It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

1. BAKE ALL OF THE COOKIES

Every year since I was a little girl, my mom and I would bake cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. Here's a link to some awesome cookie recipes!

2. Make Gingerbread houses

This is a personal favorite of mine. My grandmother used to buy the standard Gingerbread kits but we would make our own icing and use our favorite candy as decoration. Of course, I would always end up eating a window or part of the roof off later when she wasn't looking (hehe).

3. Hallmark Ornaments

Okay, so I have to explain this one a little bit. There's a Christmas tree in my house dedicated specifically towards me. The ornaments are from my parents childhood, as well as mine. Every year my mom has bought 3-4 Hallmark Christmas ornaments of my choosing to add to the tree. It's really funny, because you can tell how old I was each year from the type of ornaments I would pick out (let's just say Barbie Princess was a big hit from 2000-2005ish).

4. Watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

It's my dad's favorite Christmas movie! This 1964 classic has been a hit in the James family for literally over 50 years. Honestly if you haven't seen this movie, I don't know how you could possibly have Christmas.

5. Christmas Eve Family Dinner

After the Christmas service at church, my family always comes over to my house to have a Christmas Eve dinner. We spend this time just enjoying each other, opening one present before Santa comes, and enjoying the true meaning of Christmas.

Although these traditions may not seem the most original, they mean a lot to me and Christmas wouldn't be the same to me without them. After all, Christmas isn't about how many presents you get or the long break you get from school. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and giving back to others. Merry Christmas everyone, and a Happy New Year.!