Holiday Traditions Fun for All
There are so many fun holiday traditions aren’t there? We have a few favorites ourselves and have been noticing a ew others we just might start this year! Check out these ideas and share with us in the comments section below which ones you are already doing or plan to do. Let’s celebrate the holiday season together by swapping ideas and spreading joy!
Elf on the Shelf
We started the Elf on the Shelf tradition last year and the girls LOVE it! Elf on the Shelf comes with a book telling the story of the elf and a cute little elf that your children get to name and you get to move every night to a different spot in your home. The story says that every night the elf travels to the North Pole and reports to Santa about how your child has behaved that day.
Every morning my girls run around looking for where the elf has landed. Elf on the Shelf is a fun tradition that you can start now!
Home Made Cookies for Santa
Every year during the holidays I get the domestic itch and spend more time in the kitchen with my kids than I do all year long. Our tradition since my oldest was a toddler was to make cookies from scratch for Santa on Christmas Eve. We usually make sugar cookies from a recipe I find online and then ice and decorate the cookies. We have such a great time!
Hide the Pickle
I have had Hide the Pickle as a holiday tradition in my family since I was a child and I have continued the tradition with my own children. What you do is after the tree has been decorated, there is an ornament that looks like a pickle that is hidden in the tree. On Christmas morning, the child that finds the pickle first gets a special treat. At least that’s the way we did it when I was a child and that’s the way I have been doing it with my girls.
Open the Stocking LAST
The stocking was always my favorite part of Christmas morning. I didn’t just get candy in my stocking. I got jewelry, lottery scratchers and other fun things in my stocking. It was always my favorite thing to do AFTER opening all of my Christmas morning gifts.
Photo With Santa
Even though the photos the mall takes with Santa are over priced and kinda cheesy, I love taking my girls every year to take their photo with Santa. It’s something I enjoyed doing as a child and a tradition I have passed along to my children. Since we moved to Michigan, I have been taking them to the Village of Rochester Hills to see Santa and take my own photo of the girls with Santa. They always have the snug beautifully decorated and I get some GREAT pictures.
Toy Drive for the Children’s Hospital of Michigan
This is a new holiday tradition that I have decided to start not only with my family, but also with Detroit Mommies. A few weeks ago moms from all over metro Detroit met at Einstein Bagels in Birmingham. Everyone that brought an unwrapped toy got a free bagel with cream cheese and a beverage. I was overwhelmed with joy at the outpouring of gifts that came from the moms and their families. Shannon from Glamorous Moms and I delivered the toys last week to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan and they were so thrilled! Next year we are hoping to gather more toys and host a larger toy drive event with metro Detroit families to give back. This was a great tradition to share with family as well as community.
T’was the Night Before Christmas
Another fond memory I have of Christmas time as a child was hearing my parents read T’was the Night Before Christmas to me during the holidays. In the past, I’ve taken my girls to The Ford House for a ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Story time. The Ford home is so beautiful any time of the year and a special story time will be a nice addition to our holiday traditions.
There you have it! A few fun holiday traditions that you may or may not have heard of to make the season extra special and fun. Hopefully, your family loves these ideas as much as mine. Happy Holidays!
Written by Courtney Valesquez-Lawless
