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Your Holiday Traditions
From treasure hunts to "Edelweiss," readers share the rituals that get them in the holiday spirit.
The highlight of our New Year's party is an elaborate treasure hunt, ending when the kids discover a chest full of glittering hats and noisemakers. Then we count down to a sparkling apple cider toast — at 8 p.m.When I was a little girl, my favorite thing about Hanukkah was getting down the big box of decorations. Now my 4-year-old, Shira, is the one who ooohs and aaahs as each decoration comes out of the box.
We make a big pocket calendar marking the solstice to New Year's Day. Each day gets a family activity and a wish stuffed in the pocket.
Early on Christmas eve morning, we gather at a friend's home for a pancake breakfast. Then we race around, jacked up on coffee and pancakes, to finish shopping.
My mom used to leave a small wrapped present next to our beds. We loved waking up and believing that Santa had snuck into our rooms. Now my two little boys seem to love it too.
This year we're starting a new holiday tradition with our 19-month-old daughter, Hadley — skiing to the 10th Mountain Division huts in Colorado. Since we'll be backpacking and possibly have a small sled, our gifts will be small in size and number (Santa will leave our big presents at home).
My parents, sisters, and I would all snuggle up and sing along to The Sound of Music the week of Christmas. My family carries on that tradition.
This year we will host our third annual tree-trimming party. I started it the year we moved to our new town to help encourage friendships with the other families on the block. I just put out some hot cocoa and cookies for the kids (Kahlua mochaccinos for the adults) and open up the storage boxes of holiday decorations for the tree. With a little help, the kids always manage to decorate the tree beautifully.
We take wrapping paper and wrap up the doorway into our living room. On Christmas, the kids line up and on the count of three, run through the paper.
We are a military family, so we take our 4-year-old, Frankie, shopping for gifts for a kid who doesn't have so many toys; he wraps them and then we bring them to the Marines' toy drive.
We gather around to hear the Christmas eve chapter of Wind in the Willows, "Dulce Domum."
I've always gone searching all over town with my family to find that perfect Christmas tree. It started with my parents when I was a year old, and now we've passed the tradition on to our daughter, Caitlynn (above at age 3). She loves running through the trees, taking in their scent and posing for pictures along the way. Even my husband — who gets a rash from the tree sap every year — loves taking part in this tradition.
