I read that the advent calendar started in Germany in the early 19th century. Ranging anywhere from chalk marks on the door to elaborate gift creations, bad chocolate filled cardboard boxes or construction paper chains people like to mark the days until Christmas. The countdown to Christmas for me starts right after Thanksgiving. Okay, maybe before, as I like to be mostly done with Christmas shopping before November, but I try to make myself wait until after Thanksgiving to start counting down--December 1st if I can wait that long. When I was little Thanksgiving and Christmas were FOR-EV-ER apart. I didn't even realize how many days as it just s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d on and on. As an adult though I discovered that they are only a month apart.
I stumbled across a countdown published in Better Homes and Gardens I think last year. I kept it because it was a grown-up version of an advent calendar, listing different ideas of things to make the season special on each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Since I have not blogged in an embarrassingly long time, I decided I would give myself the 24 days of Christmas and use their ideas as a jumping off point for topics to share with you. It may or may not work. I'll just get that disclaimer out of the way right now. So, with that said, let's start.
Day 1: Start a new tradition
The calendar then lists ways to start new traditions, but you can come up with your own. You are a creative person and you know what's fun and meaningful to you. It made me think of my Christmas traditions.
As many of you know, I am the oldest child. Not just of my siblings who have a 6-12-14 year gap, but also of my cousins. Tradition is important to oldest children. There have been many times throughout my childhood and even adulthood that I've stopped my family from doing something because it goes against "tradition." Many of those times I was apparently the only one who knew that it was a tradition.
We used to always get our tree on (or very near) December 15th. That marked the beginning of Christmas. We would ride with the girls in one car singing Christmas carols, the boys in the truck doing--actually I have no idea what they do. We'd go from tree lot to tree lot (or wandering through the cut your own) each kid stopping by a tree until Mom came by to give the yay or nay. If it was a yay, that child would stay there while the rest of the family kept up the hunt. Mom would eventually find the tree she wanted and we'd get it loaded up. Then the decorating began. Josh would put up the outside lights, Mom and I would do the tree lights. Kim would run the music. Then we'd put the ornaments on. Yep, there's even an order to the ornaments. I'd unpack and put the wires on. Bulbs go first--smallest on top to biggest on the bottom. Lauren got to do the lower branches. Then the homemade ornaments from 13 years of school--times 3. Then the vintage ornaments from Kim's childhood. Memories wrapped in tissue paper--remembered as each layer is uncovered. Stories retold. More laughing. Ugly monstrosities hidden for hopefully another year (like a certain fourth grade poinsettia for instance). Leftovers usually for dinner as the Santa display is set up, the toy table, and finally Mom putting out the nativity piece by piece right in the middle under the tree. A reminder of what the whole season and the gifts are all about anyway. A real memory of the truest gift of all--born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. A gift for our family and every family.
Then eggnog for the first time of the season while we watch "White Christmas." Lauren and I do our rendition of "Sisters," and we watch the twinkling Christmas lights until bedtime--dreaming in technicolor with Bing Crosby carols and choreographed dances in our heads.
Ah, the traditions of Christmas. As you can imagine, we have many more traditions. If your family doesn't, take this year as an opportunity to start a couple--get your oldest child involved--you'll never be able to forget them that way.
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