My family has been vacationing at the same spot for over twenty years. Every summer my parents would take me, my brother and my sister to a little store on the island called The Christmas Shop. They sold Christmas decorations year round, and my parents would let us each pick out one ornament for our Christmas tree back home. My mom would keep our ornaments in a safe place until it was winter, and time to decorate our tree. This was something we looked forward to every year!
Papa Jumper and I continued this tradition after we met and got married. We vacation with my family every summer to the same beach house, and go together to The Christmas Shop to pick out an ornament for our tree. We took this tradition one step further and started buying an ornament on every vacation we take. We have an ornament from our honeymoon, our trip to New York City, and from our time spend in Thailand. Decorating our Christmas tree is one of my favorite things to do because it brings back so many fond memories.
Last summer, we started a Christmas ornament collection for Baby Jumper. I started a Nutcracker theme for her.
Almost every holiday is centered around a tradition in my family. The Easter Bunny used to leave a powdered trail in my parents’ house when we were kids. Santa would call every Christmas Eve at 10pm to make sure we were getting ready for bed. My dad played his Christmas CDs Christmas morning while we opened presents, and my mom always made a huge breakfast Christmas morning. My aunt and uncle hosted a huge party every Memorial Day and Labor Day, and we always spent the Fourth of July at a family friend’s house watching fireworks.
Papa Jumper and I started a few traditions of our own after we got married, and we’re excited to start new traditions now that we’re a family of three.
How does your family celebrate the holidays? Do you plan on carrying on any family traditions or starting any new ones?
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
What a great idea for an ornament collection! Nutcrackers are my favorite part of the holiday season.
I have silver bells and wanted to do a collection for our son too. We did snowflakes for our son, every year I plan to get a different type of snowflake, crystal, wedgewood, wood, etc.
cherry / 101 posts
My husband and I also collect ornaments on vacation. It is so fun thinking back on all of the trips we have taken when we decorate the tree! We hope to continue the tradition once we have kids as well!
kiwi / 538 posts
My mom started a similar tradition with the ornaments- my sister and I would both get one every year (we got to open them on Christmas Eve). It’s really nice now because this will be the first time my husband and I have a real Christmas tree and I already have an entire box of ornaments for it!
blogger / coconut / 8306 posts
@tjlove54: That’s my favorite part, too!! Reminiscing about all the amazing memories we’ve made over the years.
honeydew / 7504 posts
We collect ornaments on vacation, too!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
We started a Christmas ornament collection for our LO too! Starting traditions is one of the things I’m looking forward to the most as we build our little family.
blogger / pomegranate / 3300 posts
My dad always gave my sister and I a piece of jewelry on Christmas eve that we would wear to church that night. I wanted to continue with my kids. but growing up it was just my sister and I, but I have three sons and. Daughter. So we have changed our tradition a little bit. I find my sons a nice keepsake, last year they got pocket watches(not super expensive ones, the boys were only 2.5) They love to play train conductor and pull them out and check the time. My husband bought my daughter a tiny little bracelet for her first Christmas eve gift. I told my husband it was an important tradition when I was growing up and he has decided to help me keep it going.
pomelo / 5178 posts
We collect Christmas ornaments from all of our trips, too! I love looking at each ornament on the tree and remembering each special trip.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
What a fun tradition!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
DH and I bought a mini fake tree from pottery barn and have added one ornament each year. Haha. The little tree has 3 small ornaments on it.
Will hang stockings as well!
We’re getting our first real Christmas tree this year since LO is old enough to appreciate it
guest
Manteo will always be magical thanks to that shop!