Christmas Traditions
At Christmastime, there are no decorated trees or blinking lights adorning Amish people’s homes. They do, however, make special cookies and candies as part of the holiday activity. Some Amish will string the Christmas cards they receive around a room in their home, or may set out some candles and greenery. The school children also put on a Christmas program for their friends and family at the schoolhouse, where they share poems, recitations, and songs. The scholars will often exchange gifts with others in their class. On Christmas morning, the Amish gather with their families for devotions, and then the children open their gifts. In the afternoon the Amish get together for a family meal. If Christmas Day falls near the end of the week, some church districts will hold their services on Christmas morning instead of the usual Sunday service.
In our “English” home we also have some special Christmas traditions. On Christmas Eve, after sharing a simple meal with some of our family members, we attend the candlelight service at our church, which includes singing Christmas Carols. When the service is over, we return to our son’s home to open gifts and enjoy some snacks or sweet treats. My husband and I usually host Christmas dinner in our home, and he enjoys cooking a turkey or ham. The decorations, tasty food, and gift-giving is secondary to the true meaning of Christmas, however. Focusing on the knowledge that God sent His only Son to earth as a gift for all who would believe on His name, is the best Christmas tradition of all.
What are some ways you and your family celebrate Christmas? Do you have any special traditions?
Cookies and sharing the process of fun in the kitchen. We share with so many people that help us out in good times and bad times.
Love baking during Christmas and the New Year and sharing them with friend and family.
Spending precious time with the family during the Christmas Season is just wonderful .
Enjoy all your books read when I can. Don’t have a lot of time.
My family gathers on Christmas Eve to share a great meal, open gifts and enjoy many types of sweet treats. I am the baker and candy maker in the family and I make several different kinds of cookies, candies, cakes, and pies. It is so much fun to be with my family sharing great food, fun and laughter,
I used to decorate my house with all type of decorations and we opened gifts Christmas eve with our children because we always had a lot of company Christmas morning. I cooked for many many years a big spread with ham and turkey and all the trimmings. But now that I am older and our children are all grown with families of their own all live in different states we rarely ever get together anymore. It saddens me but it is what God has chosen for my husband and I. Our church or all the ones I have been a member of through the years has always had a Christmas play with the children and adults and I so enjoyed being a part of that. Thank you Wanda for sharing some of your traditions with us. Merry Christmas and May God grant you a very wonderful and prosperous New Year.
There is no better time in my life but celebrating Jesus birth with family and friends. Such joy and hope He brings!
My husband and I have a tradition to visit Lancaster every Christmas. I feel closest to God and the true meaning of Christmas whenever I am there.
Have a blessed Christmas.
Until last year, when my mother passed away, we always spent Christmas Eve night with my parents and my brother and his family and then, on Christmas Day, we would be with my husband’s family. We continue to spend Christmas Day with my in-laws but my brother and his family and our family chose to get together at a different time during the holidays. I must say that Christmas Eve last year was a different experience but I believe that we can make joy wherever we are and whenever we can!
Thanks for sharing this post with us.
Merry Christmas!!
Usually do bunch of baking, have family gatherings, a Christms program at church.
My husband and I love Christmas….we love decorating….I love RED so that makes it really MY time..we love making the season, first about JESUS and His birth…..and about making it a special time for our family, friends and loved ones….we also love to make and have on hand some little but special gifts for people for Thank yous, Thinking of you and what you mean to us….and we love to make homemade gifts….ones that are cute, country and special to the person we are giving the gift to….
The holiday season is very hard for me. When I was a child, we always had get togethers with the family but now, all my family is gone. I try to put on a happy face when out and about but when I get home, it is a different story. I live alone and all my friends live at least 2 1/2 hours away and in the snow belt so visiting them during the winter is just impossible. But I know that God is with me and he will comfort me and take care of me. I just need to be quiet and listen for His voice, then all things are made right. I then realize how thankful I am for having a roof over my head, enough food in the frig, heat in my home and fairly good health. I am truly Blessed. My wish is that all people can have Peace on Earth and love in their hearts. Merry Christmas to one and all.
My husband and I love attending Christmas services at church, sharing a Christmas meal with family, and exchanging some family gifts. We also like to give our neighbors a little gift at Christmas as a way to reach out to them. Prior to Christmas itself, we volunteer at a Christmas “store” set up for the clients at a local mission–distributing gifts for the children of the clients and food to the families. In addition, we deliver groceries and a gift to elderly shut-ins through that mission.
We make homemade decorations for our tree every year. We especially enjoy the special Christmas musical our Church does on Christmas Eve. It is a special time for my grown children and my husband to get together and eat all the baking I do prior to that weekend and celebrate the real reason for Christmas- the fact that God loved us so much that He willingly sacrificed His son so that we could have eternal life with Him.
My husband pastored a small church and until I lost him to cancer we always had a church wide get together at our home for them. He loved to cook and we always had a great amount of food and sweets for all. We also enjoyed a “brief” sermon on
Christmas. He never missed an opportunity to preach the gospel..
I miss those days very much.
My family usually decorate our tree and mantel in the days leading up to the birth of Jesus. And we bake our Christmas cookies with a couple of our wonderful friends and swap them. When I was a child we always went to my grandparents house on Chrustmas Eve and gathered all together. My grandma made punch, the adults made finger foods and baked goods. My grandparents are with the Lord now. I really miss those Christmasas so long ago. It is such a blessing to have had such wonderful memories. I praise the Lord for His blessings and memories.
On Christmas Eve, our daughter and her husband and three children come to our house for a dinner of home-made pierogies, shrimp, haddock and side dishes. We do not eat meat on Christmas Eve. At the end of the evening, our oldest granddaughter reads The Night Before Christmas. We then go to 9 p.m. mass, where we sing Christmas Carols. On Christmas day, we go to our daughter’s house, where we enjoy a ham dinner and exchange gifts. Both my parents and my husband’s parents are deceased, so one of our greatest blessings is having our family live close by (two miles up the road!).
I JUST WISH I WAS ABLE TO DO MORE FOR PEOPLE.
Christmas time used to be so full of laughter and surprises. My husband passed in April and now the house is so quiet, I have asked my children to join me for Christmas dinner eve and go to Christmas Eve services and than come home and open presents. I plan on making all of their favorite dishes and some homemade candies that they used to like. Hoping I can fill up the emptiness and make some new memories.
Growing up around the world in a Military family and becoming Active duty and marring a military husband. I have seen many different ways to celebrate Christmas. my favorite is to enjoy reading Luke 2 on Christmas Eve and Sharing the story of the Nativity with a home made miniature set letting my children role play different parts. The 3 wise men do not come to my house until Little Christmas (6 Jan) because that is what I did in W. Germany where I was born. My family is all gone now and my husband’s parents also so we are looking forward to having Grandchildren to share the wonderful Bible truths with them.
One of our family traditions is putting up our tree together. We also try every year to do a christmas eve present and watch christmas movies that night .
This year is even more special, because I was able to get ahold of my grade school teacher, and with the help of Facebook, we are doing a Virtual Month Long Christmas Sing a long with our former classmates ! I am hopeful that this will turn into a great new tradition for us and bring some holiday cheers to old friends! 🙂
Although I am an old woman now (90 years of age), Christmas has always been a special time for me and my family. We always begin the act of opening our gifts with the Scripture that tells about the birth of our Savior. After all, the reason for the season is the birth of our Lord and Savior and what He has done to assure us of a place with Him for all eternity.
One of my Christmas traditions that I started when my kids were little is I always bake chocolate chip cookies on Christmas Eve and make hot chocolate and we wait for “Santa”. Now that my boys are 23 and 19 we will still do the chocolate chip cookies and do the hot chocolate, but our night will consist of the a Christmas Eve service at our church and then just relaxing.
One of our family’s traditions is gathering on Christmas Eve. All 10 of us, two married daughters and hubbies with 4 beautiful grandchildren. One 22 year old g.son, his 20 year old brother and their two cousins who are 12 year old g. son and almost 8 year g. daughter. The two younger ones keep us busy! We have snacks, open presents and eat dinner then go to church for Christmas Eve service. The best part!
Next year will be different. Our oldest grandson leaves for the Army after graduation from college in May! He will not be with us next year but in our prayers and thoughts. Please pray for his Mom and myself! It won’t be the same with one missing! Mommas and grand Mommas are pretty weepy and worried!
Thank you for any prayers for his safety!
I make Christmas candy my girls and I make Christmas cookies. We pick an evening and go driving around and look at all the beautiful Christmas lights. On Christmas Eve my girls get to open 1 present from Mommy and Daddy. Christmas morning my kids are excited to wake up and see what Santa has brought each of them, and then we have our Christmas dinner together.
I gather with my siblings and families on Christmas Eve. Our parents are deceased. My husband passed away four years ago but our son and his family celebrate with me after Christmas. Always have church services and other activities at my church. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.
Christmas Eve is my Dad’s Birthday and every year we put a candle on his ice cream.
And every year we go around to the different towns and see the Christmas lights everywhere.
I usually put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, it is an artificial tree so no loose needles to pick up. We put up icicle lights on our roof edge and small lighted candy canes going down the side of our driveway. I trim the tree with glass ornaments and garland, I usually go with a certain color scheme, last year it was mixed silver and blue with white lights and this year it is multi-colored lights with silver garland and blue and silver with white ornaments. I bake pumpkin pies, cookies and make fudge and we take them to our neighbors to enjoy. We also hung our stockings on the electric fireplace this year. It is just the two of us and sometimes we invite a friend or two from church or someone we know to come for Christmas dinner.
We don’t do much any more. Kids are all grown and gone, so we just cook for us two, a couple we’re friends with, and maybe one of our kids will come up…
I have always wondered about the Amish Christmas! Trust your info Wanda. We have a tradtional Christmas with the tree but just not the same anymore. Family smaller, loved ones gone, etc. I miss the midnight mass we used to go to for the vigil of Christ’s Birth. this is a joyous time of year but also sad one with loved ones no longer here. Look Heavenward, toward Christ, and read your lovely novels. Thanks.
My ex & his wife , & myself take turns having Christmas with the kids, grandkids, & the great grandkids. I used to make a tray for each family but has gotten to be to much for me to do by myself.. Cutout cookies are the favorite so try to make them.
We get together for a meal and have a ugly sweeter contest. Some years we do pj parties even for the adults.
Holiday baking with my family. I loved everything giving homemade goodies for gifts. We also love driving around looking at all the bright decorations.
The last two years we have celebrated Christmas Eve dinner by getting some Chinese food at our favorite restaurant. On Christmas Day, we stay home to open presents, watch movies, play games, and eat a traditional dinner with all the trimmings.
There are just the two of us. My family does not celebrate Christmas. We do celebrate with my husband’s family. We do not have any traditions other than reading the Christmas story on Christmas morning. We try to take my husband’s sister (88) out to lunch. We also attend church on Christmas. We have a time of fellowship and the ministers give us small gifts.
I love baking cookies and giving them away to family and friends. My family and I also enjoy have a tradition of driving around to look at Christmas light displays while listening to Christmas music on the Christian radio station. Then we return home to hot cocoa or eggnog and Christmas goodies. Sometimes the most simple things can truly be the most fun.
I love to share Christmas with friends and family! And I enjoy hearing about the traditions.Going to Church on Christmas Eve is very important to me; especially since losing so many family members over the last 8 years. I feel so close to them during the holidays.
When our girls were small we would always have birthday cake for breakfast on Christmas morning and sing happy birthday to Jesus. We kept this up until our oldest became a Type 1 diabetic. Now we have 2 grandchildren and this year will be the first that we will all be together for Christmas. I plan to bring back the birthday cake!
I bake and give away treats to friends and people who provide service to me during the year. Christmas Eve we have a seafood meal at my daughter’s inlaws and them my daughter, sil and granddaughter come here on Christmas Day.
So many of my loved ones are gone, so those wonderful traditions are gone.
My daughter and i usually have a day for christmas cookie making, always the same recipe becuse its a family favorite. Christmas day includes dinner, exchanging gifts and sharing.
If Christmas falls on Sunday, we attend church.
I teach piano lessons so at Christmas time, my students and I prepare a special musical program for the residents of an area nursing home with favorite songs and carols. We look forward to making a special time for these homebound people and they appreciate it so much.
I love to make cookies and candy trays and take them to friends and family for Christmas.Also spending time with children and grandchildren is special to me.
Now that my husband is gone and all my children hundreds of miles away I usually go to one of their homes for the holidays. But I do miss the times our children were small and opened all their gifts on Christmas eve except one special gift that was under the tree Christmas morning. Then go to my husband’s family for dinner. Time passes so quickly!
Every year we attend a Christmas Eve celebration with family. Some gifts are exchanged especially with the little one! Christmas Day we make Christmas Morning Breakfast which you make the night before and we all join in breakfast. Then the present are exchanged!
We love doing Christmas crafts and baking. We love spending time with our family and making precious memories. Every Christmas Eve before bed our children open one present, PJ’s. Christmas morning we always have donuts and hot chocolate . We always take time to remember the reason for the season and how very blessed we are.
We usually decorate the inside with various decorations. We have the “bigger” tree and then a very small tree. I started the small tree when my son was a toddler. It was in his room. As he got older he really didn’t care if it was in his room. (he’s now 28 and yes he still lives at home) So I have the little tree in the front room. I use to have it by a window but the last couple years our cat keeps jumping up there to look out the window and the tree ends up on the floor. So this year it’s on the counter. 🙂 We finally found a big blow up Nativity set for the front yard. But my husband hurt his neck/shoulder 7 weeks ago and might not be able to put it up this year. that’s ok. Him getting well and not hurting is more important. I am having issues with my knee so I probably won’t put up as much my self. But that’s not what Christmas is all about. We go to Christmas Eve service and after either go out for supper or get something to bring home. We open gifts then. That way we can sleep in the next day! 😉 For christmas day we either cook a turkey or get some good ole Texas BBQ for dinner.
We like to get together to make homemade sugar cookies and have fun decorating them.
This year Christmas is going to be extra special as we celebrate it with our first grandchild – Little Miss Rosie! She will only be about 5 months old but I can’t wait to share my love of the season with her. Being an avid reader who loves the the Lord, we bought Rosie her first Bible! It is a board book with lifting flaps. I can’t wait to spend snuggling time with her while reading her stories from the Bible. I am already thinking that when she is older of getting her a nativity set. My hearts desire is that Rosie grows up knowing that her Resie loves her and her Heavenly Father loves her so much that he sent Jesus to save us from sin!
Now that we live almost 3 hours away from our parents, we usually go sometime around Christmas to visit them and we may exchange gifts. As we get older gifts arent important just spending time together since its limited due to job responsibilities. All in all family is important and Jesus is the reason for the season!
I love to fix a red velvet cake or a peppermint cake!
I liked your own tradition of music played with friends and family at Christmas. I don’t come from that sort of family.
I have an understanding of how the Amish traditionally celebrate Christmas. I’ve seen the Christmas cards adorn the walls.
The major memories of Christmas from my childhood is that dad would receive a box of cheap chocolate covered cherries every year. The children, grandchildren, and great grandkids all thought they were his favorite treat. When he was 94 he told me he didn’t really like the overly sweet treat but everyone took so much joy in providing them that he played along. That’s one of the ways my dad was special.
Merry Christmas Wanda,
We have a pizza/calzone Christmas Eve meal. Then my hubby and I go to a candlelight service at the local church and sing carols. Christmas Day we visit with family and friends and exchange gifts.
My family gets together at my parents’ home for Christmas dinner and then open gifts. But before that we go to church.
We have a Christmas brunch then open gifts . Then all the kiddos play with a new toy then time to go to the other side of the family’s as all are boys are married and have kids of their own . I love the little kids we do make a lot of cookies and candies but we also make snow globe s and handprints. The kids love doing this I try to do it for all the holidays.
In 2010 our family moved 2500 miles from PA to ID to embark on an off-grid homesteading lifestyle. Because we are so far from home we have created our own traditions. Weather permitting we go to the candlelight service at church Christmas Eve and have a relaxing Christmas morning enjoying devotions and time to reflect on all our blessings for the year. We then share handmade gifts with each other and have friends join us for a meal and games in the afternoon. It is a fun time! Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and holiday season! God bless and Merry Christmas!
Love your books,read just about all of them..I would like to enter free book contest,don’t think i have read that one..I love Amish cultures..I plan on going to Lancaster county to see some of their homes..God bless you with each book you write.. Brenda McManus
We enjoy spending time with family at Christmas, opening gifts and having a meal together.
Wanda, your tradition of music with your family & friends & enjoy your Christmas meal together & remembering the reason for this Christian season are awesome.
We also enjoy gathering with family, eating, opening gifts and being thankful for all our blessings throughout the year. Enjoy your books & newsletters.
I decorate the house and our son decorates our yard. Then on the night of the neighborhood judging of the outside decorations we drive and around and enjoy the beautiful lights and décor
Everyone comes over in the morning to open presents. After that I start preparing the meal while others play with toys, watches tv and visits. After the meal and cleaning up we will play a board game as we eat dessert. Especially exciting this year as my brother and his son are going to be here with us!
I’m loving your books and shared them with 2 friends in Australia… Christmas for us is all about the beach the sand and the sun . Family friends food and making memories.
Until our daughter moved, we always baked lots of cookies and then got up early Christmas morning and delivered package of them to the are firefighters and police stations. Then we would go home, put our pjs back on and open presents. We have been doing this wherever we lived as active duty military so we have met lots of first responders over the years. This year we are going on Christmas Eve to visit our daughter and her husband and then Christmas morning, we will be delivering cookies to the firefighters and police stations near where they live.
We always go to Christmas Eve service. When we get home, everyone gets to open one present. We always make sugar cookies.
We always listen to Christmas carols, attend church, bake 4-5 different batches of cookies as well as fudge and a birthday cake for baby Jesus. We have a good dinner and sometimes drive around to look at all the Christmas decorations.
My daughter and her children join me for “cookie day” the week before Christmas. We make several kinds of cookies so that we have enough for a platter for Christmas Eve and two for Christmas Day – one for her family dinner with her in-laws and one for the rest of the family at our home. It’s a really fun, happy day!
Since my Husband passed away 10 years ago All my children and their families come on Christmas Day and my youngest Daughter does the Big Christmas Dinner we eat then sit around and the children open their gifts where they draw names at Thanksgiving. Hope You and Your Family have a Merry Christmas Wanda Love your Books
My husband reads the Christmas story from the Bible to our family before gift giving. It is a day of fun, food, and fellowship. Not only do we celebrate Christ’s birth, but the birth of our son as well!
We attend a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day service. It’s wonderful to gather with loved ones.
All of our 3 Boys are grown, 1 married so he has his wife’s family, my Middle son moved to Columbus, Ohio back in August with his 2 sons to be near his Lady friend and her Daughter and my youngest lives in Erie, PA. So we don’t get to see them very often… Last Year we didn’t put up the big Tree, just a Table top one.. One tradition I started with my grandsons is we make an ornament for the Tree. this year will be harder because of the Distance.. I give them a Choice to pick what kind of ornament and then I buy supplies.. They love to make Cookies too.. I work full time yet and my husband retired. We helped decorate the Church last week and had our Holiday Supper last night. Our Church is a Small Rural Church with elderly members. We don’t put up very many lights on our home, just on the Railing by front Door.. I put a Wreath on our Front door that reminds me of Gods Love for All …
We are living away from family. We attend the Children’s Mass on Christmas eve. Since our 45th anniversary is on the 22nd, we are planning a Staycation, since we do not know what weather will bring in South Dakota.
God Bless everyone and have a blessed Christmas.
Visiting my grandchildren on Christmas morning is something we always do.
Making ornaments with my husband and kids and baking cookies together just being with loved ones is what Christmas is all about.
Greetings!
Christmas is a very dear time for me and my family. On the days leading up to the 25th, I enjoy attending many concerts at local churches and auditoriums. At the preschool where I work, we have a special celebration for the staff. Since it is a Head Start program, we are not permitted to celebrate holidays in the classroom, yet the children are so excited and often have discussions:) My family participates in the Christmas eve service at our church. Christmas Day is a time to be together, share a meal, and play games. After Christmas, we drive to Michigan to visit with my aging parents. One tradition we have is to stop at Bronner’s in Frankenmuth to get an ornament and stollen from Zender’s Restaurant (my dad’s favorite).
I’ve been doing a ton of baking this year. Pumpkin rolls pumpkin bread fudge cookies. Some has been given as early gifts some we enjoyed eating and I’m sending my brother and his crew a box full. They are in Africa in the airforce. I’m sure they will love the box full of goodies. Christmas is such a beautiful time. Usually christmas day we wake up let kids open gifts and have a family dinner that evening. We try to enjoy the day and show each other love. God bless!
Love all your books, have read a lot if them,
I thank God for your talent and thankyou for your books. May yoy never stop writing.
Hugs Lydia Greene
Some traditions our family have are to decorate our tree the day after Thanksgiving. We make Christmas cookies and spend Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with my husbands family. We make candies to give as gifts and have a great time of fellowship. We also enjoy watching the Christmas program at church and now also at my children’s christian school.
Christmas carols, tree, Bible reading including Luke 2, White Christmas Pie are traditions.
we attend a Christmas eve service where we hear the story of Jesus’ birth and sing carols. In the morning, we open presents and during the day, three of our four children and their families make their way over and open presents. I always receive material or a quilt kit for a present, so I am happily occupied while the holiday dinner is cooling.
Since my husband died I can’t afford to buy gifts so I make homemade potholders, cookies and candy for everyone. We have Christmas dinner at my sister’s house, we try to make it a special time because our dad is 92 years old. We sit around ,talk and laugh just enjoy the special time.
I enjoyed your journal entry so much hearing how the Amish celebrate Christmas and how you celebrate. We have a few traditions at Christmas. I gradually decorate the house for a couple of weeks before Christmas. It gradually takes on the Christmas glow. Then I will put up my small 3 ft. tree on an antique table we have in the living room. I will put the lights on and then decorate with antique ornaments, ornaments that my children made and we always have John Deere ornaments since my hubby is partial to John Deere tractors, lol. I love my tree for it has so many memories all displayed. Also I have scriptures about Jesus birth displayed on red paper hanging on the tree. It is a very special time for us to remember Christmas’s past with great joy and love.
It’s always sweet to read what the Amish traditions are. For my family and I, Christmas eve is when we have our Christmas service at Church. After the program we sing Christmas songs and have a nice fellowship while enjoying different foods. After we gather at home and open one Christmas gift. On Christmas day we wake up and enjoy a nice Christmas breakfast as we then sit around the Christmas tree and open the rest of the gifts. We sing Christmas songs and play games.
Enjoy decorating the house and getting all the cookies baked and goodies for Christmas. Love going to the grandkids Christmas programs. It would be so fun reading your new books sitting by the Christmas tree in the peace and quiet. I have some of them on my Christmas wish list. Thank you for a chance to win.
As my children are getting older we have scaled back some on the gift giving and think more of quality than quantity. I like to go to church all through Advent, attend Christmas Eve service at 11pm so we can celebrate Jesus’s birthday at midnight. I think it is extra special. I like all the Carol’s. The whole Christmas season is a celebration.
The only tradition we have is getting a new ornament every year.We put our names on them and date. Usually get a handmade one from the area craft shows. Jackie
Wanda, I love your books. They speak to my heart always. I have yet to get my house decorated. I love baking Christmas cookies and sharing them with co workers and friends. I love the idea of sitting around a fire and singing, but since I don’t see that happening, I will just read about families that do it. Thank You Wanda for writing wholesome books.
On Christmas Eve our church has a kids program that we attend each year then we go to some friends house for pizza and games. It’s a fun evening!
I am blessed to still have my grandparents here with me. Every Christmas Eve, our entire family goes to my grandparents’ house and celebrates. It’s the one time a year we all get to be together. I look forward to it every year and will always cherish those special memories. On Christmas day, my husband and I celebrate with both sides of family. I love giving gifts to everyone and see them smile! Christmas is a magical time of year!
Our main decorations are my Village that I have put up for over 20 years. I add pieces to it every year but there are some very special pieces given to me by family and friends. We usually have our Christmas with family after Christmas Day because it is easier on the ones with young children.
On Christmas Eve we go to church for the Children’s Program. My 2 granddaughters are in the program. Then we go to my sisters for snacks. At 11:00 I go to the Candlelight service at church which includes Holy Communion. On Christmas Day we have the kids over to open their gifts. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Recently we found your books and making it our personal goal to read each one. Enjoying them greatly.
i spend christmas with the man of my dreams and do alot of cooking on christmas eve go to a friends house and spend it with her family and play games the most of all i miss my family
i spend my christmas with the man of my life and his family i do alot of cooking and decorating christmas eve i go to my friends house and spend a few hours there then i come home and get things around for the dinner have a merry christmas to your family and friends
Go to church, have a nice family dinner on Christmas eve, and watch a Christmas movie, Christmas day is spent with extended family members.
Our celebrations are small and only include my mother and hubby and our daughter. We don’t usually have the traditional meal for dinner this holiday (we do that for thanksgiving). We like to do catfish, ribs, or smoke a butt for pulled pork sandwiches. This is a tradition that my grandmother started when I was a kid and we have continued this tradition. Usually presents are opened on Christmas morning and we spend the day hanging out unplugging from social media and usually watch a movie trilogy together. This has been our thing for the past 10 or so years. We enjoy time with each other and that makes it even better.
I miss gathering at my parents’ home with the family who live here. Since my parents’ died, we gather at my daughter’s home for a potluck meal, visiting and exchange gifts. It’s about the only time I get to see my niece Becky and her four little kids as they live out of town.
With my family being mennonite, we always celebrate three holidays per religous holiday. For an example, Christmas we celebrate two extra days after Christmas, and the same for Easter. We usually spend Christmas Day with family. And the two following days with my husband’s family and my parents side(cousins). We don’t decorate either. But we do have fun with family, the games. And there’s always so many great treats. And of course, we do attend church two out of the three religous holidaysa.
My four children and their families gather at my house for Christmas. The happiness, the joy, the laughter of my grandchildren make the holiday special. Their faces light up when opening gifts. But we always start off by remembering that this is the birthday of Jesus. And this is the real reason we celebrate Christmas. For He is the greatest gift of all !! It all started with a baby !!!! I pray that your family will be blessed with lots of happiness and love this Christmas season and always! Thank you so much for giving us insight to the Amish way of life through your books. I love reading about them and have visited several times. I really admire their simplistic way of living. Merry Christmas, Wanda, to you and your family!
I don’t do much to celebrate Christmas these days. About nine years ago, I got divorced and my father died. It sure put a damper on my Christmas spirit. Since then I’ve moved to a smaller house then to a small mobile home, and my daughter grew up and moved out. Now it’s just me and my son in a tiny mobile home. Not much room for decorations. I also became disabled five years ago, so now physically it’s hard to do much (without pain, at least.) I find I have to force myself to do much around the holidays. I used to LOVE Christmas. I do so enjoy reading your books though! That’s one thing I will never stop doing!
Christmas time is a when we bring of memories of Christmas past. We would have Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa’s house and the family meals shared together. Potatoes in a blue six-sided bowl. Mother’s homemade sliced bread, pies and cranberries. Aunt’s green bean dish. As we grew older out favorite dishes. Then how things changed with the lose grandparents and now parents, how hard it is to get in-laws, out-laws and everyone together to have a tradition. but we get together anyway. Feast, sing praise for the JOY of CHRISTMAS and the family we have.
Christmas is quiet here now with my 5 children grown and out on their own. We still will put up a tree and gather with family on Christmas eve by my son’t house. Many presents to wrap this year. I am going to make candy cane cookies and try not to cry remembering a full house at Christmas time. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
We do our cookie baking a few days before Christmas..I use some for presents and we have some for eating..On Christmas eve we go to my daughter’s house for celebrating with them with opening gifts and having Christmas dinner with them. It is just me and my son, so we do our celebrating on Christmas day with Christmas day morning we get up early have our coffee for me and cocoa for him..We open gifts and then I start our Christmas dinner, I love Christmas and I love celebrating and decorating for the holiday..I am disabled so I have to have help decorating, my son and daughter and son in law will help me as I am having trouble walking and can’t stand or sit for long and in a lot of pain so I love it when they are here to help me.
On Christmas Eve we have cocoa and cookies and open our cards to each other. I enjoyed reading your traditions. Wishing you and yours a Blessed Christmas and a Happy,peaceful 2019.
Marilyn
We always purchase a live tree about 8 feet. I like it to reach the ceiling. Thank You for the Amish description of how they celebrate Christmas.
Joan
We always put up stockings. We open them on Christmas morning. We give each other small articles that we can use during the year.
Marion
I love Christmas. We have a two year old son that I cannot wait for his reaction Christmas morning. My Christmas was great growing up and I hope to share that with all of my kids. My dad passed away and I hope to convince my mom to stay the night so she won’t be so sad.
Opening new pajamas on Christmas Eve, advent calendar that I embroidered years ago, tree skirt that my mother made several years before she passed away.
I always have eat Christmas lunch at my mother’s house.
I go to church on Christmas Eve and then come home and go to my aunt & uncle’s house for a time of eating, talking and playing games. We always make sure that we have a nativity scene on display and along with the Bible open to the store of Jesus’ birth. Luke: Chapter 2. Christmas day we open gifts after we eat breakfast and then have a big meal for lunch and visit friends & family the rest of the afternoon.
I love baking Christmas cookies on the days leading up to Christmas. Decoratind and listening to Christmas and Christian music always a fave.
Christmas is always a special time with family and friends And all the memories and traditions to carry forward
Christmas is always a special time with family and friends And all the memories and traditions to carry forward to share for others
I love to read Wandas Amish books they are always very good and I enjoy the Amish way of life