Special Holiday Traditions, Shared!

More Traditions

I went through a divorce this year so with our new life my 4 children and I have decided to start a new tradition. Instead of putting up the same Christmas tree we have done every year for the past 14 yrs, we have decided to change it up... We are making every ornament that will be on our Christmas tree this year (this has been fun AND great for my single mom budget). The kids and I have enjoyed spending the last month or so making our ornaments. We will be putting our tree up this weekend (since they will be spending Thanksgiving with their father). They are so excited to see the fruits of their labors and have loved being so involved in the planning and making of our Christmas tree. They have been telling all our family and friends about what we have been doing and that they have to come see our tree once it is up. We love Christmas at our house and I think this year is going to be extra special. -Rhonda Holloway Black

We will be doing a toy drive and toy run inspired by my little boy who at 6 last year collect around 40 toys with his little brother to donate to the kids here in our town that need them. This year his cousins are helping and we are working ... on getting others involved and a local car club is doing a toy drive inspired by my little guys. The holidays are all about giving and sharing and I am blessed my kids are so into doing that. My son's dream this year is to collect enough toys so that every child here in our town can have one on Christmas. -Jeanna Webb Ruiz

Right before bedtime we would put baby powder on the hearth so we could see Santa's footprints in the morning. My father would put on his boots and make Santa prints in the powder and then track it to the Christmas tree. It was magical waking up and seeing proof that he had been there! -Patti Martin Lautenschlager

I am looking forward to taking my son to Chicago to see the lights on MI Ave & State Street. We took him to see the big tree @ Macy's on State Street (used to be Marshall Field's) & all the decorated windows there. When I was a little girl we always did this and I loved it. I would like to keep that tradition alive, even though I now live almost 3 hours away from Chicago. -Laurie Stephens

Being woken up at midnight to kiss the baby Jesus and open presents with the whole family. I remember being put to bed and told that Santa would come at midnight and that's when all the kids woke up because only then will you be able to open... your presents. Bed times didn't matter on that day. It was so much fun to wake up and be surrounded by everything you asked for. We're not well-off by any means but I just remember my parents doing the best they could to get us what we wanted the most on Xmas. I plan on doing the same for my son. We've been celebrating Xmas at family's homes where it gets bigger and bigger each year and this year my son is 1 so he'll really get into ripping open presents and enjoying the gift wrapping paper. -Diana Rojas

We put up our tree and take our elves on shelves out of hibernation after thanksgiving. Every day the elves are in a different spot so they can watch my son and report back to Santa every night. Every Christmas eve we make reindeer food and put it outside. And we put cookies out for Santa and we read the dinosaur's night before Christmas before he goes to sleep. (He's 4 so that's his favorite version of the book) in the morning we get up to see what Santa brought him. -Morgan Strickland

The day after thanksgiving we pile in our car and set out on our quest for our Griswold Christmas Tree. Christmas Eve Santa's elf leaves a pair of holiday pj's on their beds to wear that night. They so look forward to getting home to see what is on their bed that night. -Kelly Plaza

This is my daughter's first Thanksgiving or Christmas with a father. I have been a single mom since she was born. This will also be my first set of holidays as a wife. I want to give my daughter the tradition of family, the tradition of being thankful, the tradition of giving to the less fortunate, the tradition of being a two parent home, the tradition of stability, and the tradition of love. I want her to leave Santa cookies and see the joy on her face when she finds them gone. I want her to experience waking us up on Christmas Day as early as she wants. I just want her to be happy and blessed. -Diana N. Townsend

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