmas Story
- You can find one book to look forward to reading together every year or discover a new book every year. Snuggle up together with the hot chocolate and enjoy books like “The Polar Express”, “The Littlest Angel”, “The Legend of the Candy Cane”, “The First Christmas-Lessons From the Nativity”, or “Mary, Did You Know?”. There is also “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” or the classic “The Night Before Christmas”.
Wrapping Gifts
- Buy inexpensive craft paper that comes in large quantities. You can use different colored bows for different people instead of gift tags or use inexpensive twine from Walmart as your ribbon. If you have some paper left over, you can cover your dining table with the craft paper and let the kids decorate it with Christmas stickers, crayons, or glitter glue.
Family Gifts
- If you have to buy gifts for friends or family groups, try buying a gift for the whole family to use. This could be a popular board game or a puzzle. You can even do a silly sock or mug exchange instead of individual gifts for everyone.
Christmas-Themed Night at Home
- Set aside a night for watching your favorite Christmas movies while you string popcorn garland for the tree, and, of course, drink hot chocolate! Take this night to fall asleep together underneath the sparkling lights of the Christmas tree. You can also create special Christmas memories by writing a letter to Santa, making cookies together, creating a new ornament every year, tracking Santa on Noradsanta.org, baking a birthday cake for Jesus, or volunteering together. Remember to resist getting caught up in a stressful flurry and enjoy your family time while recognizing the birth of Jesus as the reason for the season.
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AUTHOR BIO
Michele Tarter is an RN of 33 years who realized she enjoyed writing and grammar while in college at the University of Kentucky. She is a member of Southeast Christian Church. She enjoys gardening, hiking, and cooking healthy food.