start meaningful holiday traditions

I grew up in a family that didn’t really have many traditions. I have basically been living other people’s traditions for a while now. I want to start traditions that my family can carry on.

By no means a unique tradition, but I’m trying to bring more meaning back into my Christmas by reducing the commercialism that we are bombarded with here in Canada (maybe even North America). To accomplish this, my wife and I will no longer be buying more than one or two presents at Christmas for people at Christmas, but will be donating what we would have spent to a charitable organization. We will vary where we are doing the donation based on something eventful that happens to our family or in the world.

This year, we made a significant donation to UNICEF to celebrate the birth of our nephew earlier this month.

Based on the positive response from those involved, I think we will be continuing this. Have to call this a success. :)

She agreed with me that this would be good and she’s going to start thinking about things that might be good to do. I think I’d like to suggest allowing M. (my son) to choose one toy he thinks another boy his age would love…and then donate it to *Operation Christmas Child * .

Each year, that group (it’s run by Billy Graham’s son Franklin) gives toys to needy children internationally. Last year, they received over 7.6 million wrapped shoeboxes with toys inside them and gave them to little boys and girls in 95 countries.

Christmas is definitely too much about the ‘stuff’ in my opinion so I’m going to talk with E. about how we can do something that will connect us with the gift that came to us as a baby in a manger..as opposed to wrapped up gifts underneath a tree.

I’d like to find something that we can do for others to become the tradition…something my nearly 2 year old son will also be able to participate in.

We had a bad Easter for traditions. We didn’t even go to church. I think that hubby wasm’t in the mood as his Aunt is very ill.
We had some hot cross buns on Friday, and we had eaten easter eggs, although not on Sunday. I wore my cross pendant and my bunny earrings.

St patricks day today.
I’m off to purchase a sparkly green top to wear at dancing.
I also sampled some guiness at morning tea!

I got the tree up at the start of december. I’m sending off a small group of cards. I baked a light christmas cake (cranberry and almond flavoured) yesterday. Michael has bought his turkey. I bought “the best christmas album in the world ever”. And I found a pretty nativity set at the salvation army store.
Yay – christmas is going well…. (if a bit busy though)

I’ve bought a 6 foot christmas tree. My husband gets hayfever, so the real kind isn’t really an option. I’m looking forward to decorating it at the start of advent.

I’d love to get a nativity set, but I haven’t seen any nice yet affordable ones yet.

For christmas itself I have to decide what we’re going to do and whether we’ll have any guests. I’d love to go to midnight mass at a local church, which we’ve done a few times. It’d be a nice tradition to have going.

All of this will be more meaningful when we have children.