CHRISTMAS: What are your family traditions?

Christmas traditions are a big part of the festive period and with new traditions starting all of the time it is exciting deciding which traditions you personally want to follow as a family. It still fascinates me how different each family's Christmas is because up until meeting my now husband I hadn't realised quite how different they could be. Growing up you only know how your family celebrate during the festive period, so it really opened my eyes when I was lucky enough to witness how my husband's family celebrate. Coming together as parents we have brought our own family traditions together, as well as wanting to create our own. 

I have to admit that I do feel the pressure when it come to Christmas and keeping the magic alive. The pressure not to let anything slip or leave anything lying around that might ruin the magic (note to self: don't leave cardboard boxes that show the gift on out for the recycling...already learnt that the hard way!) is intense at times. As well as remembering the traditions we want to have as a family, luckily children don't really understand for the first few years so there are a few 'practices' before they know what's going on. We've now had all of our practice Christmas' and with Isabella almost being four years old she very much understands what's going on now. We start talking about Father Christmas coming around October (that's the problem with blogging - you start creating Christmas content so early!) time, so by December we are well and truly ready for the final countdown.

As that all important countdown begins, so do the family traditions and these are our ones...

• New Christmas Pyjamas at the start of December - It's so nice to have new festive pyjamas each year and they get so much wear throughout the whole month. Now that we have two daughters I especially love picking up matching sets.
• Writing to Father Christmas - This is a new addition this year, as Isabella is now old enough to understand the concept of receiving gifts. This year she asked for a dog, Anna and Elsa Singing Machine and a Small Light, quite the random combination really. It was really nice taking the time to write the letter together and then she decorated it and we walked up the post box to post it.
• Visiting the Christmas Tree Farm - There is a Christmas Tree Farm very close to where we live, so it is always fun popping down at the start of December. We have brought our tree from there is previous years, but went somewhere different this year. Nevertheless it is nice to wander around, get a hot chocolate/mince pie, visit the reindeers and do the children's crafts.

• Read a Christmas book a day throughout December - We get all of the girl's Christmas books out at the start of the month and then read one at bedtime each night. It's the perfect way to get into the festive spirit and then they go back away in the new year.
• Go Ice-Skating - Every year since Isabella could walk we've been ice skating on the run up to Christmas, so it's become quite a tradition. We wrap up warm, head to the ice skating rink at Beckworth Emporium and then enjoy a warming hot chocolate afterwards. It wouldn't be Christmas without a trip to the ice rink now.

• Christmas Eve Box - Snuggling up on Christmas Eve altogether and presenting Isabella and Poppy with their Christmas Eve Box is such a special way to end the countdown to Christmas. A Very Lovely Christmas is a small independent business set up by the lovely Ami, which sells the cutest little gifts and Christmas Eve Boxes. We were very kindly sent their Christmas Eve Box for two children (£41 + p&p) and they girl's were beyond excited with discovering its content. Inside there were two reindeer food sacks, two Christmas story books, 2 packs of chocolate reindeer noses, one soft elf toy, one magic Santa key and one glass milk bottle for Father Christmas. Everything that is needed to snuggle together, read a festive book and get prepared for Father Christmas' visit. It's so lovely that the wooden box is also personalised, as it means it can be used for years to come. Truly a gift that brings excitement, anticipation and special memories every year. You can also buy just the wooden box personalised or not and a Christmas Eve Box for one child, so it is well worth checking out A Very Lovely Christmas to see what they have to offer. Ami has very kindly also offered a 10% discount if you order through her Facebook or Instagram pages when you use the code 'treasureeverymoment'. 

• Leaving out a mince pie and glass of milk for Father Christmas - On Christmas Eve we leave Father Christmas a mince pie or homemade biscuit along with a glass of milk and a carrot for the reindeers. Isabella then excitedly checks in the morning to see if he's visited.
• Christmas stockings and sacks - On Christmas morning the girl's get a sack of presents and a stocking, which is a combination of my husband's family Christmas and mine. I always had a stocking and then presents under the Christmas tree, whereas my husband had a much smaller stocking with the majority of his presents being in a sack. We didn't want to lose either of our own traditions, so we combined them together for our children.
• Watch Polar Express on Christmas Eve - I'm not sure when exactly this started, but for a long time my family has watched Polar Express on Christmas Eve and I was eager to continue this tradition. It's such a 'feel good' film and the perfect way to kick start the magic of Christmas. 
• Tree presents - This tradition was started by my Grandparents and we still do it today. On Boxing Day the Christmas tree gives us a small present, now I know that does sound kind of ridiculous but as a child I just accepted it for what it was and have done it ever since. I'm not sure the history behind it, but it's so exciting getting that extra little present after most of them have been opened. 

What are your favourite Christmas traditions?

Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)

Helen x

*This post contains PR samples. As always all opinions are my own and 100% honest.

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