Christmas Traditions

When a couple first gets married, they bring some of their childhood traditions with them. They also begin creating their own. When the children grow up and leave home, some of those traditions seem to fade. With everyone coming home, we are reviving some of them ths year.

My son wanted me to make candy cane cookies like we did when they were younger.



(3/4 cup shortning 1/4 cup butter)*
1 cup conf. sugar 1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp salt
peppermint/almond extract
sprinkled with granulated sugar

Cream: shortning, butter*
egg, and conf.sugar
Mix: flour, salt
Divide in half.
Add 1 t. of pep. ext. and 1/2t. red dye to one half.
Add 1 tsp of almond extract to the white half.
Roll each color into 6 in. strips, twist, and curl top.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.
While warm, sprinkle with granulated sugar.

*CORRECTION: Use 1 cup shortning
(the butter made mine spread all over the pan)

We are adding little boxes of cereal in their stockings, plus of course, nuts and fruit and candy and various games. We watch our favorite Christmas movies - "It's a Wonderful Life", "A Christmas Carol", "Charlie Brown Christmas", etc.

We rarely buy a tree, and we've never gotten one from a tree farm. We tramp out into the woods and usually look at the tops of the trees. (That's the best shaped ones.) Someone climbs up and cuts off the top 6-8 feet.



Often we go caroling to the nursing homes and shut-ins. Everyone piles in cars and we go to about 10 houses, singing two or three songs for those who can't get out to church anymore. Some may not be able to be with their families.



On Christmas Eve morning, we go shopping for stocking stuffers and then eat at Dysart's, a local truck stop with great food.


One tradition will always be the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. The men of the church take turns reading the Christmas Scriptures, interspersed with instrumentals, solos, poems, etc. I stop all my baking and wrapping and whatever isn't done, is forgotten. I stop to enjoy the real meaning of Christmas.



What is your favorite family tradition?