Favorites

Kim's blog got me thinking about my favorite Christmas traditions. I am a big lover of Christmas traditions. Cutting down a tree, decorating it, advent wreaths, advent calendars, watching "Muppet Family Christmas" after decorating the tree and "Muppet Christmas Carol" on Christmas Eve, the endless food traditions, having a birthday cake and singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus--it's all very near and dear to my heart.

I think my favorite Christmas tradition is the one my parents have of giving all three of us an ornament each year. They're always part of a set, but they don't usually match exactly. My favorite set is one of teddy bears playing different instruments: Shannon's plays the guitar, mine plays the fiddle, and Ryan's plays the cymbals. They're dressed like they're part of a Kentucky bluegrass band. So cute. The idea is that when we all leave and get our own trees, we'll have a good start on ornaments. So far, though, all of us come back for Christmas and we haven't split up the sets. I have an idea that even when we do, we'll e-mail each other pictures and relive the memories.

I think my favorite tradition isn't a family one, it's a church one. At the end of the Christmas Eve service, we light little white candles, turn down all other lights, and sing "Silent Night." It's my favorite Christmas carol, and singing it in a reverent, holy hush of light after just hearing the Christmas story and feeling full of the awe and excitement that Jesus became part of mankind as the first step to redeeming mankind, is a feeling like no other. Wow, add that to the list of things I'm going to miss this year!

So, what are your favorites? Christmas traditions, Christmas carols, Christmas foods, Christmas movies? Two of mine are listed above; my favorite Christmas movie is "White Christmas." My favorite food are these things my mom makes that are like a Reese's cup wrapped in a chocolate chip cookie. Yummy.