Christmas time, its the most magical time of the year am I right?! Beautiful decorations, holiday baking, and extra family time, what is not to love about this festive season?
My favorite thing about Christmas time, all the family traditions I have grown up with. Every year I look forward to these traditions, no matter how old I get they are the best part and I feel lucky to have grown up with so many wonderful traditions.
I have a hard time with change, especially when it comes to holiday traditions. I like to keep our holiday celebrations the same every year. As an expat though change is basically what my life is all about, and being in a different country than your family over the holidays, it makes it difficult to keep all those holiday traditions alive.
I just had to share this picture, it is from last year when my family picked us up at the airport in Santa costumes. The best welcome home ever.
This year I will be celebrating Christmas in Iceland, which is going to be wonderful I really enjoy the Icelandic Christmas, but this also means I am going to miss out on several of my family traditions. Even though I won’t be celebrating Christmas back home with my family I wanted to keep those holiday traditions alive here on the blog and share a few with you all a few of my favorite holiday traditions.
The “kids” Christmas tree
Over the years my mom has collected quite the assortment of ornaments my sisters and I have made. Of course these beautiful ornaments are not displayed on the “big” Christmas tree, only special ornaments make the cut for that tree. Instead you will find our childhood masterpieces on the mini tree that is dedicated completely to our creations.
Growing up my mom always waited until all three of us girls were home so we could decorate the tree together. I am pretty sure we were not always the most enthusiastic group but I am so glad my mom kept at it every year. This is one of my favorite memories growing up and the ornaments never fail to make us all laugh, we were some talented kids;)
I will miss getting to decorate the tree this year but thanks to the wonderful world of technology I will be making sure my ornaments aren’t hidden in the back of the tree via skype.
New Christmas Pajamas
There is something so special about getting a new pair of pjs on Christmas Eve. Maybe it was the fact that this was the first gift we got to open or that our new pjs were always incredibly comfortable but my sisters and I look forward to our new pjs every year.
These leopard print onesie were the best Christmas pjs!
We of course must have matching ones, they make all those Christmas morning pictures look more put together when we are all matching :) Last year the Viking got to join in on the Christmas pj fun, we got my Dad and him matching Christmas pjs, and those Christmas pjs have been a frequent lazy weekend wear every since.
I am debating this year if I should buy myself a pair of Christmas pjs. Even though they are incredibly expensive here in Iceland this is one tradition that I think I will have to do every year no matter what!
Reading a Christmas book
No matter how late we got home from family dinners and holiday parties our Christmas Eve was never complete until we read the Christmas book. Some years this meant us girls fell asleep during the reading, or complained a bit about it, but not once have we missed this tradition.
The older I get the more I realize how amazing my parents are. Sitting down together after the chaos of Christmas Eve to read a story before bed, it is such a special tradition to me. I think I am going to make the Viking read a Christmas story with me this year.
Christmas Stockings
Okay, so not really anything unique about this tradition, but I just love Christmas stockings! Every year my sisters and I come down the stairs at the same time (from youngest to oldest, yes we still do this) and the first thing we do is open our Christmas stockings.
Maybe it is because you never know what you will find in your stocking but this is my favorite gift to open on Christmas. I even got the Viking his own stocking made so he could join in on the fun last Christmas.
This was H’s first stocking (they don’t have stockings in Iceland) and he was a big fan. We even have Christmas stockings hanging up here in Iceland, this is a tradition that I think the Viking is happy to add to our Christmas celebrations.
Christmas Breakfast
Once the stockings are opened my grandparents arrive which means it is breakfast time. The breakfast spread is always impressive, from stuffed french toast to egg and sausage casserole I look forward to Christmas breakfast more than I do the dinner!
One very important part to our Christmas breakfast tradition, a gin fizz. My grandma started the tradition of having gin fizz on Christmas morning (the version we make reminds me of an Orange Julius, plus gin) and we never start our breakfast until we all have a gin fizz in hand, and finally I am old enough for the adult version :)
Once breakfast is finished we all get cozy around the tree and spend the next several hours opening gifts. Now that we are all older (and can have some self control and not open all our gifts at once) we each take turns opening up a gift. Taking our time and really enjoying each other and all the different gifts we receive, it makes Christmas all that more special.
Azora was a Christmas puppy four years ago, best Christmas gift ever!
Christmas this year will be about new traditions instead of those I grew up with and love so much. Lucky me I have my Viking by my side to help celebrate Christmas and still throw in some of my favorite traditions. H and I are planning on blending our two cultures and holiday traditions, which are completely different, and making our own traditions together like 24 Days of Togetherness. It will be one interesting Christmas!
Head over to MontgomeryFest to find more holiday traditions from all over the world at the Expat Holidays!
Question of the Day?
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
