I asked my Facebook friends recently what they thought of when I used the phrase “homemade holiday” and the answers were all similar. A homemade holiday is about family, time together, simple and sentimental traditions.
Those comments brought to mind our family tradition…
During the weekend after Thanksgiving while my brother and his family are still in town, we will gather around the Christmas tree at my parents’ home and hang ornaments decorated with our names in glitter. This sentimental tradition started with my parents about 40 years ago when PennyMom used glue and glitter to write their names across simple ball ornaments.
Even now, we are using the ornaments my parents hung upon their first Christmas tree, but each time a new child has been added to our family, one of those delicate glass balls was selected and PennyMom added the baby’s name.
In previous years when miles have separated us at Christmastime, the family still gathered by using the telephone on a conference call to discuss where we wanted our ornaments placed on the tree… “Two branches from the top and to the right” or “Halfway up the tree in the front.”
These homemade Christmas ornaments might not be worth much in the world’s eyes but to our family, they are priceless… As precious as the sentimental and sweet holiday tradition that started 40 years ago.
When my children were little we started a new family tradition. Every year on christmas eve we would each make a new christmas ornament for the tree. It gave us time to sit around the table together and talk while we crafted. And when we were done, we would take them to the tree, hang them, admire them and then sit to watch a christmas movie. I now have a tree full of memories.
I love that, Amy!