Christmas is a season FULL of tradition. Tradition is so important, because it brings people together. It provides opportunities to create memories. Traditions are an integral part of family culture, because it helps us feel a sense of belonging, safety, and love.
Growing up, both Emma and I spent Christmas with only our immediate families. We didn't travel to grandparents' homes or others. We didn't host or go to parties. Christmas was always a simple, small, intimate holiday spent at home with just my parents and siblings.
This tradition is something Emma and I have carried on with our family. We spent our very first Christmas in our 1-bedroom basement apartment. Just the two of us with our little Charlie Brown Christmas tree. We were between semesters at BYU-Idaho, and if you've ever been in Rexburg during the holidays it is practically a ghost town. All the students have gone home. Of the married students who lived in our complex we could have counted on one hand how many of us were still around.
I treasure our first Christmas alone together. Some may think it sounds depressing and lonely, but it was wonderful! We decorated our tiny living space, made treats, wrapped presents, watched movies, and made our own Christmas feast-ham and everything!
Since then, we have made it a tradition to make Christmas an intimate affair with just us and our children by creating our own set of traditions!
So, here's some of the traditions the Atwell Family enjoys.
The first Christmas tradition is setting up the tree and decorating the house the day after Thanksgiving. Instead of running around on Black Friday we stay at home, put on our Christmas vinyl albums, and pull out all the décor. We let the kids help (and then rearrange later haha).
This year, when we opened up all the storage totes, our sweet Eleanor came to us with shiny, teary eyes. She wrapped her little arms around our necks and told us she felt so happy and loved. I just about cried myself!
One of our absolute favorite parts of decorating the tree is setting up the in-tree train. It always takes me about 4 times to get it right every year, but when it's done we all stand and watch it make it's annual debut around the tree.
And then there's the traditional placement of the star at the top of the tree. We rotate who does it every year.
We also have a mistletoe we hang up every year in a doorway. We hang it up and then spend about five minutes under it giving kisses to each other. The kids always get grossed out when I give Emma a big kiss under the mistletoe. I don't understand why-I find it cute and romantic haha!
Another tradition we have is our family stockings! Emma's mom made the cutest stockings for her and her siblings when she was young. We continued this tradition when we were married when her mom made us stockings as well. Then, when we had children Emma made stockings for them. These handmade stockings are adorable, and the kids love seeing them again every year! We still need to make one for our newest family member haha
Two of our favorite Christmas outings are going to see the Christmas Lights on Temple Square and going to Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point. It is so magical seeing all the lights. The kids love getting the big sugar cookies and hot chocolate while looking at the amazing gingerbread houses at Luminaria. The music and all the international nativity scenes on Temple Square and the enormous tree in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building are always a must see. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic these traditions didn't happen this year, but here are some pictures of previous years.
We have tried to send out Christmas cards every year (I think we've missed one or two), and I always get so excited to see the card. Emma designs the card herself, and she outdoes herself every year! This year we decided to do a digital card and not mess with mailing them out. I think we'll be doing that again in the future.
Treats are ALWAYS a must. Emma makes the most amazing Christmas sugar cookies. They are simple with only sprinkled sugar on them and SO fluffy and soft. She won 3rd place in a bakeoff with them a few years ago. We also enjoy making chocolate covered pretzels with sprinkles, peppermint bark, and fudge. This year we only did the sugar cookies and pretzels. The kids love to help (and sneak nibbles) and their favorite part is getting to lick all the bowls and utensils!
One of our family nights in December is dedicated to making a gingerbread house. We spend most of our time trying to convince the kids to DECORATE the houses instead of EATING the candy and frosting. They do alright, but the houses don't last five minutes after being done before they are devoured. We at least try to get pictures before that happens haha.
One of the kids' favorite traditions is a countdown chain and our "countup" snowman. They each get to make a chain that is taped on the door, and then they take a link off every day until Christmas. The countdown snowman is actually a "countup." They take turns moving the carrot nose throughout the month of December up to Christmas Day.
We also enjoy making LOTS of snowflakes. We used to use computer paper, but Emma came up with the genius idea of using coffee filters for the kids. They are so much easier to cut through. When we've buried our table with little scraps and have a large pile we then tape them to the ceiling in our living room to make it look like a winter wonderland. The kiddos get so excited with how their snowflakes turn out!
Christmas Eve is also the day we take time to watch a video on the birth of Christ. This always brings the true spirit of Christmas into the forefront of our minds and sets the tone for Christmas. I love this tradition. As a child I didn't fully appreciate it, but as an adult it means so much more.
Dinner on Christmas Eve is always a special occasion. Because Christmas dinner is always a big to-do, we make Christmas Eve very simple, but no less special. We actually adopted the meal from a tradition one of our bishops from Rexburg did. We make homemade chicken noodle soup and eat it over homemade mashed potatoes. I know, it sounded weird to me, too, the first time I saw it, but it is soooo delicious! The mashed potatoes makes the soup so creamy. We have rolls with it as well.
But the best part of dinner is that we turn off all the lights and eat by candlelight. Then Emma and I come dressed as Mary and Joseph and the kids get to ask us questions about what it was like when Baby Jesus was born. Sometimes the questions are silly, and sometimes they are incredibly deep. It is a beautiful experience and it adds a wonderful spirit to the evening.
Then we let our kids open up a gift on Christmas Eve. This gift is always new PJs. But we also try to add a little extra. We've done books, movies, stuffed animals, and this year we are doing bathrobes with the PJs. The second part is a "Secret Santa"-although, it's not very secret. At the beginning of December we draw names for who we get a gift for. Then we go to the store, and everyone gets a $10 limit for a gift. When we get home the gift giver gets to wrap it (with the help of mom or dad). We get to open the gift on Christmas Eve along with the new PJs. I love this tradition, because it helps to get some of the anxiousness of wanting to open presents out that especially begins to bubble over on Christmas Eve. Plus, I also think it makes it so that the gift from a family member can be a focus outside of the other presents they're about to get and the focus is more on the giving than the receiving.
At this point we put on the new PJs and get the kiddos ready for bed. But just when they think the evening is over-SURPRISE! They find a ticket to the "Polar Express" on their pillows. Little do they know that while mom is getting them dressed, dad has started the van to get it warmed up and put little cups with Christmas treats in their cup holders. When they find the tickets they take them down to the car where they get to enjoy their treats while we drive around town enjoying all the Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music. We do this for about an hour.
After getting home we get the cookies and milk out for Santa on a tray. This year we are also going to start the tradition of putting sparkles in our front lawn so the reindeer can more easily find our house. Then, it's off to bed (hopefully) so that Santa can come.
Christmas morning the kiddos come rushing into our room. This year, being in a new house with stairs, we will have them sit at the top of the stair and sing Christmas songs while dad goes downstairs to get things ready.
After Christmas comes one of the more exciting "adult" traditions-shopping the Christmas décor clearance section! haha
We have so many fun traditions as a family, and I'm sure I've missed a few. I love traditions, but not necessarily the tradition itself. What I love is the love and belonging they engender. I love how it brings our family together and creates memories our children will take with them for the rest of their lives. They may forget what the actual traditions were, but they will never forget how they felt as a child during Christmas.
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