Christmas Traditions

I'm normally not nostalgic or traditional by any stretch. But in the last few years I've begun to enjoy nostalgia a bit during Christmas and have also discovered some "traditions" that I've developed for the season.

We decorate the house the day after Thanksgiving on what we call "opening ceremonies" day. My favorite part is decorating the tree, because I've established the tradition of watching/listening to a DVD commentary or geeky documentary. This year, my DVD of choice was "Secret Origins: The History Of DC Comics".

Coming up next Saturday is my marathon baking day, in which I bake candies/cookies/muffins to help fill the gift baskets of the caroling ministry I run each year. (Of course I make enough for us to stuff ourselves with, too!) And while I bake, I usually try to watch every cool Christmas movie or TV christmas episode I have. (Batman Returns, Christmas episodes of Justice League, Batman the Animated Series, Farscape etc.)

For the caroling ministry, I go to the church leadership and ask for a list of names of people in the church that could use an expression of love or encouragement right now. They give us 20 names and I get help from other volunteers to make content for gift baskets that we surprise them with some evening, along with a big group of carolers to sing them a few Christmas songs at their door.

Christmas eve, when we're in town with my family, is a Lasagna dinner, after which we read the Christmas story from Luke, sing some Christmas songs and then open presents. (We opened ours Christmas eve growing up because we would always travel to grandma's the next morning for the extended family Christmas.)

Holly (my wife) started a new tradition this year with our oldest son. An advent calendar where each day on the calendar has a little box that kids can open. You put candy and a note with a special activity on it inside. (Sing Christmas songs, Be nice to Mommy day, go look at neighborhood Christmas lights, etc.)

Christmas morning involves one tradition I started a few years ago, where I create a trail of riddles around the house that Holly has to solve in order to find her last present. Usually the riddles require her to call upon knowledge of my geeky interests and a few of her own as well. Sometimes there's a time limit, sometimes not. Always a blast, but it's getting harder and harder to come up with new riddles every year!

That's about it for me. Anyone else have some Christmas traditions to share?