Favorite Holiday Traditions

One thing I love about the holidays is family traditions.  Every Christmas Eve, we make homemade ravioli and have a special dinner after a candlelight service at church.  We let the kids exchange sibling gifts and this year we’re adding the tradition of reading The Night Before Christmas under the Christmas tree.  Of course, we have to get to bed early to give Santa plenty of time to arrive.

I’m always looking for new family traditions.  One of my friends spends Christmas Eve at a homeless shelter with her kids.  Another friend bakes a birthday cake for Jesus.  Others have stopped exchanging gifts altogether and instead take a special family trip together.

Family traditions tend to be as different as the families represented by them.  The important part is not how we celebrate.  The important part is what who we celebrate.  I don’t even think our celebration needs to be all that “religious.”

What’s your favorite holiday tradition, and how do you create the memories of celebrating Jesus, the greatest gift of all?