Holiday traditions are often the glue in a family.  Unfortunately, the holidays (and our sense of tradition and perfectionism) can sometimes bring unnecessary stress into our lives.  It doesn’t have to be that way though.  Not if we remember WHY we are celebrating the holiday and WHAT we really hope to achieve in our family through the traditions.  Some traditions, if they bring unnecessary baggage and grief, are best thrown out!  So be intentional when choosing what traditions and holidays you will take on in your own family.  Leave room for adaptations, entirely new traditions and even stripped down or canceled traditions.

 

For where your treasure is; there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:34

9 Holiday traditions to consider or be inspired from

 

Traditions that are unique to your family can be formal and serious, quirky and fun or anything in-between.  Here are a listing of some popular and sometimes very unique family traditions I’ve heard of throughout the years…

Sunday Night Family Dinners (without fail, no matter how old you are).

Birthday Cake for breakfast  & your favorite meal for dinner!


Pizza Night
Taco Night
Pasta Night
(Favorite food) Night


First day of school picture and special breakfast

Girls have their mother’s first name as their middle name and boys have their father’s first name as their middle name.

Does your family have any unique traditions?  Please share them in the comments below!

 As a Christian parent it is important to me to weave our faith into our family’s traditions.  If my children carry nothing else on from their childhood I hope they carry and pass on our faith!

Faith Filled Traditions:

Dedications
We believe in dedicating our children back to God within the first 8 months of their life.  Additionally, each of my children have their own dedication gown or outfit with their initials embroidered on it to pass down to their own children.  It is my hope that my future grand children’s initials will also be added to the gown/outfit when they wear it for their own dedications. 


5 Ways to Celebrate Christmas

On Christmas Day we have a birthday cake for Jesus and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. It is another reminder of what this day really represents.

We set up a nativity set and on Christmas morning, before we open presents,  one child is chosen to place the baby Jesus in the manger.

After our Christmas tree goes up the very first present to go under the tree is a present for Jesus.  It is a wrapped box with a slit in the top.  Throughout the month each family member is encouraged to offer gifts of service, kindness, or sacrifice to another as a gift for Jesus.  After all the presents have been opened we read the gifts offered to Jesus that month.

During the Christmas holidays we place all of the cards we receive onto a Christmas Card Tree. After the Christmas holidays are done we place all of the Christmas cards we receive into a bowl and each night, each child chooses a card and we pray for that Family. Sometimes we send a little post card letting that family know about our tradition and that their family was lifted in prayer.  This wonderful tradition was “borrowed” from our sweet neighbors who have carried this tradition on with their 10 children and 42 grandchildren!

Our Advent House   celebrates our faith and our family time together in a meaningful way.  As a new tradition this year, we are going to begin brainstorming ideas to put in the Advent house after dinner on Thanksgiving day.

Baptism
Our first child was baptized last year in our family’s pool by our Pastor and the spiritual leader of our home,  his father.  When I look out at our family’s pool I think of that day when our church family gathered around the pool and witnessed our son accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  It made such a powerful impression on me that I vowed right then that I wanted each of our children to be baptized by their father, hopefully at our family pool. Finding a way to tie in your family home to a faith filled tradition or milestone is just another way of weaving your faith into the fabric of your family life.


What are some of your family’s faith filled traditions?

Challenge:

Reflect on the traditions of your childhood (both your own and those of your extended family and friends) and write down the ones that inspire you or that you have carried on in your own family.