Last year, my girl and I started a new holiday tradition…decorating a gingerbread house. So much fun. So much candy.
Because we’re in the midst of a kitchen reno, this year’s gingerbread house was decorated at my parents’ place and that made it fun too since Grandma got to add in her artistic touch.
This activity is definitely a holiday favourite. And look how proud this gingerbread house designer looks:
Another holiday fav? The Christmas stocking
Growing up we definitely hung our stockings up by the chimney with care. I don’t know what it is about them but my siblings and I would be so excited to tear into them Christmas morning.
In our family we took turns opening Christmas gifts but your stocking was yours to plow through without delay. So waking up bird early — per the norm of young children everywhere on December 25th — we could enjoy the goodies and marvel at whatever small toys and trinkets we pulled out of it.
I think Christmas stockings are a tradition created by parents to give them time to brew coffee, rub their eyes awake until they’re ready — albeit blurry-eyed — to open gifts. Pulling surprise after surprise out of our stockings meant us children were more than happy to wait.
When I chat with people about their holiday traditions and the topic of the stocking comes up…I always ask whether or not the trinkets and such stuffed inside are wrapped or stuffed inside as is.
In my family stocking stuffers are not wrapped. In my husband’s family, 98.5% of items get wrapped.
For a person who does not enjoy wrapping gifts in general, wrapping something smaller than a muffin (yes, a food analogy) just seems crazy.
What holiday traditions do you celebrate?
I love hearing how other families celebrate the holidays. What traditions they follow, what holiday baking is baked and gobbled up each year without fail. When the tree goes up. You name it.
These traditions make me so happy. As stressful as the holidays can be, there’s a sweetness to being able to build memories around an activity you do together.
So tell me, what holiday traditions does your family share? And let me know if you wrap those stocking stuffers or not.
4 Responses to “Holiday traditions rock”
Lynn
We are firm no-wrappers here – I knew a guy in high school whose family wrapped the stocking gifts and that was the first I’d ever heard of it, before or since. I can’t imagine the huge pain in the butt that would be – what about things like bookmarks? sticker sheets? scratch and win cards? Plus, you can fit more in the stocking if you don’t wrap :).
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Melany Gallant
Right, Lynn! So right…I am mutinying (word?) this year and not doing it. Nope…not wrapping them.
Vanessa
My favorite holiday tradition….Wrapping up everyone’s stocking stuffers, yeah you heard me…I am one of “those” crazy people..haha! I enjoy wrapping every little thing, bookmarks included. I guess it prolongs the fun Christmas feeling for me…especially since I don’t get to see all our family at Christmas. So go ahead and be a no wrapper, but I am a wrapper for life!! Love ya Mel xoxo (enjoy unwrapping your stocking stuffers from me this year)
Melany Gallant
Ha! Thanks for commenting, Van. I will certainly enjoy unwrapping my stocking stuffers from you and yours. 🙂