Our New Christmas Tradition: Bedtime Stories
Last year when Grace’s first Christmas was quickly approaching I felt this pressure to come up with Christmas traditions for our family. If you think about it, what we all remember the most from our holidays growing up are those special things we did as a family every single year. Family traditions are important! (At least I think so!!)
Many of the traditions that we did as a family when I was growing up are things that we still do each year when we are with my parents over Christmas. We go to the Christmas Eve service at my parent’s church, hang up stockings when we get home, set out cookies for Santa (yep, we still do that!), read Twas the Night Before Christmas, and open presents together as a family on Christmas morning after a huge breakfast. I love all of those things and Grace will get to experience them each year, but I wanted to start something new.
Last year I read several articles online looking for Christmas tradition ideas. I thought I found the perfect one: getting brand new Christmas themed PJs to wear to bed on Christmas Eve. However, we need warm PJs way before Christmas Eve!
Then I discovered the tradition of reading a Christmas themed bedtime story each night of Advent. I LOVED it, but… that is a LOT of Christmas books! I went on the lookout for Christmas books at my library’s annual book sale. This year we would start out with just a couple and over the years we could build up our collection.
Enter my Christmas Angel, Lisa! I told my dear friend about this plan of mine and she made my dreams come true! Last month I received a package on my doorstep of 17 Christmas books! Combined with the ones I got from the book sale, we’ll be reading 21 books this year. Oops! Make that 22 with Twas the Night Before Christmas.
I am so excited about this! When Grace gets a little older I am planning on wrapping up each book. Then Grace will unwrap the book each night before bed to reveal what we are reading that night. Doesn’t that sound like fun??
Curious what we’ll be reading this year? I’ve updated my Amazon store to include some of my favorites.
Do you have a special tradition to help you count down to Christmas? What is your favorite tradition you’ve started?
Glad I could help. Speaking of books….my order just came it and you have 4 more coming!!! Do you want me to keep them at yoru parents so you don’t have to bring any or mail them?
You can give them to my folks. Thanks again, Lisa! Book number one is ready and picked out for tonight! I’m beyond excited about this!
Beautiful idea. I’ve bought a book each year for Bryce, starting the year before he was born. Too bad they’re in my attic away from me right now… 🙁
Kendra, you should check out the library! I got a bunch of Christmas books for Grace yesterday and I was able to request some online from other libraries in the county. Maybe they have the titles that you have in storage!
Great idea – you asked about traditions – something we did with Jason because he wanted to open gifts early and I was always ready to let him open them was: I would wrap items for his Christmas stocking and # them. The # of gifts I were the # of days b4 Christmas that he could open one – he would draw # out of bowl and then got to open that gift. That way he was happy to open them & I didn’t let him have Christmas 3 weeks early!
So, with the pictures of books that you have recommended…Have you read Biscuit’s Christmas one yet? There are places to put pictures that you take. Have you done it yet???
That was the very first book we read. I picked that one first because I knew Grace would sit still for it. She loves Biscuit books right now. I did notice the place for photos, but I wasn’t so sure I would do it. I guess you think I should?