Christmas Eve Traditions

When it comes to Christmas , I came from deep traditions. Some of those traditions have had to change due to family growth and distances. However, some are still as rich as the years I was 6 and 7. The kids began the Christmas Eve rituals by writing Santa a note thanking him for what he was going to leave under the tree as well as wishing him safe travels. Due to traveling, we did not make our usual dirty snowball cookies for Santa, so we left him just plain Oreos this year along with the normal Dr. Thunder. The kids placed the cookies, note and drink just so on the mantle - so Santa would not step on them (and so Chip would not eat them)!

I always make the kids "suffer" through a picture with their stockings and this year was no different. Here they are on the fireplace with their stockings ready to be filled by the jolly man!

And, of course, we always read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas before we go to bed. I think this is the first year I have ever read it to the kids. I love this tradition the best, I think!

We usually leave reindeer food (a new tradition) on the lawn for the reindeer, but this year it was raining and we were afraid the reindeer might not see it as well. So, we left a bowl of it by the front yard and then a bowl of it on the mantle - had to make sure there was plenty of it!

Then it was off to bed for the longest night of the year . . . . .