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Christmas Traditions Part 5 - Monthly Christmas Happenings
I have been busy writing posts about our Christmas Traditions. There was just too much information to put into one post.
First, I shared a treasured Christmas memory - as part of the Holiday Bundle Giveaway post.
Then I shared all of our favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes for your enjoyment.
Then I gave you the titles of our favorite Christmas movies in case you were looking for some new movies to watch this holiday season.
Then I shared a list of some of our favorite Christmas books.
Next came some Christmas Craft ideas.
Today, I will share some of the things that we do during the month of December. We aren't always able to do all of these every year depending on finances, but these are things we have enjoyed in years past and some this year as well.
Operation Christmas Child this is a wonderful program where you can fill a shoebox and send it to Samaritan's purse. It will then be sent to children around the world to help spread the Good News and to provide them with supplies that most of us would consider very basic. This is a wonderful way for our children to learn about giving and for us to witness to people we will probably never meet.
Christmas Tree Angels. My kids love pulling an angel off of the tree and shopping for a child at Christmas time.
Christmas Caroling with other church members. Going to the homes of elderly and shut-ins and singing to them and giving them a cake or a fruit basket.
Church Christmas programs and Cantatas. Always a wonderful way to return focus to Jesus. I have directed children's Christmas programs and I have had children participating in Children's programs. I love seeing my children involved in these types of activities.
Baking Christmas goodies and delivering them to friends and neighbors.
Jack and Katrina participate in an annual Christmas musicale. All of the piano students play a piece or two. Mrs. Booth gives them gifts and we have a reception afterwards.
Last year, we went to The Black Friar Theater in Staunton, VA and saw a delightful production of A Christmas Carol.
My father's family has a Christmas party every year on the Sunday before Christmas. My dad is one of seven, there are around 35 of us grandchildren and there is a growing number of great-grandchildren. It is a pretty big gathering. We eat. We visit. Santa comes. We play Thieve's Christmas. My dad lives near the rest of his siblings, so we get up early and go to his house first. We have breakfast and Christmas with him and Dianne before heading to the big Christmas party.
My husband's family also has a Christmas gathering. It used to be on Christmas eve at my husband's grandmother's home (Nanny), but after she passed June 2006, we came up with other arrangements. The last two years, my mother-in-law has come up from Florida. We have rented a Community Center that has a kitchen and a large area for tables and such. Then we decorate things up a bit to look like Christmas. We eat, the kids play and we exchange gifts.
My mom and stepfather go out of town the week of Christmas so we get together for gift exchanges when we can fit it into the busy December schedule.
We go to the Bedford Christmas parade the first Sunday of the month.
We drive around looking at Christmas lights. In Bedford, VA, there is the National Elk's Home. They put on a huge free display each year. There is also a park that the county of Bedford decorates, so we have a delightful evening driving through the town of Bedford looking at the lovely lights.
Stay Tuned for our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day activities and for photos of our decorations (we are almost finished).
