Family Christmas Eve Traditions

Many people feel that the most exciting part of Christmas is Christmas Eve.  You will generally find that kids will put themselves to bed early that night so they can be up early Christmas day morning.

I know when I was younger like a lot of families it was tradition to open one gift Christmas Eve.  This gift was always new pajamas which no doubt, my mother chose so that we would all be wearing our best pajamas for pictures the next morning.

But what is the meaning of Christmas?  As you are aware the Christian meaning of Christmas came into place over 2,000 years ago when Mary gave birth to a small child in a stable.  This story can be found in Chapter two of the book of St. Luke the Bible.

One Christmas tradition was to read the story on Christmas Eve and make us think about the true meaning of Christmas.  Christian bookstores carry picture books about the Nativity so the children can see as well as hear.  You may also be able to find a good Christmas story at your local library.

Another Christmas Eve tradition we use to carry out was for everyone to take it  turns  to say what they appreciated about Christmas and the festive season and what it meant to them  Questions like this get the children thinking about something other than themselves and the gifts they may receive.

Yet another reading tradition involves reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas just before everyone is ready to go to bed.  As children get older and learn to read this is a great story for them to read to the whole family as well.

As Christmas is a time for the family to gather you can also watch a good movie together and share some quality time.  Family films can include such this as Home Alone, Santa Clause the movie, A Christmas Story (our favorite)  and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  These are just some of my favorite Christmas films that all the family can enjoy

More nostalgic movies include:  A Christmas Carol, The Christmas Shoes, It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.

It is important to make sure that family traditions are kept up especially at Christmas.  As your children grow and start to have children of their own you will experience the fun and enjoyment of your children passing traditions onto your grandchildren.  No doubt there will be some family embarrassment that you will continue to laugh about for years to come