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~Our Family Traditions~
The first of my family's holiday traditions begins on the 1st of December.
As a family, we gather at my parents home to decorate the tree. Some ornaments
are old and some are new. Some are store bought and some are homemade. My
mum has kept every ornament my sister and I ever made. There are strings of
popcorn and clothespeg angles, some have lasted better than others but they
all receive a place on the tree. As we decorate we listen to carols and talk
about where all the ornaments came from. It is a really wonderful time that
I would not miss for anything.
Each year we bake and bake and bake some more. We bake mostly cookies, both
shortbread and sugar cookies. My favourite are the sugar cookies because I
love deciding how to decorate them. I recently discovered the "Brown
Bag Cookie Cutter Molds" and had a ball using them last season. We also
make and decorate a 
which
is great fun. Some years it turns out great and some years not so great but
the fun and enjoyment is always there each year no matter how it turns out.
We keep some of these treats but the majority are given to family and friends.
"Nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven."
As
a child I remember making my own Christmas cards and going with my mum to
the post office to send them. I send Christmas cards each year to all of our
friends and family. Although Christmas cards seem to fading, I still enjoy
shopping for them and sending them both near and far. It is a great way to
let people know that you are thinking of them during the busy holiday season.
We eagerly anticipate receiving that very first card. As each card arrives,
we display it for all who visit us during the holidays to enjoy.
Each year all of our friends and family and their children assemble at our
home to watch the local Santa Claus parade. For a small, little country town,
we put on quite the parade. After the parade, we always enjoy hot chocolate
and some of our baked goodies.
Even though childhood has long since passed for Ed and I, we always watch
all the animated Christmas shows. Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Is Coming
To Town (my personal favourite), Rudolph, Charlie Brown Christmas, Little
Drummer Boy, Muppet Family Christmas, (my second favourite) and any others
that we can find.
For
the past three years, we have traveled to a little town just east of us to
enjoy their "Country Christmas Kick -Off". We watch as all the shops
on the Main street turn on their lights to reveal their Christmas window displays,
we watch as they light the town tree, we sing carols at the gazebo and continue
to listen to the strolling carolers, we do some shopping in the wonderful
little stores, and we ride in the horse drawn sleigh (if there is snow), or
on the hay wagon (if there is no snow) up and down the Main street. It is
a really great night. One of the many joys of small town living.
We always drive around the neighborhood and enjoy the light displays. On the
edge of town there is a large farm and each year they go all out. Anything
that stands still has lights on it, including the big old barn. It is a truly
beautiful site to see. We always try to get to Cullen Gardens to see their
lights too. They have this incredible miniature village that they decorate
from top to bottom for the holidays. They even have a little Santa Claus parade
scene on the village Main street.
On the Saturday before Christmas, all our friends gather together and we have
a pot luck dinner. Each year we celebrate at a different house. We have continued
with this tradition for the past 10 years. Over the years we have gained husbands
and wives and children and each year the celebration is just a bit better
than it was the year before.
I adore the wonderful ornaments that Hallmark creates each year. When they
arrive in the stores in mid August, I go to make my choices and then purchase
them during the next several weeks. Each year Ed and I pick out a dated ornament
that we like and we purchase it for each other. I always choose a cat ornament
and Ed always chooses either a classic car or a golf ornament. For the past
5 years, I have purchased the Winnie The Pooh ornament too. When my mum expressed
an interest in our ornament tradition, I began to purchase the "Mother"
ornament for her each year. She is always thrilled with whatever little ornament
she finds atop her gift on Christmas morning.
Before Ed and I began our ornament tradition, I began another. Since 1985,
I have purchased the Hallmark "Friendship" ornament for my best
friend Barb. This past year was a very special addition as Hallmark had created
a wonderful ornament of two mice with cookie cutters. I was able to give one
half to Barb and keep the other. Now we each have one on our tree and a friendship
that will last forever.
For
as long as I am able to remember, my parents home has always been the place
where family and friends gathered on Christmas Eve. It is a wonderful time
spent with family and friends and I can't imagine being any other place on
this magical night.
Graphics by..
~Graphic Barn~ snowman ornament bowl
~Boys~ Santa on reindeer, tree
~Melanie's Heartspun Collections~ all others by Mel
You are the
visitor to our family traditions.