Money Tree Family Traditions

Everyone has their traditions. Some were handed down from your parents. If you have a significant other, perhaps you blended them as you came together as a couple. Some are new and fit a new way of living or new things that are important.


I jotted mine down here. Some are yearly. Some depend on where we celebrate Christmas. Some depend on the weather/temps/amount of snow.


As you celebrate with your family I hope you enjoy many traditions, old and new.

• Christmas Music: There are some local singers that have in house CDs. Nothing makes me feel more  in the season than listening to them. Beyond that, Jim Reeves is a favourite. I know I know, I'm not THAT old. but mom used to play it all the time on our old big box 8 Track. He has such a wonderful deep voice. Don't worry. there are lots of newer artists I like too LOL. Some of my favourites are Trisha Yearwood's 'Sweet little jesus child' and "it wasn't his child', Bon Ami's 'Mary's Boy child' and different artists renditions of Silent Night, O Holy Night etc

• We always try to tour about and see what other houses have done with their lights. We put up our own and that's really all I want to put up. Others are very excited to decorate and we appreciate them; small lights and big fancy designs.
• Christmas Eve Service. No matter where we are, we do try to go. There is just something so wonderfully spiritual about the night. The music. The people. The prayers. The candles. We went last night. It my was my great nephew's first Christmas. It was so good to have 20 of us there.         
• Opening Gifts: When we are in town for Christmas, the four of us always open our gifts up together first thing in the morning. Well, six of us actually. The cats love hanging out and jumping from box to box, claiming it as their own. When we are out of town, we take along a couple gifts but leave the rest to open when we return. When we go over to mom's, she likes to take us one 'family' at a time (there are four of us sisters). After a couple of mass opening fiascoes, my mother put her foot down. Families go one at a time downstairs to  open them by the fire and anyone else who is home stays upstairs to give mom and dad that special time with each group.
• Christmas brunch. Around 11 AM, whoever is home heads to mom and dad's for Christmas brunch. She loves having everyone there for meals and this is a special time for her. The one year we had to go to DH's sister's house in town instead. My boys were devastated to miss this tradition with my parents.

• Get moving activities: It really depends on the weather. Could be ice fishing or snowmobiling (borrowing my dad's). could be skating indoors or out. Hockey. Could be going to the school gym (mine or my sister's if we're up there) and playing volleyball or watching Sister 2 and Sister 3 go head to head in basketball 21. One of the best years was when we rented the curling rink and had a family bonspiel there on Boxing Day.
• Sleigh Rides: We don't always get to but oh my it's magic when we do. Sometimes it is with the Scouts. Sometimes it is at my school. Sometimes the family arranged it and twice one of my friend's from work did it. Always such a wonderful time.

• We are quite a simple family. We gather together for food, laughter, drinks and good times. We do not do the 'dressed to the nines' Christmas supper. None of us has the room or a formal dining room for that.  Our meals are not traditional served at the table kind. See above 'no room' statement. It's buffet styled and then we find seats where we can and enjoy the wonderful meal.  Somewhere in that time together is games time. It takes a variety of forms: Kaiser, Cribbage,  Crokinole (man that hurts my fingers), or different board games: Taboo, Balderdash, Cranium. Last year it was 'catch phrase'. We had a great time with that and tons of laughter. DS2 is actually really good at those sorts of games and that is ALWAYS his best memory of Christmas. DS1's involves food usually.

Probably our best Christmas tradition is sponsoring a family through the Food Bank. We were in that position once...12 years ago to be precise...and we will never forget how that felt.

I hope that whatever your traditions are, you have a wonderful holiday.