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Is it too early to talk about Advent and Christmas?

Last Christmas my 12 yr old was upset because he said our family has no Christmas traditions this surprised and upset me because i think we do have some and some of my best memories as a child were of sharing the many traditions I has with my parents and siblings. I would like to change his perception of this by adding some simple meaningful things that will become traditions. I do have a tendency to try hard to keep things simple and this may be the root of his frustration. I minimalize. I do it to keep from being overwhelmed with stuff and things rather than focusing on the true reason for the season. The things I would say are traditions in our house are 1. and Advent wreath and Candles. 2. Mass 3. Nativity scene 3. Fresh made bread 4. Chrsitmas Buffet so all can eat at their leisure
I guess thats not much. Anyway, this year i would like to try harder to make some traditions. Any ideas?

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Permalink Reply by AnneR on June 26, 2009 at 6:11pm
You might want to check out www.stnicholascenter.org. It has lots of info about the saint and various traditions/recipes from other cultures that you might be able to introduce into your family.
Permalink Reply by Ann on June 27, 2009 at 10:40am
It sounds like you have quite a few traditions going on. Are you sure that's what your 12 yo was really saying, or was there something else going on?

You could add a cookie-making day and maybe bundle them up and give them out. I'm assuming you decorate a Christmas tree already. Try to go to a carol-singing, concert or play every year?

I agree with you, I don't think adding more gifts is the answer. We all write each other a letter or a card and that is part of our gift-giving and I keep them all in a beautiful box. And then we read through them each Christmas. It's a nice tradition and something special for the children to look back on in the future.

I've actually shortened our Christmas season down in our house, to make it more of a two-week celebration than a month-plus celebration. (other than the Advent wreath)
Permalink Reply by Karen Cross on July 1, 2009 at 6:53am
I'm really glad you wrote about this! My kids haven't said anything, but I feel like I don't do enough "traditionally." We do all of the secular things, but I haven't incorporated too many of the "true reason for the season" traditions into our Christmas. This past Christmas was the first one that I actually felt compelled to do so. My husband just has to catch up with me.

I feel like you do. If I plan too much, I will get overwhelmed. I tend to minimalize also. I know that if too many things get going on in my head then I get all discombobulated and grumpy!

I think now is a good time to be thinking about it. You can figure out what will work best with your schedule.
Permalink Reply by Diane on July 20, 2009 at 3:21pm
It sounds like you have quite a bit . Could your child be overlooking all of this due to possible hearing secular things that people do ? My children did just this. The first thing I did was explained what I considered our traditions to be. (Advent calendars,purchasing gifts and dinner groceries for an under privlaged family Decorating the tree, putting the angel on top of tree, placing nativity scenes under tree, and around house, adding a Christmas train under tree,outdoor decorations, Midnight mass, opening gifts to each other after midnight mass, Kids opening gifts Christmas morning,having family over for Christmas dinner , etc) Then we together came up with some more to put into play. Some things that we added were buying a nativity cookie cutter set ( under $20)and making cookie nativities, making a gingerbread house ( usually using a prebaked kit or even make individiual ones with grahm crackers , icing and candies) These secular things mixed with our Faith based traditions really made the kids realize that we did have traditions that they took for granted.
A friend of mine also has a Bible Christmas story book from which her family takes turns reading from before mass on Christmas eve.
Permalink Reply by Rebecca L on July 20, 2009 at 3:52pm
I don't have a 12 year old, yet, but I've taught plenty of them and I'm thinking more than anything this is the age speaking. I'd try to root out what he's really getting at. What made him think of Christmas and traditions? Are there some traditional things he's heard of that he'd like to try? Also keep in mind that many of your traditions he won't recognize as traditions until he's spent an Advent/Christmas away from home and notices what isn't there. :-)

I also try to keep to a minimum our hurrying and scurrying during the Advent season. I figure it's better to remember a few simple things from a peaceful household than mom being angry and stressed every holiday season. Even at that it's funny what kids grab onto. One thing my kids anxiously await every year is bringing out the Christmas videos and the Fisher Price Little People Nativity on the day after Thanksgiving. Would I call that a traditional tradition, nope, but I know they'll miss it some day, lol!

A great resource for starting a tradition of Christmas read alouds with your family is Cay Gibson's Christmas Mosaic. Many of these books have become our family favorites and the children look forward to re-reading them every year.
Permalink Reply by Beth Bullock on July 20, 2009 at 4:29pm
My kids LOVE our Christmas traditions. I would definitely try St. Nicholas Day. The kids put out their shoes and there are small treats in them in the morning on Dec. 6. We also take a walk on Christmas Eve. and throw corn for the deer and other animals - small tribute to St. Francis! Good Luck!
Permalink Reply by leanne maree osullivan on July 30, 2009 at 8:10am
We do The Jesse Tree and Advent chains. They all add to the craft and fun and of course to tradition.
We do the wreath and candles as well.
Last year we did a novena - St Andrews Christmas Novena.
We make Christmas foods- fruit cake, shortbread, white christmas.
I try and add something new and exciting as we need them.
I love Advent.
Permalink Reply by Diana H. on August 4, 2009 at 4:48pm
When I was a child, one of the greatest things we did was visit a living nativity scene. I'll always remember that-- it was magical!
Permalink Reply by Mary Brazeau on August 5, 2009 at 8:28am
For our family the Christmas Pageant at church is a biggy-- 2 of my mom's best friends run it and pulled me in. Christmas would not be the same without it.

Other easy ones are making a day out of getting of setting up the tree or nativity. My mom's big thing is to give everyone an ornament each year. When they were married they had no ornaments and if they spent money on a tree they wouldn't have anything else. So the newly weds made a manger set from play clay (that lasted over 40 years!) and the tree was decorated with ribbon. And each year every child was given an ornament. I have a precious box of memories. Then the year we became engaged was the year our christmas gift was a nativity set.

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