The rituals that we create for our children will be what they remember the most about their childhood.  The rituals we create around the holidays are so important.

The happiest ritual of my childhood was my grandparent's (aka Nan and Pop) house at Christmas. It was a constant in an ever changing childhood. My grandparents would always put the tree in the exact same place, presents piled high and my cousins and I would lie under that huge tree and catch up. The meal, the baking and who sat where at the table was always the same. 

Christmas Eve we went to bed and the adults would sit up and party.  All of our stockings had bells on them and I remember laying upstairs with my cousins and listening for the familiar sound of the bells so we knew that Santa had arrived.

Christmas morning we would wake up and rip into our stockings and eat a huge breakfast. Always the same breakfast and we had to wait until that darn breakfast was done before we could open our presents.  We all took turns opening and we would sit by that tree and play with our toys waiting for the perfect Christmas meal to be served. It was heaven.

After dinner my cousins and I would put on a "show". Each of us would give a demonstration of the activity were we in, dancing, singing, piano etc. The parents would drink wine and we would put on our performances. I loved to talk and perform back then, big surprise hey?

Now that I am a parent I try to do the same but with a lot less stress than my poor Nan must have endured! I want to create some rituals for our Jayda and John. Since my parents have been married three times each we have a lot of Christmas gatherings to cover!! We start celebrating mid-November.  However, in our own home, we have done a few things consistently.

If you remember the Seinfeld episode with George Costanza's Dad where he created "Festivis" where everyone aired their grievances to a metal pole. Well my Darren has adapted that to a more positive idea. The first snow fall in Saskatchewan is not really a positive 90% event. So, when the first snow falls (which in the Prairies can be any time after mid September!!), we call it "LangMas".  We celebrate with ordered food and a Christmas movie. 

My Darren is really a 10 year old trapped inside a 42 year old so he started a ritual that we put the tree up November 1^st - our Jayda and John love it! We play the same Christmas CD and put on the same ornaments that we have all gathered over the years.  We buy a new ornament every year that reflects something that was a big event in our house.

Jayda and John wrap all of the presents (any way they like).  We buy only for the children. We do not buy for the adults and we donate that money to charity instead. I really try to teach them the reason for the season.

Every Christmas, we watch home videos. There is nothing better than going back and watching your children on their first Christmas. 

So my booster friend, what rituals are you creating for your family? Your own children? Your grandchildren? Nieces or nephews?

Everyone needs to feel love and that they can come to a place where the ritual is always the same.

Merry Christmas.

Darci