Today I am linking up with Aly and Becky for their Show Me Christmas. This week is Christmas Traditions. Well, my family has many traditions. Most of these traditions have been around since before I was born, but may have altered slightly as I have gotten older and had my own child to better fit our lifestyle. Here are a few of my favorite traditions:
Tradition #1:
The weekend after Thanksgiving is when the Christmas tree goes up. This tradition has been altered over the years. My family is made up of German descendants with strong ties to their German heritage. Well traditionally, Germans do not put their tree up until Christmas Eve. This is what my family did for many years, but because my mother and I are allergic to real trees, we then started buying the reusable trees. Once we switched trees (around the time I was 6 or so), we started the tradition of decorating the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. This is one tradition I have stuck to through my adult years!
Our Christmas Tree this year.
Tradition #2:
The Christmas Pickle! Haha!! I know what you are thinking...Christmas pickle? I don't get it either!! Haha!! It's another one of those German traditions that I grew up with and kept because it was what we have always done. My pickle ornament actually broke this year, and needless to say, here in NWA there isn't exactly the demand for pickle ornaments, so I am having to get my family to send me one from south Texas to replace mine.
A traditional glass pickle ornament.
The German Christmas Pickle Ornaments Story.
The German glass pickle ornaments are considered a special
"Christmas in Germany" decoration by many families where the Christmas
tree was decorated on Christmas eve.
The glass Christmas pickle ornament is always the last glass
ornament to be hung on the Christmas tree. The parents hide the glass
pickle ornament in the Christmas tree among the other German
glass ornaments. When the children were allowed to view the
Christmas tree they would begin gleefully searching for the
German glass pickle ornament. The children knew that whoever found
the glass pickle ornament first would receive an extra little gift and
would be the one to begin the unwrapping of the Christmas gifts.
Tradition #3:
Cookie decorating! Every Christmas Eve we bake and decorate sugar cookies for Santa. I have done this as long as I can remember! It was always my favorite part of Christmas Eve, and now it is Truett's favorite part too!! After they are all decorated, we plate them on our special dishes that are only for Santa to eat off of and leave a letter for Santa. We also make sure the reindeer have a special treat as well!
Truett and his Oma (that's grandma in German) decorating cookies last Christmas Eve.
All of the decorated cookies.
These are our Santa cookie dishes. The plates are for Santa's cookies, the cup is for his milk, and the bowl is where we put the reindeer food (oatmeal and glitter) that we sprinkle on the lawn Christmas Eve before we go to bed.
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas with their families and the traditions you share!
love the pickle story!
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