Every year I buy each child a special tree ornament. When they move out, they will all have their own set of special, memorable ornaments for their own trees
Such amazing traditions. I am Hindu but really respect and admire how much of love & dedication you put into making Christmas a special time for you and your family.
We have an archway between the dinning room and lounge, just at the bottom of our stairs, every Christmas Eve I paper cross the archway like a door so my little ones have to burst through it to see all the presents
For many years we've had the tradition before our 3 boys went to bed on Christmas eve, of gathering up every candle in the house and putting them all together on the hearth and lighting them all-sometimes up to 30+ candles. We turn off all the lights except for the tree, and sing along to versions of Silent Night in numerous languages. (English,German, French, Inuktitut ) We live in Northern Canada and the sight of our boys singing with all the candles in our little log house in the Canadian wilderness was quite beautiful- like a Christmas card. They are all grown now but we still do the candles when we can.
I was never a tradition-type kinda girl buuuut watching you and especially this video really got me thinking how special it could be for my now 2 year old boy to look back to these kind of small traditions. Thanks a lot for your ideas and energy! Greetings from Bucharest, Romania!
Loved this!!! My husband and I have been together for 15 years but for various reasons, this will be the first Christmas we wake up in our own house! We have 2 children now.. 3.5 and 10months and we are just in the process of creating our own family traditions. Love the idea of sleeping under the tree, but don’t think my big one would actually fall asleep!
The children’s Christmas mass on Christmas Eve with Christmas carols and nativity before the mass begins. A reminder of what Christmas is all about 💁♀️
Ever since my siblings and I were little my dad would make “magic Santa snowprints” from our fireplace to the tree this is absolutely my favorite family tradition. I plan on doing this for my daughter this will be her first Christmas.
Thank you for sharing your Christmas traditions. A few that we have always done is to make a birthday cake for Jesus the morning of Christmas eve- sometimes it is a cake or a pie. On Christmas morning, before the gifts are open we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.
Love traditions! This year I’m starting a new one where my kids will only open 1 stocking stuffer per day until New Years. I find that the stocking stuffers get forgotten when the bigger presents are opened, so I’m hoping this new tradition “Santa” is implementing will get them more excited about the small gifts and give them something to do each day while on break, and keep the fun going!
Having found myself raising a family with cultures from three countries I’ve been feeling overwhelmed at the sheer number of traditions we could do and this video was very comforting to me to see how you have created your own traditions. I especially love the idea of having an advent calendar for each year. Also this is the earliest I’ve ever seen one of ur videos, one of the perks of being in Europe now!❤️
My family puts a big piece of wrapping paper over the open door to the room with the presents, so in the morning the kids get to tear that down before seeing what presents there are - it’s an extra bit of excitement plus stops any sneak peeks in the middle of the night ❤️
Our traditions are very similar to yours... elf on the shelf, visiting Santa, Xmas eve boxes, cooked breakfast Xmas morning with Buck’s Fizz, advent calendars. We also have to get the whole Kevin the carrot family from Aldi (we have them all from all 3 years now!) plus the book!! Make my own wreath and also we live in the cotswolds and every year all the local farmers gather with their decorated tractors with lights and all sorts and drive a course round a local village - it’s lead by a fire engine (also dressed in lights) there are 50+ tractors, it’s brilliant and all done for charity. I love your family decoration idea x
Every year since I found out I was pregnant I have bought my daughter a bauble so when she leaves home she has something special to take with her to make sure she remembers that it was only ever me and her when she was younger. I also do a Christmas Eve box and we go to the same Santa grotto each year as well.
Great ideas Emily! Driving around in pajamas looking at the lights is one of my family's favorite things about the season! We actually have a neighbor in our area with a large yard and driveway who creates a free drive through display and even passes out free candy canes. Love the holiday spirit, Merry Christmas!! 😊
Watching all of your videos 40+1 weeks pregnant waiting for my little one to arrive. Being a first time mum I find your vlogs, DITL and helpful tips and tricks videos helpful to try and organise and use my time wisely. I loved catching up on your previous pregnancy videos throughout my pregnancy too! Thank you!😁
Brilliant ideas. Love your neighbours Christmas lights, I do Christmas boxes for my 2 even if they are older they love getting new pjs DVD and hot chocolate for Christmas eve because wear our pjs for Christmas day as well. We got a family Christmas bauble 2010 one for my family and one for my mum dad Jane, it's nice to see them every year because my dad pass away it's nice to see it every year. My son school does shoe boxes for the homeless for Christmas plus I get presents for the toy apel for who don't get presents for Christmas
Rewatching this now I have a 3.5 and 1 year old. Lovely ideas! Really appreciate that you are making this video ‘kid friendly’ and keeping the magic ❤️
My mums family is from Essex and every Christmas we used to spend with my grandparents in Essex and we always went to see that street! My family were only just talking about it the other day! So many good memories! Your boys will remember this tradition for years to come! It’s a favourite of mine and I really do miss it! Xxxx
One thing we do is to open most of our pressies in the afternoon after dinner. Even tho I spend Christmas on my own I still do this. I often put on Christmas music or the Andy Williams Christmas DVD while I’m doing this. With all the Christmas lights on & the dark night it feels so cosy. We’ve done this since I was very young & can’t imagine opening my presents first thing in the morning.😀 By the way, I think doing the reverse advent calendar in November rather than December is a great idea.
I made a activity advent calendar for my Boys this year. And I will definetly make it a tradition. So every day there is a Christmas themed activity, on a note in the calendar, that we do together. Everything from reading a Christmas book, Christmas movie night, to going to the Christmas market or baking gingerbread cookies and decorating the gingerbread house.. The Boys love it, of course all they want is to have time were we are all together as a family. ✨💖✨☺️
My son loves having his Xmas tree in his bedroom. It's the only one we all go cut together and decorate,that's where santa leave 1 present for him. This is the first Xmas for my baby girl and we got one so definitely is a tradition now. Also, all books are wrapped with different faces and chocolate coins as eyes, chocolate bauble in the tree, shoe boxes for unfortunately kids, baking and movies together xx
I love these Emily! We do many of the same ones as you (driving round to count the Christmas lights and judge the best, visit Santa,) and I actually watched The Holiday last week with a mince pie and glass of prosecco whilst doing all the wrapping lol! Loved it! Also on the evening of the day we put our decorations up, we always make sure the girls are in bed a bit early and my husband goes to the shop and brings back a few little Christmassy treats to eat (sausage rolls, cashews, crisps and dips and Yule log) and we watch jamie Oliver Christmas cooking programmes lol 😂
Last year we looked at Christmas lights with a scavenger hunt list that I got from Pinterest-reindeer, North Pole sign, Snoopy, stuff like that-and I think it really added a fun element 😊 I’m also reading A Christmas Carol with my oldest (11) and hoping to repeat it each year. Thanks for the ideas, and Merry Christmas!
We do a Christmas Scavenger Hunt where we have a checklist and look for specific ones like 4 deers in one yard, santa on a roof, ect. It puts a nice twist to just going to look at lights. Oh and ofcourse with some festive Hot Chocolate at Tim Hortons :)
Oh no! You forgot to include how you write a letter about your goals for the year, and put it on the tree! I love that idea, and am starting it with my boys 🥰
Omg!! This video just literally popped up on my screen in the moment I was actually feeling a tad bit sad that there were no new Emily Norris videos out yet! Haha. Perfect timing Em.
Just watched this and I absolutely love all of these traditions you are definitely showing your children that Christmas is about spending time with family and the meaning of “giving” I will definitely be implementing the judging Christmas lights in our town, and food bank through November 😊
We do the Christmas lights one too! We also do it on bonfire night sometimes, all cozy in the car 😍The children both have a bath or shower on Christmas Eve and Santa magically brings new pjs and chocolate coins underneath their towels 🎁🎅🏻 my grandparents started that tradition when I was little and now I love doing it even more now they’re no longer here ❤️
Every year we buy a new ornament, this year it was one the just said 2019 on it. We also read the same set of Christmas books every year which has been a tradition since my brother was I younger and he’s 30 next month. They’ve gone from him to me to my daughter now and we’ve read them to here since I was pregnant. We also get one present on Christmas Eve as well!
I would second listening to the Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater. So calming at this busy time of year. Thanks Emily, you always remind me to enjoy and make the most of these little but important things. X
When we put our tree up we also put out a sack that we have filled with Christmas books,crafts and activities all to do with Christmas so throughout December the kids can just help themselves to the sack to find something Xmassy to do each day! X
Loved this video. 1st time mom here. My baby is only 2months but I'm now thinking of how I want to celebrate special days and season for her. Loved these ideas. Lots of love your way.
My hubby and i plus our great dane Zoe are driving around this weekend to look at lights its something we love to do every year, simple fun but good times Santa
Love the video Emily! I like the idea of seeing the xmas lights from the car specially when we have the -20 in Canada. We make reindeer food in a large bin with glitter and dry oats. Kids love it. Xx
I loved this video Emily.I don’t celebrate Christmas but I could never miss one of your videos.Btw, you should give shoutouts at the end of your videos because if I got a shout out from you I would cry my eyes out💕
I grew up with the Christmas Eve present tradition too, and it was almost always pjs. We have done the same for our daughter. We watch "A Christmas Carol" (various versions), often on Christmas Eve. I like to listen to "A Child's Christmas in Wales," which my Mom played every Christmas season.
I'm doing the Christmas lights this year, since this will be first Christmas with a car! (Past my test November 2018 and got my car February 2019) so excited can't wait!
Aww. We have always done the daddy checks for Presents thing. I never thought of it as a tradition though. I just thought everyone did that. Obviously not then! Xx have a wonderful Christmas Emily and I hope the boys get everything they want from the main man himself. Fraser, Caleb and Jackson are all getting so big! Merry Christmas 🎄 xx
A lot of traditions are similar to ours. But I loved the idea of the cards for the lights tour. People put a lot of effort to decorate their houses and to get a little card is sooo kind. I was thinking about doing a sleep over under de Christmas tree but Julius is a bit too young (2,5) so maybe next year. We are doing a picnic under the Christmas tree instead. Our advent calendar is a tradition. On Christmas we take the kids to church, there is a special celebration also for toddlers. After that we have a fingerfood dinner, first Christmas day the in-laws are coming for dinner and second Christmas day ( you call that boxing day) we have a formal dinner at my parents house. We love to dress up and celebrate with family and good food. Thanks for the inspiration Emily. 💕💕💕Lenny
Aww Emily, this is such a great one! it is so funny, I am currently having a glass of wine, wrapping gifts and watching your videos! I have been doing it the past few days :) maybe after this one I'll put on love actually:)
We do a puzzle we work on starting in December, watch holiday movies, and I make cinnamon rolls. The year I was pregnant with our first and only child, we had vacation together in the apartment and were literally snowed in for Christmas. We did a jigsaw puzzle, had a movie marathon, and I made cinnamon rolls. Its now tradition for us.
We take the children out each year for them to choose a Christmas tree bauble. It goes on the tree just that year. After Christmas it is placed carefully in their own box. When they grow up and leave home, they take the box with them of baubles from their childhood. Best part of Christmas is the hunt.
Aw I've actually made a video about our traditions too ! Our fav one is driving around to see xmas lights. I'm so excited to take my kids this year cos my 3 year old twins get super excited to see lights x another tradition is to watch elf every year. I love that film !
My kids very favorite tradition is when we bake and decorate cookies and then walk up and down our street and personally deliver them to our neighbours.
each year, the street up above ours has an annual lights turn on on the 5th Dec in the night! me and my sisters, mum, step brothers and step dad go up and see them get turned on. and a man dresses up like Santa talking to all the little kids who are up there, followed by fireworks🦋
Ustedes son muy afortunados. Aca en Argentina se perdió casi en su totalidad el espíritu navideño. Venden muy pocos objetos navideños. Pero te miro y trato de poner lo mejor en casa 💕🌲
