Christmas Traditions

James and I don't really have any Christmas traditions yet. We spent Christmas with my freshman roommate's family; they seemed to have plenty. They went caroling and dropped off homemade jelly. They watch the Muppet Christmas Carol every year. They decorate gingerbread men or houses. They read Christmas stories. They act out the Nativity. I think there are more, but I forgot them.

I'm not sure I want quite so many traditions just out of consideration for my own stress level, but I think I do want some.

So far, here are my ideas:

1. Something to do with Jesus. We'll think of something, right?
2. Buy Christmas decorations for half off after Christmas, then use them the following year. Abstain from buying these before Christmas.¹
3. Everybody gets to choose their own stocking at the store when they are old enough to reasonably do so. Before this, they get to use one of James' long socks.²

That's all. Please tell me your Christmas traditions, I am in need of ideas! :)

Love and Christmas,
Jenna and Amelia


1 We bought our first Christmas tree for $12.50 a few days ago. It is a four foot tall fake spruce. It has lights built into it. Woo! We also got some blue shatterproof ornaments and a couple pretty bead garlands for it. Maybe next year we will buy stockings for James and me.^↩

2 So here's the thing. I'm a neat freak. My family had four matching stockings... and five people. There was always an odd stocking out. It bugged me so bad. And, well, I have no idea how many children I will have. I could have two. Or twelve. Or any number in between. So the only way I can guarantee that all our stockings will match would be if I bought fourteen all at once... even though I have no idea if I actually will have twelve children. So I figure letting everyone pick their own stocking will mean NONE of the stockings will match, but that's better than only a few matching in my book. I can convince myself it's okay that they don't match if each stocking was picked individually. :)^↩