The magic of Christmas Time

Christmas felt magical when I was a child. The air charged with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming holidays. As a mother of four, I’ve tried to recapture the magic of Christmas time with my children. For its not money that creates magic but time. Gifts under the tree will be placed aside over time, but they will never forget the time spent with you. These are the traditions and tips I’ve gathered over the years to help make the magic of Christmas time come alive for your and your children.

Picking out the tree for your holiday season is a fun event for children. We do an artificial tree, but we went to the Christmas tree farm when they were younger. My husband and I have fond memories of searching for the perfect tree or laughing when a child selects a tree Charlie Brown or Clark Griswold style. There is something magical about acres of Christmas trees and the knowledge that one will be in your home! The kids were amazed at daddy cutting down the tree with an ax and looked forward to hot cocoa or hot cider afterward.

And on the subject of trees, the magic of decorating. Turn on your favorite Christmas playlist and pull the boxes down from the attic. My tree is always a mishmash, not the beautiful trees I see on Facebook because I’ve always given the kids free rein to decorate. As we pull out ornaments and hang them from the tree, the kids realize it’s memories they are pulling from the box. They will see something they made in kindergarten or something purchased to remember something. Who will put the star at the top of the tree? Always a fun moment when daddy lifts someone to finish the job. I hope my children will cherish the memory of decorating day when they look back on their childhood.

Advent calendars are a way to create family time and excitement for the impending holiday. It can also serve as a tool to remind your children about values and focus on the non-consumerism part of Christmas. We are suckers for sweets, so we buy calendars with a piece of candy in the window. We have done ones with bible verses or ones that share parts of the Christmas story each day through the years. Our family has switched to a wooden block countdown. The youngest is in charge of it, and we use it as a discussion point to talk about past Christmases.

One of the things I remember most from being a child is the containers of Christmas cookies my mom always had in the house. It’s a tradition I’ve tried to keep alive with the children. Each child picks a recipe, and then we get to baking. Younger kids may prefer to decorate cookies with sprinkles or icing. I feel like Christmas baking day is pure magic in our house. I’ll be honest; it’s some of the best memories I have with my four. The kids chat with one another like best friends, and the time passes quickly with the conversation and laughter. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love eating oven-fresh cookies with the ones they love?

Gingerbread houses are a fantastic way to create Christmas magic with your little ones. When they were smaller, we did one large one for the entire family. I would put out bowls with candy, gumdrops, sprinkles, pretzel sticks, and more. My husband and I would assist but encourage them to use their creativity. Now that they are older, we opt for individual houses. All you need is patience, frosting, and plenty of candy for decorating! You don’t even need to use gingerbread; graham crackers work just as well. It’s a sweet time for all of us but remember to go in with expectations; it will be messy and imperfect! Mine typically display them only long enough for pictures and then start nibbling on them throughout the season.

Christmas crafts are a big thing in our house. At this point, only my 10-year-old is interested in them. We’ve done homemade ornaments, foam reindeer, and finger-painted wreaths through the years. We have fun each year, pulling the box out and seeing what they made in the past seasons. One of their favorites is finding crafts they made with handprints; who doesn’t want to see how much bigger they got? It’s a win for us parents; it’s inexpensive decorating and a memory to hold for Christmas future.

For many children, Santa is the most magical part of the holiday. There are plenty of ways to incorporate Santa fun, and one of the best ways is writing letters. Time has passed for this tradition with mine writing letters directly to me. But for younger children, this is a memorable experience of pure magic. Heck, I’m an adult and would love to write a letter knowing most of my wishes would come true! Writing to Santa is also a fun way to teach your children the art of letter writing. Mine always preferred to decorate theirs. You can save them and show them later on. The choices are up to you.

During my childhood, I remember driving around looking at Christmas lights. This is a tradition I have kept with the kids. Turn on some holiday music, and travel around the neighborhood, checking out the festive lights and decorations. Or opt for something else: light shows. Who doesn’t love the beauty and magic that accompanies the warm, glowing lights?

Another fun holiday event is going to a Christmas or Santa parade. One of the best parts of being a mom is making your children happy and seeing them excited. Excitement over Santa has always been one of my favorites. Joy shining in your children’s eyes, something that you will remember for years after. If you live in an area where it’s cold, bundle up and head out for some fun or bring some hot chocolate with you.

In our area, Santa drives by on a fire truck. This is one of those things that kids will remember for years. The magic of seeing Santa drive by their house on a big red fire truck? COVID changed this tradition, they no longer hand out candy canes with oranges, but when my kids were younger, they would get excited about that part. Even with the kids growing older, it still makes me happy to see them waiting by the window for the lights.

Christmas home entertainment can create lasting memories of this festive time of year. Schedule family movie nights with popcorn and hot chocolate. There is an endless list of Christmas movies; we have a few we return to year after year, like Home Alone and Elf. Or you can buy a collection of Christmas stories and read a different one each night before bed. I have fond memories of curling up with the kids and selecting a holiday tale to read.

Our final Christmas time tradition is gathering around and reading the Night before Christmas. We use the same book, but I’m no longer the reader; now, my oldest has taken the reins reading to all of us. Out of my shared traditions, this one may be the hardest for me to let go of when they are all out of the house.

Christmas can be an expensive and stressful time of the year, but you don’t have to let it be that way. Creating memories is better than creating debt. Making things fun and memorable is the best way to connect with your children. Enjoy Christmas time with your little ones this year.