Christmas Traditions of my family

At my house, we're really festive when it comes to Christmas. So naturally, when you have three kids, you develop a lot of traditions over the years. So now, I'm going to share some of my family's Christmas traditions with you, so enjoy!

1. Christmas Eve Candle Light Service

On Christmas Eve, we always go to church with my grandmother. It's not just any church service, it's a special service that this church does every Christmas Eve. They preach about the birth of Jesus and and tell the rest of traditional Christmas story, so it's really relaxing and is just a time to remember enjoy yourself, speak with friends, and remember Christ, all together in one. At the beginning of the service, everyone receives a candle, and they go down the rows, lighting every candle, one by one, until the entire congregation is illuminated by candlelight. It's really a beautiful thing to see.

2. Frying Oysters

After the Christmas Eve Church Service, everyone comes back to our house, and we all help set up for our little party that we usually have on Christmas Eve. It's nothing really grand, but we do have a ton of food, and one of the most interesting foods we have on Christmas Eve is fried oysters. I'm not entirely sure how it got started, but my parents have always done it, so I've just accepted it as fact. It's more of a southern tradition, and though I've heard of other people doing it before, I haven't heard of it often. But in any event, I 'm pretty attached to the tradition, so I'll probably do the same thing for my family.

3. Reading Books

On Christmas Eve, when the evening is winding down, the kids (which now, is really only my little brother) all get ready for bed. But before they actually go to bed, we always read two books. One of them is the traditional biblical Christmas story and it just really brings in the religious observance of this holiday for my family. The other book that we read is called The Night Before Christmas, and we have had that book for years. The sides of it are a little worn, and I saw the same book in a store not too long ago, and the thought of buying a new one crossed my mind. But, I'm just not ready to let that one go.. it just has to many memories in it.

4. Watching Christmas Movies

On Christmas Eve, we always watch a few Christmas movies. Some years, we mix it up regarding which ones we watch. But there are a few that we always make it a point to watch, and those are National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Frosty the Snowman. Personally, I like adding The Polar Express into the mix as well.

5. Getting Ready for Santa

This is one really brings back the childhood memories for just about anyone, and for me, I fortunately have a little brother, so this tradition can continue for a little while longer at my house. We always set out the milk and the cookies right before we all go to bed, and we put the Christmas lists under the plate, and that's that.