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| Christmas in Oz is hot so Santa dresses accordingly :) |
Last year was our inaugural year for our advent calendar. I decided to try this for two different reasons. 1. As the kiddos are getting a little bit bigger, we wanted to start establishing our own Christmas family traditions. I wanted our focus to be on friends and family and spending quality time with both. 2. In Australia christmas time is so different that what I was use to and it never really felt like Christmas here. The first couple of years we lived here we didn't decorate or anything, but with the kids we've decided to embrace the differences and celebrate anyways.
Even though we fell a little behind using our calendar last year and probably only did 1/2 the days, using it really stretched out the celebration. It changed the focus from one day of presents to a month of spending time with friends and family and doing special things together.
For our advent calendar I started out by brainstorming ideas for each day, what were traditions that I wanted to keep, what were special things we could do as a family? Here are a few of ours:
1 Decorate Christmas tree
2 Make cinnamon ornaments
for the tree
3 Open a special present
4 Go on campout with family
5 Unwrap a book to read
6 Go to get picture with
Santa
7 Make Jammie and Papa and
Nana and Grandad Presents
8 Make Christmas cards
9 Make gumball Christmas
tree
10 Go to the Christmas
party at church
11 Night out seeing
Christmas lights
12 Make ornaments for tree
13 Have a family Christmas
movie night with treats
14 Go to carols by
candlelight
15 Open Christmas Eve gift
and read Night before Christmas
16 Make goodies for
neighbors
17 Bake cookies and
decorate them with friends
18 Have lunch at a special
restaurant with our family
19 Go for a picnic at the
park
20 Make rice crispy trees
to take to kids at church
21 Polar
Express night
22 Read a Christmas story
together
23 Open presents and Call
grandparents on Skype
24 picnic and play at the beach
I haven't finished our list yet, but thought this was a good start.
What sort of things do you do as a family to celebrate the season?
2 comments:
I really, really love this idea. There is a stupid commercial running here this year for a Hallmark (I think) talking ornament that builds the anticipation for xmas by giving daily "reports" from the North Pole. I can't stand that kind of thing -- totally builds toward one day that can't possibly measure up to all the hoopla ahead of it. Your way is wise -- each day is a mini-celebration on its own. Good for you! (I didn't see "skype with Auntie Lori and crew to show off what they've been making/doing" anywhere in that list...)
We do something very similar, and our kids love it! We keep it low key and try to make the activities ones where we are sharing special time together and not spending money. I look for ways to bless others also. It's always exciting for the boys to open up the little door of our advent calendar after breakfast and see what is planned for each day! Love it, Melaine!
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