The holidays are full of knee-slapping, heart-wearming, generation-spanning holiday traditions that give meaning to the season.
We’ll admit it: we love them.
Traditions give you something to look forward to, they bring people together, and they create lasting memories. And the amazing thing about Christmas traditions is that they’re entirely unique to you and your family.
Whether your dad dresses up like Santa, all the kids stay up late to hear reindeer on the roof, or you spend Christmas Eve watching home videos as a family, there’s a holiday tradition for everyone. So that’s why we wanted to learn what Christmas traditions our Legacybox customers share every year -- so we asked you! Suffice to say, our hearts grew three sizes today.
Here are a few of our customers’ favorite holiday traditions!
“I grew up in the mountains in Alaska and raised my family there, as well. Every Christmas Eve, late in the evening, we would tell the kids to hurry to bed because Santa comes to our house first.
Once we were sure that everyone was tucked in, I would tie jingle bells to a broom or a snow shovel and throw it up on our tin roof. It would make a clattering sound and the bells would ring. My children would giggle and squeal with excitement. We carried the tradition on with our grandchildren. My husband used to dress as Santa to bring in the gifts. Now it’s my son’s job.”
– Evelyn
“Making candy with my grandma, church with my grandpa, and decorating the Christmas tree with my mom.”
– Shonda
“Darken the room, light the fire, get the popcorn and fire up the screen, plug in the projector, line up the film and watch the old family movies!!! What laughs and memories. Now, thanks to Legacybox, the movie watching step is SO much easier…”
– Suze
“I am the eldest of 4 children (plus one adopted). When I was 10 years old, times were pretty tight… I had my heart set on a Baby Alive doll and I knew Santa was my only hope of getting it. About 2 weeks before Christmas, my mom took me aside and “told me the truth” about the jolly old elf. And she admitted that there just wasn’t enough money to buy my doll and the things my siblings were hoping for. I said it was ok, that I didn’t need a gift… but Christmas rolled around and I woke up HOPING that mom was wrong. Only to find out what she told me was true. I did get a small gift that year, but it was not my coveted Baby Alive doll.
I started babysitting the next year and had a little stash of cash…. From that year forward I did everything I could to be “Santa’s helper” and I made sure that everyone in our house woke up to special surprise gifts “from Santa” …mom and dad were very confused, at first, as they did not buy these extra gifts (and Santa even remembered them!) but it wasn’t long until they figured it out, and with a wink & a nod they approved.
I’m happy to say I was able to keep my siblings believing in Santa well into their teens. And I’ve carried on the tradition with my bonus boys…. They are 16 and 17 now and Santa still can light up their faces on Christmas morning!”
– Judianne
“Making ornaments with my Mom and sister, then the family decorating the tree on Christmas Eve together. My parents would pick one gift for each of us to open that night. I continued that with my children.”
– Dai
“Christmas Eve going to bed early to bear Santa knock on the door and deliver our presents. The. Getting up to open them! Love, love, loved that time!”
– Lucy
“My mother has a set of Pilgrim candles - that I will inherit with the recent deaths of both parents - and we always put them out on a front table. Little things.”
– Ellen
“Christmas Eve we would go out and look at all the lights in the neighborhood and when we got back my mom would read ‘'Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
– Ekela
“Hanging silver tinsel on a real tree with family.”
– Penny
“Pancakes and sausage on Christmas morning before everything gets crazy. Hanging out and watching movies together on Christmas Eve.”
– Tammy
“The only holiday tradition we would do now is that the group will split up into groups. They would blow up balloons and stuff them into panty hose. Maybe 3-4 balloons in each leg. Winner is one who puts it on their head and becomes a reindeer!! Everyone is rushing to blow up the balloons and stuff. We are laughing so hard!! What a group shot that is.
Another is Christmas Eve we put out a lot of luminaries up the driveway and have Mary, Joseph & Jesus figurines by the house. My husband reads the Christmas story from the Bible. After that we sang carols. Go back inside for Christmas cheer with family and friends!! One of our friends now lives in NY so we call them and they listen to the story and sing with us.”
– Anita
What are your favorite Christmas traditions? Anything on this list you’d like to adopt in your family?
