I’d like to welcome Sara from Reading the Blues Away to the blog today to give us a glimpse into her holiday memories and traditions! She has perfectly captured what I think we all love about Christmas. (Pictures added by Jana from online sources.)
Hi guys! It’s Sara from over at Reading the Blues Away. The most wonderful time of year for me is from Halloween to the New Year. It is filled with so much love, happiness, and charity. My family used to have many traditions for this time of year but as my sister and I have gotten older and things in our family have changed many of these traditions have went away. I miss the ones that have disappeared but I hope to bring them back when I have a family of my own. These are the 13 traditions I hope to bring back or keep for my future family (13 just because I love the number).
1. Yard time!
October is when the world begins to change in my neck of the woods. The temperature finally gets comfortable. The leaves start turning beautiful colors and falling to the ground. Saturdays mean playing in these leaves. Raking them into piles to burn, or to stuff in the garbage bags that look like pumpkins for decoration.
2. Family time!
Thanksgiving is for family. With everyone having different schedules it has been years since we have actually gotten to have Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day. This doesn’t really make a difference for the spirit of the holiday but to me it just feels different. I want to be able to bring Thanksgiving dinner back to Thanksgiving Day. Food, family, starting Christmas movies, one entire day with no outside interference just being with the ones we love.
3. Parades!
Watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has always been my favorite thing. No one else in my family likes to watch it, which I do not understand. I love watching the musicals and Broadway shows that do scenes. Seeing all the families, the happy children, and hearing the news anchors talk about their family plans after the parade makes me so happy. Like a glimpse into other people’s lives.
4. Food drives!
I was brought up to help others in any way possible when you are able. Donating food is one way we would help others. My school, the local churches, and other organizations in the area always had food drives to help people thru the holiday season. It is always a priority to donate as much as we can to help as many people as possible. One year we were even on the receiving end of these donations, which reinforces the urge to help even more.
5. Trees!
I am a live tree person. I know it is horrible for all those trees to be cut down every year but I really don’t like artificial trees. My family has an artificial tree now but I will be going back to live trees when I get my own place. I like picking a time that we can all get together and go pick out the perfect tree. If that means going to a tree lot, the hardware store, or even better a tree farm. Another day that the whole family gets to bundle up and search for perfection.
6. Decorations!
Once we have the perfect tree it is time to decorate it. All the decorations are brought out of storage and Christmas music is put on to play. We argue of which lights to use, because we all have our favorites. Then the ornaments, some from all the way back when my grandparents first got married. Plus the yearly ornaments we always got when we were little with our names and the year on them. All kinds of memories in one big storage bin.
7. Charity!
Giving to others is what this time of year is about. Let’s be honest, we should give and help others all year but the “want” is stronger during this time. Giving to the food drives again. Putting money in the red buckets outside stores. Visiting nursing homes and hospitals, singing carols, taking gifts, snacks, and just spending time with the patients. All around making people happy.
8. A child’s happiness!
There are always children out there that will not get the Christmas they deserve, and it isn’t their fault. Thankfully we have programs to help these kids have the best possible Christmas, Angel trees to Toys for Tots. I always put a few toys in the Toys for Tots boxes. For me the most fun is when we adopt a child for Christmas. We get to shop for everything for them from socks/underwear to a new warm coat, to toys and a stocking of goodies. Knowing how happy this child will be when they wake up Christmas morning is such a wonderful feeling.
9. Music!
Music has always been a big part of my life, but Christmas music holds a special place in my heart. From the weekend after Thanksgiving until the day after Christmas, Christmas music plays in the car, at work, around the house when we are doing Christmas things. All songs from the hippo song to Carol of the Bells to Silent Night nothing is overlooked.
10. Movies!
As a child we always picked one night for Christmas movies. We would get big bags of popcorn to share and watch all the old cartoon Christmas movies. Rudolph, Frosty, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Year Without a Santa Claus…. We watched all the others throughout the season too. Holiday Inn; my all time favorite, was watched either on Christmas Eve or after dinner on Christmas Day.
11. Breakfast!
Christmas morning every year we all get up and have breakfast together. Breakfast usually consists of cinnamon rolls and juice. We gather around the table eat breakfast, and then mom goes and starts the turkey or the ham for dinner.
12. Presents!
I’m not going to lie presents are one of the best parts of Christmas. Who doesn’t like getting presents?? I also like giving presents. The choosing a perfect gift for someone, the wrapping it up beautifully, and seeing their face when they open it. Making people happy makes me happy. Plus I am always given one present a year that I get to be a little evil with when I wrap it. Some years I use boxes inside of boxes; sometimes I use lots of packing tape, sometimes a patchwork wrapping job, and sometimes all of the above.
13. New!
The New Year is so many things in just a click of a second on a clock. It is the wrapping up of the bad from the previous year. It is a beginning of something new. It is a time to look at your life decided what you want to let go, and where you want to go. One deep breathe in that one second of time can change so much.
Thank you for letting me share my traditions. Now go enjoy your traditions, your families, and your holiday celebrations whatever they may be.
Holiday Love,
Sara
What is your favorite thing about the holiday season?
Hi Sara, your holiday traditions sound so heartwarming and full of love. I can relate to the joy of giving and cherishing family time during this season. I hope you get to revive these traditions with your future family. Happy holidays!