By Miss December 2013 Kelcie Huffstickler

When I had my first daughter, I was ecstatic to create memorable holiday traditions with her. During her first and second Christmas, I mulled over ideas that we could do as a family of three and that we could continue to do year after year. I remember driving through Sherwood’s Enchanted Forrest of Lights and thinking maybe that would be one of our family’s new traditions… However, by the next year, we had moved and added another child to the mix. And nothing played out quite the same. Christmas was uber-chaotic that year, as our second daughter was born Dec. 23 and all things holiday took a back seat to her arrival.

Now, I’m coming upon my fifth Christmas as a parent, and as I ponder our family traditions, I still don’t feel like we have any nailed down. Each year we do memorable things, and I think of more things I’d like to try, but each year also brings change, different ages, and varied interests for my growing little ones. So far it feels like the only thing we consistently do at Christmas is pull our tree from its box and decorate it. We’re so original!

I know family traditions don’t have to be extravagant. Some of my favorite Christmas memories from childhood include watching Home Alone each year with my sister (and quoting it line-for-line) and decorating paper sacks that we filled with gifts for inmates at the jail.

But it seems today, there’s no such thing as a simple Christmas. Pinterest has made every housewife feel like her meals should be from scratch, her decor should be immaculate, and her tree should be fit for a magazine. And then there’s an endless number of pins like “50 Christmas Activities for Kids” and “25 Christmas Family Traditions” that make you feel you should pack your calendar with meaningful fun.

No offense to anyone out there, but the thought of coming up with a creative place to hide an Elf on the Shelf each morning — and then remembering to actually put him there every day for a month — completely overwhelms me. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want “Christmas Traditions” to become just another thing on my holiday to-do list. And I don’t want to feel burdened at the thought of making something happen just because we did it last year. During this stage of my life, I’m doing good to consistently get everyone dressed and bathed each day, much less anything else.

So instead of trying to nail down family traditions or stressing over an activity just because we “have” to do it, I’m going to attempt a different plan this year. I’ll let the traditions fall where they may. I’ll go about this holiday season simply and naturally, partaking in the activities that feel right and stress-free. I’ll remember the real Reason for the Season – the birth of Jesus, God’s Son – and keep Him
the center of our festivities. And I’ll remember that kids don’t care about extravagance and decadence – it’s the simple things, like watching Home Alone with their sisters, that create the real lasting memories. I’ll relax, enjoy, and be OK with quiet, contemplative days.

At least, that’s the plan.