Making Christmas Memorable

[threecrazykids]

Thank you so much everyone for all of the suggestions, keep them coming!

I've gotten some wonderful ideas from all of you! I agree, when I look back at all of my Christmas memories as a child, I do remember cool toys that I got, but the things we did as a family were just as memorable.

We've always had the tradition of watching a movie on Thanksgiving evening (the last few years it's been Polar Express), but I think an entire day/evening of a movie marathon sounds awesome! I plan on letting everyone pick at least one movie for their favorite and we'll pop popcorn and have candy.

I am also going to plan an evening to go drive around and look at Christmas lights.

I am so grateful for this time with my kids and regardless of how little money we have, I know these memories will last a lifetime.

Any other traditions you used to do as a child that made your Christmas's very memorable? Even ones that you may not have carried on in your own families? Or ones that your spouse did?

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Our extended family does a Christmas Card Party. We get together the first Sunday in Dec. Everyone brings a dessert and their Christmas cards. We eat, visit and exchange cards. It is fun and we save postage. We also don't exchange gifts just the cards. Well the little ones might get a few things from the aunts - socks, a puzzle, inexpensive things like that.

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm so sorry that things are so tight this year.

I say you make this Christmas more about DOING than getting.

One thing we've done every year since 9/11 is this: On Christmas Eve morning, we go as a family to the local police and fire houses and deliver a big tray of wrapped candies as a thank you for keeping us safe all year. It doesn't have to cost much-- a bag of lollipops will do, and the guys on duty over the holiday will appreciate it.

I also have a party each year for "the girls"-- my mom, sisters, and friends. It's the gift exchange you've probably heard of, but it would be easy to adapt for your family. Instead of each of you getting one gift for each of the others-- that gets expensive, you buy one individual gift. You pick numbers out of a hat. #1 opens a gift. #2 chooses to either open a new gift or steal #1's. (if that happens, #1 opens a new gifr.) #3 can open a new gift, or steal either of the already-opened gifts. The only real rule is that you can't steal back something that's just been stolen from you-- it has to hit a 3rd person before you can get it back. I can see how you could make this into a new Christmas morning tradition somehow.

 

[diznee25]

OP: Money is tight for us this year as well as I am unemployed at the moment. Well, I just got a part time gig updated websites at home, so it's not too bad.

But we aren't able to spend the amount we normally would for Christmas, so presents will be scaled down. Christmas has always been about traditions for us, so here's what we do:

1. Take a holiday photo of us (and our dogs) for our Christmas Photo Card.

2. We go to Toys R Us and buy a toy for the Toys for Tots program.

3. Thanksgiving weekend starts up the traditions:

Wednesday: We hit the mall for lunch and see a holiday movie. This year it's The Muppets.

T-Day: We stay home and have the big meal, and watch Home Alone. DH will put up our Christmas tree, so it's ready to be decorated tomorrow. Later on that night I'll check websites for Black Friday deals!

Black Friday: Go out to be in the crowds to soak up the holiday spirit. This is the day we'll buy an ornament for our tree. (We've done this for 10 years!)
Then we go home to put out our Christmas decor and decorate the tree.

Saturday: We just started this tradition a few years ago, we build gingerbread houses. So fun!

Oh, this might be a bit weird but we have all the Friends episodes on DVD. I like to break out the holiday episodes and watch them during this time of the year. (There's a lot of Thanksgiving episodes!)
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On Christmas Eve morning we go to the ICE! event at the Gaylord Resort. It is pricey but this is a tradition I'm not willing to pass up on. This is just so much fun!

diznee25

 

[MomToOne]

Any other traditions you used to do as a child that made your Christmas's very memorable? Even ones that you may not have carried on in your own families? Or ones that your spouse did?

Starting as children and continuing to this day, our family exchanges gifts amongst ourselves on Christmas Eve after dinner. Christmas morning is Santa gifts only. I think every single one of us (there are 5 of us kids, plus now spouses) would agree that Christmas Eve is hands down our favorite, and that was true even as children when the gifts we were exchanging were largely homemade or from the dime store.

When we were young, we normally would take turns cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, as one of our chores. But on Christmas Eve, we worked together to get that kitchen cleaned as fast as possible, so we could get to the presents. That resulted in some hilarious moments - including one time a huge water/suds fight LOL Many years we'd time ourselves to see just how fast we could get it cleaned. After cleaning, we'd dive into the presents, then we'd do all the standard traditions like reading the Night Before Christmas, hanging our stockings, and putting out cookies and milk for Santa.

As adults, we still normally all manage to congregate at my brothers house for Christmas Eve (even though that's a cross country trip for some of us!). It's a whole event, starting with our favorite appetizer (a massive bowl of crab dip we all LOVE) and champaigne, followed by a huge dinner (my brother is an accomplished amateur chef) and finally the presents. Our children now know Christmas Eve as the day for this special time with family, and they love it too. Although they hate the fact that we all linger over dinner telling stories and just catching up, and love to torture them with waiting.

 

[Twingle]

Just wanted to say I think this is a *GREAT* thread, and I've gotten tons of ideas! Thanks for sharing everyone

 

[semo233]

Past posters have given you some great ideas already! I agree with a calendar to use to list all of the great things you"ll be doing this year! It gives the kids something to look forward to every day or so.

*Check your local paper for free Christmas tree lightings or events and see them all!
*Check you libraries in your area for other free activities...free passes to museums, zoos and parks, etc.
*Make ornaments for an outdoor Christmas Tree for the birds...smear peanut butter on pine cones and then roll in bird seed, string popcorn, etc.
*Let a different child pick what is for dinner on a different night
*Sleep under your Christmas tree with the lights twinkling all night
*Sleepover - have some friend's kids over for a night to give them a chance to shop, wrap, etc.
*baking cookies, making candy, etc. night
*wrapping night - give each child some special time (15-20min) to help you wrap gifts for the others in your family. It's a great time to teach them how to wrap!
*Make salt dough ornaments for each child to keep for their own tree someday
*The Christmas Elf - fun each day of the season - check out this thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2321254
*Make a Mom's cookbook: Let each child select their favorite meals and treats and make a cookbook for them to keep. You can make it as simple or elaborate as you want. They will appreciate this as they get older!
*Milk shake night
*appetizers for dinner night
*Make a point to print out the schedule of Christmas movies on TV - watch, DVR or tape them!
*Visit a local zoo (check library for free passes)! Animals are usually more active during the cooler months and there will be no crowds! Our zoo also has some holiday events!
*Contact your Social Services dept/church and see if there are volunteer opportunities
*Make a special event of setting up your Christmas village, creche/manger, etc.
*If you are like me and not good at putting pictures into scrapbook/photo albums, take an evening or two and do them together! It would also be great to have one with pictures from just every Christmas.
*Introduce your kids to other cultural celebrations and make a night of each one. We celebrate December 5th (St. Nicholas Day, traditionally German) in our church, but pick cultures with meaning to you or let each kid pick a culture
*Schedule a way to celebrate the first snowfall
*Family game night - each person selects one game to play (may take more than one night!)
*If it follows your religious beliefs, an advent wreath and candles
* "wrap" the doorway to the living room so we would have to break through the wrapping paper to get into the room and see the tree
*make reindeer food for Santa's sleigh pullers...you can google a recipe
*You Have Been Elfed!
*A couple weeks before Christmas, all my neighbors play a game called "You Have Been Elfed!" Someone starts by dropping off the rhyme (see below), a picture of an elf on a sheet of paper and treats at two houses without being caught. Then those two neighbors continue the fun by doing the same to two more neighbors. Everyone that gets "Elfed" is supposed to post the elf on their door or in their window so they don’t get "Elfed" twice. The idea is to pass the holiday cheer along to as many people as possible by Christmas. It’s a fun and easy way to celebrate the holidays with your neighbors.
re.

You have been Elfed!
Santa’s little helper has come to town,
To leave these goodies you have found.
If you wish to have the best season of all
You must help this "Elf" with his call.
First, post this Elf where it can be seen
And leave it there till Christmas Eve.
Then other visiting Elves will pass on their way.
Be sure to participate, it will bring joy to your day.
Second, make two treats,
Two Elves, and
Two notes like this.
Just one day, is all you’ve got
So go ahead and give it a shot.
Leave the treats where the Elf has not gone
By the light of the moon, deliver to their home.
Hide behind a bush, a car even a tree
The surprise & joy on their face you are sure to see.
Now you've been blessed with yuletide cheer.
You’ll feel it throughout the New Year.
Alas another Christmas Tradition is sure to have begun.
Thanks for sharing in this Christmas fun.
And last but not least, enjoy the season.
For all of the right reasons.
*Slumber party on Christmas eve - Let the kids pick one bedroom to sleep in together
*Have your children ever seen your wedding video or wedding album? Or the story of how you met or how you got engaged? Make an evening of it and have your children compare stories of how you tell it and how your husband tells it
*At a yard sale or dollar store, pick the ugliest, useless gift that you can and pass it along each year. In our family, it was an UGLY painting. Bright red, no form, no movement...ugly is a nice word for it. Each year, we got inventive in wrapping it and no one knew who would receive it! If you received it one year, you got to give it the next year!
*Find or make a group to go caroling - rehad center, hospital, retirement home, etc. call and aks permission first. We once went caroling in a senior community where everyone lived in condos and they were soooo happy!
*Make your own wrapping paper. Use poster paint, stamps, stickers etc. and the back of grocery or shopping bags. Handprint, thumbprint, glitter, ribbon, etc.
*Pick a night and use your best china and silver, candles, table cloths, etc. for your regular family dinner. Practice using your best manners like at a fancy dinner, or pretend to have a special guest there.
*celebrate the longest night of the year on December 22nd - eat dinner by candlelight, make a small backyard yard bonfire (with marshmallows, of course). No one is allowed to turn on a traditional light, use candlelight and Christmas lights exclusively
*Hot Chocolate stand where proceeds go to a favorite charity
*ask your kids if they have any ideas of traditions they want to start!

Whatever you choose for your family, make sure you get their input and feedback afterward so that you know what traditions you want to continue!!

 

[Bearvet]

My boys are older (15, 17 & 21) and it gets harder to surprise them and to afford the things they want. Last year we surprised them by updating their phones to Androids and purchasing the data plan ($70/month extra on our bill). In doing this big gift, there wasn't much money left to buy anything else.

I didn't want them to only open 1 present and be done, so DH and I made up a treasure hunt for them. They each had a gift to open that contained the first clue; then they had to work as a team to solve the riddles to find the next clue. There were maybe 8 clues and the last one led them to their own bedroom where the wrapped phone was in their closet!

It was a lot of fun and didn't cost anything extra - just some creativity on our part. DS17 said the phones were great, but the best part was the treasure hunt! They told all of their friends about it. So you don't need to spend extra money, but look for the unexpected!

 

[crusoe2]

So many inspiring ideas here. I just got an idea for a gift that wouldn't cost a thing. You know how so many folks write a "newsletter" to put in their Christmas cards each year? (Not really sure if that's still popular but I used to get these from a few people.) You could do something similar for each of your kids - a personal letter from mom and dad to remind them of the highlights of their year. You could write about the family's big events of the year but also include any special things that child did throughout the year, any special moments you shared with them, things they did that you were especially proud of, their accomplishments, etc. Now that both my parents are gone, I know I would cherish a handwritten account of their thoughts of me as a child. And this is something you could do each year and let the kids add them to a scrapbook or give them a special box to store the letters in.

ETA: Just think of what a character-building thing this could be for your kids. If I'd known that my parents were going to write a letter like this each year, I would certainly have made every effort to give them good things to write about.

 

[NYEmomma]

Any other traditions you used to do as a child that made your Christmas's very memorable? Even ones that you may not have carried on in your own families? Or ones that your spouse did?

Oh, I just thought of one of DH's family's traditions that I actually really like (I'm not a big fan of DH's family any other time, lol).

Christmas Eve they always played board games together. MIL would get one new game and then they'd play whatever else they already had. She'd have snack-y type foods for dinner like cheese & meat & crackers and they'd have a Christmas Story playing on the TV.

DH & most of his brothers are quite intelligent so we'd always have EPIC Trivial Pursuit games.

It's one thing I'm looking forward to doing when our kids get older.

 

[threecrazykids]

Wow, you guys have some really great ideas! We attend a live pageant every Christmas Eve at our church that tells the story of the birth of Christ. Our kids are part of that (although DS17 isn't as excited about it ). Then our entire family gets together and we have Oyster Soup and Chili and the kids get to open one gift (always new jammies). We do read Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve every year as well.

I am so excited to add some of these wonderful ideas into the mix!

 

[luvmy3]

You can make your own Advent Calender.

What you need

twine
25 clothespins
25 socks
filler items

Number the clothespins 1-25 and hot glue them in order onto the twine. Fill the socks with goodies like candy, gum, toothbrushes, paste, floss, notepads, scratch off tickets, chapstick. Pretty much anything you want and it doesn't have to be an expensive item, you can get practical and/or just fun.
Hang the socks on the "line" and open one each day.

We haven't had one in a few years but I think I'll do one this year.

 

[Tinknalli]

One thing that we do that costs nothing is that we have in excess of 25 Christmas books (everything from the Grinch to Polar Express). They only come out at Christmas time. I wrap all the books up and put them under the tree. The kids take turns unwrapping one book per day and we read it together.

We also celebrate St. Nicholas day on December 6th. The kids leave their shoes out by the door on the 5th and St. Nicholas puts little treats in them. Candy, stickers, lip gloss etc. They are just as excited as Christmaas morning.

After Christmas we have the cousins over for a night time sliding party. We turn on the flood lights, lay out all the left over Christmas treats and hot chocolate and the kids have a blast.

 

[It'sOffToDisneyWeGo]

My child is in a play with a character of a Dad that lost his job. His "children" write gratitudes slips to their Dad and wrap them in a box to give their Dad on Christmas. Ex. Thank you for helping me with homework. Thank you for watching ___ with me each Friday night.

My kids did this for their dad a few years ago. They bought a wooden treasure chest at Hobby Lobby. They spent an afternoon together decorating it and coming up with what to write on the scraps of paper. This was also great sibling bonding. They did memories with my dad. Funny thing is when we read the pieces of paper most of them had to do with fun traditions and vacation memories. I don't think one paper contained a memory of a gift that cost money. It gave us something to think about.

We look at Christmas lights. We get ice cream. I know it is crazy but it is our tradition.
We get each kid a new ornament for the tree. When they get older and leave home they get to take their ornaments with them to start their first tree.
We cut out , bake and decorate Christmas sugar cookies while listening to holiday music.
Each child gets a new set of pajamas on Christmas Eve.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

I started a new tradition last year. I baked homemade shaped sugar cookies (no fail sugar cookie recipe on cakecentral.com) with my son. Then I made all the icing bags and put them in baggies so they wouldn't dry out. When all the family came over for Christmas Eve we spent a long time decorating cookies together without any of the hassle (well at the time, lol). It was so fun and my favorite memory from last Christmas. I also saw this video for filling icing bags a while back and thought this lady was a genius and will be filling my icing bags that way from now on.

 

[Suz D]

I started a new tradition last year. I baked homemade shaped sugar cookies (no fail sugar cookie recipe on cakecentral.com) with my son. Then I made all the icing bags and put them in baggies so they wouldn't dry out. When all the family came over for Christmas Eve we spent a long time decorating cookies together without any of the hassle (well at the time, lol). It was so fun and my favorite memory from last Christmas. I also saw this video for filling icing bags a while back and thought this lady was a genius and will be filling my icing bags that way from now on.

Thank you SO much for posting that link. You're right, she's a genius! This will make cookie decorating and clean up SO easy!

 

[happygirl]

keep the great ideas coming

 

[lovehoney]

Last year at a school meeting, some of the teachers talked about their family traditions at Christmas. The one that I liked the best was the family that worked on a new large jigsaw puzzle every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. She said the kids would come home from all of their activities and stop by and work on it for a couple of minutes or for longer. Sometimes everyone would be home and they would all work on it together at the same time. Quiet conversations were had and lots of discussions about the day.

The kids looked forward to the new puzzle every year.

It sounded like a great way to be "unwired" with your family. As soon as DS2 is old enough not to destroy the puzzle, I plan on implementing this.

You can make your own Advent Calender.

What you need

twine
25 clothespins
25 socks
filler items

Number the clothespins 1-25 and hot glue them in order onto the twine. Fill the socks with goodies like candy, gum, toothbrushes, paste, floss, notepads, scratch off tickets, chapstick. Pretty much anything you want and it doesn't have to be an expensive item, you can get practical and/or just fun.
Hang the socks on the "line" and open one each day.

We haven't had one in a few years but I think I'll do one this year.

Love, love, love this idea!

One thing that we do that costs nothing is that we have in excess of 25 Christmas books (everything from the Grinch to Polar Express). They only come out at Christmas time. I wrap all the books up and put them under the tree. The kids take turns unwrapping one book per day and we read it together.

We have a lot of Christmas books that I just pack up every year with the decorations - I love the idea of wrapping them - Wonderful idea!

We also celebrate St. Nicholas day on December 6th. The kids leave their shoes out by the door on the 5th and St. Nicholas puts little treats in them. Candy, stickers, lip gloss etc. They are just as excited as Christmaas morning.

I just started this last year and put a candy cane in their shoes, but DS7 also received "coal" - he was little sad until he figured out it was actually bubblegum!

 

[nordkin]

The one tradition we had growing up that we all loved was - our Christmas tree was not decorated when we went to bed on Christmas Eve. We each placed one ornament on the tree before going to bed. When we woke up Christmas morning the first thing we were excited about was seeing the tree for the first time. As an adult I asked my parents why they did this and the reply was, we did not have a lot on money to spend on Christmas and they wanted the magic Christmas morning to be centered around something other than the gifts. I am in my 50's and I still have fond memories of this and remember very few of the gifts I received. All 5 of us kids did the same thing with our own kids. We also went to church on Christmas Eve and have some funny memories of the different Christmas plays we were in.

I know this is not for everyone, but we loved it.

 

[mafibisha]

We make a bday cake for J. and they help from baking to decorating. Then we sing happy birthday.

A birthday cake for Jesus is a great idea! An excellent visual as to why its called Christmas!