A Christmas tradition can start with one generation and then be passed down to other generations. Others are started as families’ welcomed children.
Here a some Christmas traditions from Abington Journal readers:
“We have a collection of nativity sets. We put out each year about 20 of them and rotate which ones we put out. The nativity’s have come from all over. Some, we have from travels such as an Amish one from Lancaster and a bear one from a trip to Wisconsin. Many have been gifts. A dear friend and I exchange nativity sets each year as Christmas gifts. We have over 150 sets but they bring joy to us, so we just keep collecting them.”
– Saida Martha Williams Jordan.
Some families get creative with the gifts they give
“We pick names at Thanksgiving and for $5 or less we have to make a Christmas gift we exchange on Christmas Eve. The gifts are wrapped and put under the tree. The previous year’s winner gets to choose what the gift has to be made from. There have been Q-tips, paper clips, socks, straws and toilet paper. Last year, it was a toothbrush and the winner made a camping utensil set using a plastic fork, spoon and toothbrush and combined them. It’s a great tradition and everyone looks forward to it,”
– Refinneg Nottus.
“Every year, the weekend before Christmas, all of our family gets together to decorate something for Christmas such as T-shirts, hats, socks, stockings, etc. We then wear them on Christmas Eve when we celebrate together.”
– Lindsay Elizabeth.
Some families have their traditions involve food
“We do pizza for dinner on Christmas Eve and always make sure to leave out a slice for Santa. We also leave out a glass bottle of Coke for him. After all those cookies, he could use some real food. I have four children – Noah age 9, Vianna age 6, Niko age 4 and Lydia age 2. The two younger ones don’t really understand but the two older ones love that we’re the family that gives Santa real food to keep him going on Christmas night.”
– Mandi Leigh Smale.
“We do the seven fishes Italian tradition on Christmas Eve at my mom’s. We even have special dishes for it. From Agio e olio to crab cakes and perogies from my Polish side on my dad’s side. It is a good time.”
– Maria Christina Dreisbach
“We leave water and wine for Jesus and next to it, cookies and milk for Santa. It is an Italian tradition.”
– Gina Verdetti Mundorff
“My family has a special Christmas tea get together. We all pass the book around and read one page. As we do, we drink different blends of holiday tea and eat cookies. The book is called ‘A Cup of Christmas Tea.’ This started over 20 years with family. Today, my nieces invite me for a cup of Christmas tea. They now have children and carry on the tradition. I am honored that I started this tradition, and my family carries it on.”
– Rosemarie Cuttitta
Some families gather around to make gingerbread houses
“We have a gingerbread house decorating competition with our very large family. We all partner off and decorate our house. We then post the results online with just house a and house b, etc., and let everyone vote on their favorites. It is a lot of fun every year.”
– Amanda Therkorn
Christmas trees adorned with special ornaments and lights
“All year, whenever we travel, we buy or make Christmas ornaments as souvenirs. When we decorate our tree with my sons Joey and Casey, we put all of those ornaments on last and talk about our family adventures throughout the year.”
– Alexandria Ruddy
“We put our tree up around the beginning of Advent. All of our ornaments are made by our kids and grandkids or were gifts. Even though all the lights are on our tree, we only light blue and purple ones until Christmas Eve night then all the colors come on.”
– Mary Wood
“I have a string of lights that was on my first Christmas tree. They are over 60 years old now and I have them strung on a miniature tree. Each year, I bring them out, hold my breath and plug them in.”
– Elaine Foley Lavelle
“I am very superstitious about the Steelers. I won’t wear any Steelers apparel during their games. We lived in New York City for the 2005-2206 Super Bowl season in a tiny apartment, so our tree was easy to leave up because it was small. Of course, I attributed their win to our tree still being up. When we moved to Northeast PA we had a bigger tree but I still wanted to have the small one with the Steelers ornaments to try and recreate the Super Bowl. The tree is kept up as long as the Steelers are in the playoffs.”
– Heather Hirshorn Dadey
“I have an ornament exchange every year for the past six years with my girls and their friends. We have about 15 children that participate. The children bring a wrapped special ornament, and we have the children sit in a circle and play a musical chair kind of game. When the music stops, you keep the ornament you have in your hand. Parents drop off a wrapped gift for their child and are presented the gifts that night from Santa. To wrap up the evening, we go out to the neighbors and sing some Christmas carols and spread some joy.”
– Heather Statesman
“Every year, we go and cut down our Christmas tree, but we do not decorate it or put it up. On Christmas Eve, our living room has an empty space and on Christmas morning, our children wake up and come out to a tree fully decorated by Santa and presents. My husband grew up that way.”
– Heather Young
“When my girls were younger, we found a way to honor both the secular and spiritual into our Christmas celebrations. On Christmas Eve, after dinner, we had a birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Then before bed, we read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.’ On Christmas morning, we read the Christmas story of Jesus birth before opening presents and then opened our gifts while eating warm cinnamon rolls.”
– Tammy Gabello O’Leary
“When my youngest son Joshua Rictner was about 2 years old, whenever anyone asked what he wanted for Christmas, he would say cake. With some questioning, we finally realized he wanted a cake for baby Jesus. While the kids were growing up, we’d have a cake under the Christmas tree for baby Jesus and we’d sing to him before the gifts were exchanged.”
– Alice Manley
“My family’s tradition started with my parents and now there are four generations. We have a big feast on Christmas Eve and after dinner, we sit by the Christmas tree and we read the Bible story of the birth of Jesus in the gospel of Luke. We pass the Bible around, so everyone reads a part of it. Then we go around the room and each person say what they are thankful for and what their prayers are for next year. We then open presents and have a wonderful celebration.”
– Sandy Pagnani
