Dear Megan, what are your favorite holiday traditions and what traditions are you creating as a married couple?
I recently watched "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" again and the traditions song keeps playing in my head. HAHA! "I'm wondering what your family does at that time of year?" It'll be stuck in your head before you know it. I'd love to share with you what my family does at this time of year!
Decorate the tree together.
I always liked decorating the tree as a family when I was growing up. We'd turn on Christmas music and get to work making the tree beautiful. I've told Shane that I want that to be something we do together. So we took an evening and got out our ornament boxes and put our favorites on the tree while listening to holiday music. And while we don't have a fireplace in our home, Netflix provided us a nice crackling fireplace that we play over and over.😉 Last year, we inherited a string of Disney Christmas lights that were Shane's grandparents' and miraculously still work after 30+ years. They will go on our tree until they can't no more.
Get a new ornament every year.
We didn't buy ourselves a new ornament this year, but we got a couple from both of our parents to add to our little tree. But I love the idea of picking an ornament together each year to remember one more year gone by and all that it held.
Attend some sort of Christmas concert.
Growing up we would attend a Christmas concert at church (I was a part of many of them, actually) and some years we went to see The Nutcracker Ballet downtown. For eight years in a row, I would go up to Nashville for Andrew Peterson's "Behold The Lamb" concert at the Ryman and it was honestly one of my most favorite parts of the Christmas season. Since moving to Colorado, I've been gifted the chance to go to a beautiful concert put on by one of the larger churches in town. This year, with the short three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we probably won't get out to a concert, but that's okay. There's always next year!
Make peanut butter balls.
I know there had to have been years we didn't make these growing up, but we made them enough that I associate them with every Christmas. It's for sure a tradition that we'll keep -- my husband loves anything that has peanut butter and chocolate, so he's a forever fan. I made over 200 of them this year so that we could give them as gifts to coworkers and friends!
Send Christmas cards.
This is a tradition Shane and I are starting together. I never did this growing up, but it's something we want to do as long as we can for our family. It's so fun to commemorate a year with a photo on a card sent to friends and family. And it's so fun to receive Christmas cards to hang in our home for the season! I plan on keeping one of ours every year to have to look back on.
Go on a date to see the lights.
I've always loved Christmas lights. You kind of have to be a Grinch not to. They fill my heart with a warm wonder, which is funny because I'm usually FREEZING my booty off when I'm out looking at the lights.😂 Since living in Colorado, I've gone to the Broadmoor to see the lights almost every year. It's absolutely spectacular. Shane and I actually just went last Sunday and it was beautiful!
Wear festive clothing.
I have a pretty hideously amazing Christmas sweater that really wins at ugly Christmas sweater parties, but I traded it in this year for a cuter option. I live in my Merry pullover because it's so cozy and has the perfect pop of festive. I'm not going to lie, I'm really not into dressing up or fancy parties. I'm all about being cute and comfortable at all times.
Watch our favorite Christmas movies.
White Christmas is #1 on this list, obviously. I grew up watching that and It's a Wonderful Life every single Christmas, and it's such a nostalgic thing for me now. Last year, the day after Shane and I got engaged, we went with friends to see the White Christmas play in Denver, and it was so special and fun! Other great movies that make the list: Elf, Frozen (there's so much snow I consider it a Christmas movie, okay?), Polar Express, Home Alone, The Santa Clause...
Read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve.
This was a family tradition growing up. We would always sit down on Christmas Eve with the tree lights off, read Luke 2, and then have an "official" lighting of our tree -- even though it had been lit for a month already. Haha. When Sally Lloyd Jones' "Jesus Storybook Bible" was released, we started adding the introduction of it to our evening reading. It's a tradition I think I'd like to keep for our family -- just taking a few minutes to remember what we're celebrating before diving into presents and festivities.
WHAT ARE YOUR CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS?
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