Blogmas Day Twenty Four – My Christmas Traditions

Hey there everyone!!

Can you believe that tomorrow is Christmas?? It’s Christmas Eve – the big day is finally so close, and I know that when the calendar hits December 24th, it means a mad dash to ensure that everything is ready for Santa Claus to visit and the magical day itself.

In all honesty, I can’t believe that Blogmas is almost over – it’s been loads of fun and a great challenge. Still, I’m also thrilled that it is so I can take a bit of a break.

Anywho, because Christmas is so close, I wanted to do a short post today about my usual Christmas celebrations and traditions. I haven’t done as many personal Christmas posts as I would have liked (I may have gotten carried away with all the other Christmas post inspirations I found) so before it’s too late, I wanted to at least fit in this one.

Everyone has traditions for different holidays and celebrations, and Christmas is no different. Many Christmas traditions are considered ‘classic’ and just what’s done by everyone. For instance, putting up and decorating a Christmas tree is a pretty stock-standard Christmas tradition I’d say. Or having an advent calendar, making gingerbread houses, sending Christmas cards or leaving cookies and milk for Santa. I think these are pretty typical for most of us who celebrate Christmas and, in all honesty, I don’t think things would feel the same without these things.

But then there are the more personal traditions that every single family has and are always slightly different from each other and often what ends up making the day feel a little extra special because you know that it’s unique to you and your family. For my family, our Christmas eve traditions always vary slightly depending on what that year brings and how we’re celebrating, but the way we spend Christmas, and some of the things that we do in the lead up to Christmas are always the same.

Christmas cookies for Santa 

Leaving out something for Santa (usually cookies or mince pies) has always been a big tradition and once I was old enough, baking them myself was always crucial. Either on Christmas Eve or a day or two before, I would always bake a big batch of cookies for the family, and several were saved especially for Santa. Sometimes, I couldn’t bake before Christmas, but that meant a different tradition came into play, which included my mom, my little brother and I carefully selecting the perfect cookies to buy (and sampling them, of course, to make sure they were good enough) and then leaving them out for Santa. The one worry I always have every year is that my brothers sneak downstairs after I’ve left the cookies out (I always try to stay up last on purpose so that they won’t eat them once I’ve gone to bed) and gobble them before Santa arrives, but hopefully, they aren’t that evil …

Decorating the house

Getting the Christmas tree out and the inside of the house properly decorated is always a big deal in my family. We usually do it right after my mom’s birthday at the end of November. Yes, I know we decorate early, but what can I say? We really love Christmas. When I was younger, I was in charge of separating the branches on our big artificial tree and putting the baubles on the lower branches, but now that I’m older, the responsibility has shifted considerably in that practically all the decorating is my job. One of the things that keep it exciting is that every year we have a slightly different theme, so it’s always a fun challenge to decorate in a creatively different way each year. Last year we did Whoville and let me tell you, I think Dr Seuss would be incredibly impressed with our efforts. My brothers try to help, but they’re more enthusiastic bystanders than actual helpful elves sadly. At least these last few years I’ve had my boyfriend with me, so a new tradition of putting up the decorations while listening to Christmas music has started for the two of us.

A Family Christmas Movie 

Either in the lead up to Christmas, on Christmas eve or on Christmas day, we always watch a family Christmas movie together. Our three classics are probably Love Actually, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Polar Express. This movie is typically one that my dad, my younger brother and I (and my boyfriend since we started dating) all watch together and my mom joins if she isn’t working. However, my mom and I have a new tradition of watching a more ’girly’ Christmas movie together, and this is usually a Christmas rom-com or a Hallmark Christmas movie (I have banished my boyfriend from watching them with me because he predicts the end in the first five minutes, so he’s no fun to watch with). Watching Christmas movies (even binging a few in a row on my own) is always my favourite way to get into the holiday spirit.

The Twelve Days of Christmas 

This is just a little silly tradition I have with my older brother. The two of us have always loved singing duets together (albeit loud and a tad offkey but we’ve got oodles of energy and that’s what counts right?) and Christmas songs are no different. Every year we sing Christmas songs together, but one of the songs that stands out is always the twelve days of Christmas because no matter what, we always somehow forget one of the lines towards the end so every year we try to see if we can make it through the whole song without forgetting one of the gifts. Maybe this year we’ll finally succeed?

Mince pies on Christmas movies

No matter what happens with our Christmas plans, we always do the same thing on Christmas morning. For as long as I can remember, whether I’ve been five, fifteen or twenty (like I am this year … I know – how scary??) every Christmas morning, my brothers and I always wake up early and open our stockings. Sometimes it’s on our own, but sometimes we do it together. Once that’s done, and we’ve waited as long as we can bear to let my parents sleep in, we storm into their room, and all go into the lounge/sitting area. Everyone has a cup of something hot to drink. In recent years the numbers for tea has decreased a little … essentially now everyone has coffee, and I have tea. We all sit together while the mince pies are in the oven and say what we’re grateful for and the good things that have happened this year, what we’re most proud of and what we want to work on next year. Then, we all open presents together while mince pies are devoured.

It’s these individual traditions that really add the sparkle to the vibrant Christmas magic for me and no matter where we are in the world, just these few things and being with my family is what makes the holiday so special. Even though many traditions have fallen away as I’ve gotten older, I’ve created special new ones to take their place. I still have some of the old one’s that I don’t think will ever change. I know that some may change more since I’ve moved overseas to do university, but I’m also excited to make new ones with new people and as an adult with my boyfriend and my friends. I guess I’ll just have to see what next year brings!

What are some of your Christmas traditions? What is one of your favourite childhood traditions? Are there any new traditions you have that you really really love? Has covid changed any of your traditions? What cookies do you usually leave out for Santa Claus? Let’s chat some more in the comments section!!

Also, Merry Christmas eve everyone!! Sleep well, I hope you have a magical evening getting things ready and that you have lots of hot chocolate and cookies (but be sure to save some for Santa)! I’ll see you for my last Blogmas post tomorrow!!

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx (going to make some cookies – can you guess what kind?)