As a child, traditions were the basis of my most cherished holiday memories.
Making candy with my mom, caroling with my aunts, uncles and cousins, lighting a candle on our Christmas plate for our Christmas dinner… These were the things that could be counted on year after year. They were what meant the Holidays to my siblings and me.
Now that I’m a mother, I think a lot about tradition.
What will make the holidays memorable for my children?
This week I am focusing on Traditions both old and new.
One of our favorite Traditions began the year I was married. That year we bought the book The Polar Express
From that year every year since we have purchased a Christmas book.
After more than a few years of marriage we’ve assembled a wonderful collection of Christmas books.
I make sure to inscribe the book each year with the date and our family name.
Beside the better known Polar Express and How the Grinch Store Christmas, here are a few of our favorites over the years:
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
This book is beautifully illustrated and beautifully written. I can never read it aloud without emotion. It’s a perfect book for teaching the truer meanings of the season.
I’ve talked about this book before, but it is one of our most beloved books and deserves a mention again:
Red Ranger Came Calling
Clever and imaginative, this book explores themes of cynicism, gratitude and faith. The ending is such a delight. I can hardly wait to curl up with the kids by the fire and listen to my husband (my own Red Ranger) read this story every Christmas season.
And here’s a lighthearted option:
How Murray Saved Christmas
When Santa is put out of action Murray the deli owner is called in to the rescue. Bagels and lox anyone?
Thanks for the recommendations – I was just telling my father-in-law that in my family, if we do something once and like it it’s now a tradition!
I got my boys 4 Christmas books for their Advent Sunday gifts this year to start building our Christmas library.
LOLOL! My husband reads How Murray Saved Christmas every Christmas Eve! Love your collection.
Great collection. We too started with the Polar Express and have passed on the tradition to my nephews and their kids.
What a great family tradition! Would love to hear more of your family traditions!
We have many of these books too. Along with allowing my two boys to choose one new ornament to add to the tree each year (which I’ll send with them when they leave home), we get a new book too. One of my favorites is The Snowman. No text, just pictures–it reads a bit like a comic book. The illustrations are wonderful. Happy holidays to you!
You reminded me that I haven’t taken my Christmas books off the shelf yet. Thank you. I discovered “The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree” quite by accident many years ago.
We do the book collection too, but we trace the kids’ hands in the cover the year we get the book and write their ages in the hand print. This year we added a new hand! The kids love to see how they have grown.
Calli. Did you already have Santa Calls or did you trust my recommendation last year? Don’t you just love that book and the sweet little wish of the little sister for a big brother to be her friend!? Hope your holidays are merry merry. Love, Sharon
What a neat idea! I might have to start that this year, even though my kids are a bit older and we’ve been married quite a few years!