Take Five – A Christmas Card Tradition

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Ever so often, a tradition sneaks up on you. After a few years, your kids ask if you are going to do “that thing” again, and you realize, you’ve made a tradition for your family.

Every year, when the Christmas cards come in, I stack them, still in their envelope, on the dining room hutch. At dinner, we take five cards and open them together.

We talk about how we know the people who sent the cards. We read any letters that came with the card, and we pass around the pictures. It has been so fun to share how we know different people with the kids. Some people we haven’t seen since our wedding, 17 years ago. Last year, the kids received Christmas cards from their friends, which made it their turn to share with us! 
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Last week, we received our first card from a family I babysat when I was a teenager. They adopted a little boy and a few years later, adopted his biological brother. They drove in the middle of the night just to go and meet him. I can still remember meeting him for the very first time and how amazed I was by this family’s love. Their mom knitted me Christmas tins full of homemade goodies all through college and I have precious memories of her. I love being able to tell their story to the kids every year. It is hard to believe that these boys are now having children of their own.

If it weren’t for this tradition, I don’t know if I ever would have really remembered to share that story with my kids. It gives my kids a little glimpse into who I was and the experiences that make their mom. This tradition also allows us to be intentional about the cards we receive and take time to really see them. 

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?