December 2011 Free Book!
We have a great book for you this month – SECRETS OF THE HEART by Jillian Kent.
From the cover: “Madeline Whittington emerges from English society’s prescribed period of mourning in late winter 1817. A string of heartbreaking losses has convinced her that she no longer belongs in a world of gossip and gowns – instead she discovers a passion for helping others. When she confronts the new Earl of Ravensmoore for his part in her father’s death, she finds her rage slowly turning into respect . . . and then something more.”
The drawing for Jillian Kent’s novel will take place on Friday, December 30. You will have your name put into the drawing by sharing one of your family’s holiday traditions as a comment on this post.
Here’s one of ours from my husband’s family – hanging small wrapped gifts on the tree to open on Christmas morning.
Blessings!
Sue
Ginny, what an incredible insight into the strength your mom must have needed to raise four children by herself. You’re right. Your Christmases were better than most.
My tradition from childhood was one of having a single mother with 4 children, so our gifts were few and not very grand…but so appreciated. We would have a stocking full of fruit and nuts then what we called our “big” gift which, because there was only one, we played with and enjoyed all day long and for many days after. That one gift was more special than the piles and piles we associate with Christmas now. I really think we had it better than most.
Beautiful memories, Mary, with the Christmas tree! I bet your kids will continue that precious tradition!
What a great way to generate excitement, esp. when you guys were on your own that first Christmas, Sarah!
We love that movie, Melissa! And we regularly quote the “eye warning.”
What a joy to be a part of a loving family. We had a family birthday tradition of rolling the “birthday guy/girl” under the bed in the morning. For some reason that isn’t a tradition I’ve upheld… Maybe because of the memories of my hair being snagged in bed springs. Yep, I think that’s the reason.
When I was born on Christmas Eve in 1938,(my father and his twin brother’s birthday also), my father gave my mother a tiny 10″ composition paper mache Christmas tree with a red bulb inside..it has the clear bulbs for the light to shine through…Every Christmas that tree has been the highlight of my memories…the original round red bulb is still in it, but the old electrical cord has been cut off, and so I stash some mini-bulbs inside…The tree has a cracked bases, and sits somewhat akilter,(sp) but the green tree with the white on it for snow is not much worse for wear…I tell the kids the story and hope they will continue the tradition long after I’m gone…
Oh, Nancy, I’m so happy for your family. (Do I get to count as a shirt-tail relative with the new additions?)
Wonderful traditions, Gerri. French Meat Pie? Don’t think I’ve ever had that.
Oh, Patricia, what great traditions. Love the hug and kiss idea!
My son is never at his own home for Christmas, so never gets his own tree. Years ago, we all decided that he should not miss out on all the fun. Now we wait until he arrives on Christmas Eve to decorate our tree.
We have a tradition handed down by my mother-in-law’s family tradition. It is called Christmas Eve Gift. You go up to a loved one and say Christmas Eve Gift and give them a kiss and hug. I think it is a very sweet tradition.
When I was a kid at Christmas our dad played chinese checkers with us kids. That is the only time of the year he played this game.
Memories include decorating the Christmas tree on Christmas eve, then sitting down to a traditional meal of Lutefisk served creamed or with butter ( Dad’ s Norwegian family tradition) attended Mass at midnight, waking up to the smell of French Meat Pie baking for family breakfast ( Mom’s family tradition). I have continued to keep up the pie tradition for 49 years!
This has been a Christmas to remember. My niece adopted 2 young children and my cousin had a baby boy Christmas eve.
The Christmas tradition I remember most about growing up was My Dad making all of us kids(6 of us) making our beds before going downstairs to see what Santa left. He would stay in bed and we would try to make his bed with him in it. I will always remember the look on his grinning face. What memories…
I love the idea of hanging wrapped presents on the tree. I might have to steal that for next year. 🙂
One of our traditions, passed down from my husband’s family, is to watch “The Christmas Story” every Christmas Eve. “You’ll shoot your eye out.” This year, we bought our son a Red Rider BB gun and even hid it in the corner until he’d opened all his other presents. His first comment, “Hey, I’m just like Ralphy.”
The first year I was married to my husband we lived in El Centro, CA. My family was in Tennessee, and his just moved to Oregon. We were alone. One day when we went to the Navy Exchange (he was in the Navy), we found an advent calendar that we decided to get. Each day we gathered through December to see what shape the chocolate was in. Sometimes we would split the chocolate or alternate. Every year since we try to find advent calendars to do just that. It’s been 8 years. I even tried to send one to him out at sea while he was on deployment. It is just a reminder to us each day to spend a little time connecting.
Our family tradition was to go out into bush & look for best Xmas tree to chopped down & drag it home then put it in bucket with sand crepe paper to decorate the bottom and add all kinds of decoration we had made. It sure looked good when we finished . Now kids of today don’t do that so they miss out on wonderful fun we all had. Now we arent allowed to chop any tree’s down. Most are bought from supermarkets or pine forrest.
I love this tradition, Mary! I can just imagine as a child trying to decide…..
Growing up, our family tradition was always to open one gift, under the tree, before going to midnight Mass. It was a long and “painful” decision! You had to look over all the gifts with your name and decide on that first one! To this day, I remember some of those “first” gifts.