Making memories through traditions

Happy December!

I love this month of celebration. Both Elijah and I love Christmas. It is our favorite holiday, and we try to celebrate it not only on the 25th, but throughout the month. Every day of this month is a day on which we try to be a little kinder, more patient, more generous, happier, and full of love. Every day we try to spread some of that Christmas feeling out to our friends and family, whether it be by throwing parties, sending cards and presents, or just doing little acts of service.

We also like to make and continue family traditions that can bring that joy into our home. On the first day of December, we take our family and go hunting for the perfect tree. We then bring it home and decorate it together as a family. Word has it that I let my children decorate their tree first, and then mine. When they go to sleep, I rearrange the family tree the way I like it. Both parties are satisfied that way. We also drink some hot chocolate while Elijah works on the lights. I love looking at my festive house!
Another tradition we like is reading Christmas books each night. Two or three years ago a friend of mine shared with a few of us some of her family traditions. She would wrap about 30 Christmas books that her children had collected throughout the years and have them ready by the first of December. She would have her children take turns each night unwrapping one book, which she would then read to them. I've been doing this myself for two years now, and we are continuing this year as well. The children love unwrapping presents and what better way to get their eagerness for opening presents slow down by opening one each night. We also love reading Christmas books each night. It made us remember what we are celebrating this month. I read A Christmas Carol to them and in addition to it, we read one of the books under the tree each night.

Granted not all of my books are spiritual, but the message of kindness and love is repeated in each of them. Here is the list of the books I wrapped this year (the ones in bold letters are my favorites):

1. Christmas around the world by Emily Kelley
2. Magic Tree House - Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne
3. A Little Golden Book - Mickey's Christmas Carol
4. A Little Golden Book - Baby's Christmas (I had to wrap this one just for Charlton)
5. Magic Tree House - A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time by Mary Pope Osborne
6. Jacob's Gift by Max Lucado
7. A Little Golden Book - The Christmas Story
8. Silent Night, Holy Night - The Story of Christmas Truce by Walter Cronkite
9. My first Little House Books - Christmas in the woods
10. A Little Golden Book - My Christmas Treasury
11. Our Favorite Christmas Book - A Compelation of poems and stories by Tennyson, Dickens, Longfellow, Shakespeare, etc.
12. Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
13. Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings by Stan and Jan Berenstain
14. The Christmas miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski
15. Merry Christmas, little Critter by Mercer Mayer
16. Arthur's Christmas by Marc Brown
17. The Berenstain Bears meet Santa Bear by Stan and Jan Berenstain
18. The Giving chest by Dan Farr
    
19. A Little Golden Book - Pooh's Sweetest Christmas
20. The night before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
21. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
22. How the Grinch stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
23. Merry Christmas, curious George by Margaret and H.E.Rey
24. The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain
25. Madeline's Christmas by Ludvig Bebelmans
26. The other wise man by Pamela Kennedy
27. The legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Whalburg
    
28. The very first Christmas by Paul L. Maier
29. A Little Golden Book - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
    
30. On Christmas Eve by Margaret Wise Brown
31. The little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown
    

What are some of your favorite traditions? What Christmas books do you love to read?