5th Day of Christmas Giveaways with Mandy Young
Welcome to the 5th Day of Christmas Giveaways!!!
Tweet ThisToday my friend Mandy Young is joining us to talk about her family traditions. She will be giving away the scarf in the image below (she’s also wearing it in her bio picture!)
To join in on the fun and be entered to win the various prizes, simply leave a comment on the post answering the question of the day. ALSO—one grand prize will be given to one person who comments on all 12 days.
The Grand Prize is a $50 gift certificate to Proverbs 31 Ministries store and a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com!!!
Now, here is Mandy to offer you today’s post…
Young Christmas Traditions
Hi, I’m Mandy. “What happened to your leg?” is a question I get asked almost every day. But it’s such a loaded question. I was only 8 years old when I lost my leg, but my story doesn’t begin or end there. I was only 9 months old the first time I developed Spinal Meningitis. I have been a research patient at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland for 23 years. Scientists there have decided that I’m the only person in the world to have my exact Genetic Mutation. You can connect with me on Twitter here. I am a good friend of Karen’s and am privileged to share some of my family’s traditions here today.
Merry Christmas everybody! Christmas is by far my favorite holiday! The first reason of course is the true reason for the season; Christ’s birth. But I also love Christmas music, the pretty lights everywhere, the movies, finding the perfect gift for those I love, watching everyone come up with creative adventures for their little elf friends, the parties, the ugly sweaters, holiday food….oh my word the list goes on and on! But really I think why I love it so much is the traditions. I’m a traditional kind of girl and this Holiday has tradition all over it.
I’m sure you’re wondering, “What traditions do the Young’s have?”. Great question! I’m here to answer that question you’ve been wondering about for the last 5 seconds – haha!
My first tradition starts the day after Thanksgiving…that’s right Black Friday shopping! Now I’m not much of a shopper normally but there is just something fun about shopping in the middle of the night and standing in line to get a good deal! My sister (Alex) and I venture out around midnight Thanksgiving night. We make our lists beforehand of who we are buying for and then read through the sale papers and head out! Honestly this year I don’t think we got any wonderful deals but it was tradition and it’s one we love! We especially enjoy the sister time!
Another tradition I love is putting up my pink tree! Yes, you read that right! I have a pink Christmas tree and I love her! She makes me so happy! As soon as it’s appropriate to put her up I do! She has white lights and silver, glitter ornaments! Her pinkness usually goes up the week after Thanksgiving and then I take her down right after New Years. If it wasn’t frowned upon I would keep her up year round!
My dad started a tradition when we were little (I’m pretty sure it was all mom’s idea) where he goes out shopping by himself to buy my sister and I each a gift that is just from him. With no help from mom or mom buying it and putting both of their names on it; nope, this one is just from him. And now that my sister has children he buys each one of them a gift too! Being a daddy’s girl it’s always one of my favorite gifts to open!
About 5 years ago my parents and I started a new tradition for our family. Christmas Eve we head out to a favorite restaurant for dinner. We feel bad for those who have to work on Christmas Eve, so to thank at least one person, we leave a very large tip for our server. We want him or her to know that we appreciate them being there and we thank them with a gift. It’s all about getting to bless someone! And it’s extra special if we are able to peek around the corner and watch them find their blessing inside the receipt book! It feels good to give!
After dinner, I head over to my sister Alex and her family’s house to spend the night. We read the girls the Twas the Night before Christmas and then we watch A Muppets Christmas Carol (my sister and I have watched it on Christmas Eve since we were little ourselves; which is a tradition we are now sharing with Alex’s little girls, my nieces). Once the girls are fast asleep we turn on the movie Elf and finish wrapping last minute gifts. Christmas morning my parents, grandparents and aunt come to my sister’s to join us to have breakfast and to open presents. Instead of the traditional Christmas dinner we serve a big breakfast!
Do you see why I love Christmas so much?!?!? We really don’t have enough time between Thanksgiving and New Years to enjoy all the wonderfulness that is the Christmas season. We have become so rushed that without traditions in place we can become a Grinch very easily. But don’t get so wrapped up in the traditions that you forget the true meaning of Christmas or don’t enjoy your time with family! Sometimes you change traditions and there is nothing wrong with that! Some will stay the same and some will change, just remember to enjoy them either way! If you don’t have traditions already in place feel free to borrow one of mine or get creative and come up with some on your own!
Answer one of these questions below to be entered to win the scarf and grand prize.
What are your family traditions? Do you have movie night while making popcorn garland to put on the tree? Going to see Santa and giving him your wish list? Maybe going around your neighborhood singing Christmas carols? What are the traditions that keep you in the Christmas spirit? We can’t wait to hear them!
All winners will be announced Tuesday December 22nd.
We have several Christmas traditions, but my favorite one is every year attending the 4:00 Chrismas Eve worship service with the final song singing Silent Night with laminating the church with candles. We come home to a special dinner and finish out the night reading the Christmas story before bed! Nothing better than that day of focus on the Christ child’s birth!
We have a lot of traditions! One is to make goodies for our neighbors, the trash guy, and the mailman. We always have homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning. My mom buys an ornament for each of her grandchildren until they turn 18; I am starting the tradition with my own grandchildren. Those are just a few things we do every year!
I am hoping to start a new tradition with my nieces this year. We are planning a day to go for lunch, do Christmas crafts, watch Christmas movies, and read Christmas books.
Growing up my favorite tradition was getting all of my aunts, uncles and cousins together at my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve. I would walk to church with my cousins, have a big meal at my grandparents’, play Bingo with corn kernels (we’re farmers) and open gifts. Often on the way home my dad would drive through town and we’d look at all the Christmas lights.
Our Christmas tradition is to do something for someone else that is a sacrifice for us. It’s a tradition that we enjoy giving. We also spend one Saturday in our Pjs eating Christmas cookies and watching Christmas movies.
Merry Christmas!
My son and I watch the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas every year. We also go see our church’s singing Christmas tree. On Christmas Eve, we have a big soup party with all of our aunts, uncles, and cousins at my parents’ home.
My daughter has been part of our Church’s community outreach “Singing Christmas Tree” presentation for the last 3 years, and we always attend our Church’s Musical presentation, The Majesty of Christmas.
We blast Christmas music while decorating the tree. We usually order pizza and watch a Christmas movie afterwards.
I wish we had more of a tradition, but mainly we open a gift on Christmas Eve, of course, it’s pjs to where that night. My grandfather started that tradition, each Christmas he would buy us kids a new robe, pj’s and slippers. I miss that! But I do continue it with my grandnephew whom I raised since his birth, even though he’s 23 now. We are both like kids at Christmas! :) I’ll have to talk with him and come up with some new things we can do, and things that will bring glory to God. Nancy from Massachusetts.
Our family traditions include a trip to the Hallmark store and we each pick out a new ornament for the tree. We do it in honor of my mother in law who passed away a few years ago. We come home and play The Peanuts Christmas cd and decorate our tree.
We watch a few of the same movies every year. We decorate the tree and house as a family. Then bake cookies usually eggnog ones as those are my husband’s favorites. I love to make Christmas cards for family and friends. It is such a blessed time of year.
I make monkey bread Christmas morning and my kids and grandkids come over. The extended family drops in and out all day long. We have started doing snack foods for Christmas day because we have a big brunch after opening gifts and no wants a big meal so i quit cooking one. So much more fun when I am not stuck in the kitchen.
attending Christmas Eve services, then riding around looking at all the Christmas lights.
We have Christmas eve breakfast at my mom’s and Christmas morning breakfast at my mother-in-law’s every year. Both days we go in our pajamas and it is just fun to share breakfast with our extended families on both sides. Merry Christmas!!
I always love going to the candlelight Christmas Eve service at my church with my family.
I enjoy re-reading Christmas books to my girls and seeing their excitement in doing so. We also have some Christmas movies we enjoy watching as a family each year. This year we went and cut down our first “real” Christmas tree and the girls strung popcorn and cranberries for the first time. Although we may not do this every year, it was so much fun to give them the experience!
When my 4 children were little we used to let them sleep under the Christmas tree on the first night that we put it up. That was our favorite tradition. Somehow when they transitioned into teenagers they don’t want to do it anymore!
Our Christmas traditions include birthday cake for Jesus, midnight mass, Opa and all the family (now numbering 50) gathered at the church hall for Christmas potluck and lots of visiting with family and friends over the holiday. Baking, card making, singing, movies all get in the mix too.
My family is super small now just me and my boy (17) are together for Christmas…we bake cookies every year, on Christmas Eve we read Luke 2 and have communion together. When he was younger I would let him open one present before bed now he has to wait lmbo :P We love dribing to look at the pretty lights usually the weekend before Christmas. Since my older children and all my grandkids live in Florida we talk with them all on Christmas Day either by phone or video call.
This year we will be starting a few new traditions one of which is helping to serve dinners to the hungry !
God’s Blessings!
We do lot of baking and read Luke chapter 2, drive around looking at lights, and attend neighborhood and school events and concerts. Gingerbread houses, too!
During the day, the kids watch Cheistmas movies. Christopher Popkins heads back to the North Pole this day. We go to Christmas Eve service and then head to our good friend’s Christmas Eve party. It is a large party with family, friends and neighbors. When we come home, all three of the kids sleep in one bedroom together so they can wake up together on Christmas Day.
One of our traditions is a small movie marathon while we finish up gift wrapping on Christmas Eve (Yes, we procrastinate!) with “It’s a Wonderful Life” & “The Christmas Carol” followed on Christmas Day with “The Christmas Story” (never fails to make us laugh).
I LOVE cooking and baking, so besides the holiday baking and turkey dinner, I make a special Christmas breakfast – braided almond bread and breakfast enchiladas, along with a fresh fruit salad. Later as we have our own immediate family dinner we reflect on the birth of Christ and read a special story together.
So many, where do I start – decorating starts the day after Thanksgiving. Cookie Exchange Extravaganza – was just yesterday. 20 ladies, 12 doz cookies each, all the tins, boxes, platters, etc. ready to package the cookies and then they’re ready to gift. Women’s Gala at church, reflection on the first Christmas, my children and grandchildren all sleeping over on Christmas Eve. German pancakes for breakfast, all holding hands in prayer, a delicious dinner, and much thankfulness.
We like to get the tree up while listening to Christmas Carols. We, also, like to go 20 miles away to a place in the middle nowhere that has the biggest light display I have ever seen.
Every Christmas Eve, we watch The Polar Express making sure to stop for our own cup of hot chocolate!