I’ve read many posts on Christmas traditions (and don’t you worry, I intend to write one myself) but I thought it might be interesting to post a little list of Christmas traditions we don’t participate in and why.
1) We don’t look at lights on Christmas eve. I love to drive around looking at all the twinkly lights, and we definitely will do that at least once (probably multiple times) this December. However. My parents’ neighborhood has long been one of THE PLACES to go light-looking. Like, it’s made the newspaper’s list of places to go more than once. So on Christmas eve? This neighborhood is a crazy mess. We’ve gone to other things on Christmas eve a time or two and come home and had it take a good 20 minutes to get from the only neighborhood entrance to our house. (It should take about 2.) It’s not fun, so we try to stay home Christmas eve.
2) We don’t open any gifts on Christmas eve. I know some people do stockings, some people open all the gifts, some people do grandparent gifts or whatever. We wait until Christmas morning for all of it.
3) We don’t do Christmas pajamas. I have purchased Christmasy pajamas for the kids once or twice, but it’s not a *thing* we do.
4) We don’t leave treats for the reindeer. We always did the cookies for Santa, but that was it. My kids are a little young for this yet, but I will not be doing anything for the reindeer even when they are older. If reindeer come to our house they’re just going to have to go hungry.
5) We don’t read “The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas eve. I’m sure we’ll read it at some point in December, but on Christmas eve I prefer to read the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2.
So, what traditions do you skip out on?