[nancynic]

Hi,

The holidays are here and it's a busy time of year (a little rhyme there)~

Do you have special holiday books that you read to your children? It's nice to have traditions that take place regularly. For instance special things that you do for birthdays and at holiday time. Traditions help children feel secure and give them memories of warm times which they will continue with their families.

Let's start a list of books you read to your children during the holidays ~

NancyNic

[echaos]

The time honoured favorite "'Twas the Night Before Christmas". We decorate our tree Christmas eve (Hilary's family tradition) and then lay beneath it looking up into the lights (my family's tradition) and read (better stated "recite") the story.

[Now1125]

In addition to "The Night Before Christmas" another favorite is Polar Express.

[jodyk]

This is my first holiday season with my foster son. (He went back to his biological mother last year one week before Christmas -- 1 year ago today, in fact ) I'm thrilled to have him with me this year and hope he gets to stay forever.

So, I'm trying to start traditions with him that we had as children. My family is Jewish by birth, but we celebrate most holidays that come along; we see holidays as a time to get together and celebrate being together.

We'll have a small Hanukkah party on Saturday: our family, my sister's best friend's family (they are not Jewish, but they are always included), latkes (potato pancakes), applesauce, cold cuts, lighting the menorah and passing out small gifts. I still have the menorah I had as a child, so I will make a point of lighting it each night with my foster son and give him a small token gift each night as well.

I also made a mad dash to find "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", as my parents always read it to us -- and how can a child grow up not knowing that poem? We will go over to my sister's on Christmas morning for the traditional Jewish celebration of bagels, lox, cream cheese and Christmas cookies. Then, we will open presents (like I said, we celebrate everything ) and hang out until it's time to leave. (We used to go in their hot tub in the afternoon, but it's broken )

[mckenna]

my 2 y/o son's class is talking about holiday traditions and each had to bring a story, symbol, ect explaing one of their traditions. i sent in the oranaments i have made for my son each christmas. i make gift tags that can be used as ornaments out of my son's hands and foot. you use the hands as the reindeers's antlers and the foot has it's face. on the back i write to and from and the year. we put one from each year on our tree next to an ornament that has a picture of him from each year. it is so fun to see how much he has grown from year to year. soon i will only make one for our tree as his hands and feet will be bigger than the gifts we are putting tags on (ha, ha).


this year my son was adopted 20 days before christmas and my mom made him an adoption day tree. i think we will use dec. 5th as the day to put up that tree every year.

[nancynic]

Hi,

thanks to all of you for sharing your traditions!

I think it's the simple, heartfelt things that make
the holidays special times!

let's keep the list going ~

NancyNic

[stacyone]

What a great thread!

Our daughter is only 20 months old, so we're just starting out. However, I'm married to a latter-day Norman Rockwell, so he wants to have, like, 25 traditions. I'm happy with just a couple and giving every year some flexibility.

I always liked reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas every night in December, except on Christmas Eve, when we read the Christmas story out of the Bible... Luke, King James version.

[nancynic]

Thanks so much Stacy for your post ~

and especially

for the quote

after two northeasters in a week
I need to hear about summer!

NancyNic