Christmas Traditions

Today’s 2ps blog challenge:
With the holidays around the corner. When does your family put up your tree and other decorations? Is there a tradition?

Our first Christmas married and in our new house, we began the tradition of buying our Christmas tree the week after Thanksgiving. We both love the fresh evergreen smell. It helps me to get into the holiday spirit. I confess, the lights are all my responsibility and Trent smartly steers clear. I’m far too obsessed with having them “perfectly” balanced and have been known to restring the tree multiple times!

My favorite part is, of course, hanging the ornaments. Each one has its own story. We have a pewter heart with our names and “Our First Christmas 2003” engraved on it. A small Santa hat with mouse ears from our Disney trip in 2002. An ornament for each of our cats. Marge & Homer under the mistletoe – a gift from me to Trent one year. Cross stitched ornaments my mother made when I was a child. And on and on. Lots of happy memories in those ornaments!

Our stockings are hung on the entertainment center as we don’t have a hearth! All four are handmade. My mother made mine for me as a child. I cross stitched one for Trent and finished it in time for our second Christmas. The “kids” (aka, the cats) each have a felt stocking I made for them.

Finally, our wreath is hung on the front door. I made it using a pre-made green wreath w/ “snow” from Michael’s along with burgundy poinsettia flowers and gold ribbon.

Other traditions for the two of us include making homemade and baked gifts for family. This often includes ginger snap cookies and date nut balls. Yum!