Putting up the tree because it has ornaments from all the places we have visited.

Lighting a menorah as a heritage reminder and to recognize those who perished in the Holocaust.

We are also Catholic. Advent and Christmas are my absolute favorite times of the year! We light the Advent candle(s) each night and say a prayer, and listen to Christmas music throughout the season (not the cheesy stuff though). I bake sugar cookes, send a few cards, and we go to a holiday market. Volunteer work with the Scouts.

Christmas Eve we go to Mass, then have "snacks for dinner" which is just a bunch of appetizers and Christmas cookies. Presents are Christmas morning, then an easy brunch, and I make a traditional dinner for just our little family and maybe one or two friends who don't have other plans.

This year I'm trying my hand at a bouche de noel. I expect it to be a disaster, but I saw a YouTube video that made it look easy, so I'm gonna see how it goes!

We are Catholic and have an advent wreath at home, and we light the candles starting on the first Sunday of advent and every evening after. We saw a special Advent prayer.

We have a lot of local traditions like going ice skating, going to Zoo Lights and the train show at the Botanic Gardens.

I usually bake one type of cookie each weekend and freeze them and give cookie boxes out to the neighbors.

Anonymous wrote:A few posters have mentioned being stressed out about the holidays. It seems doing too much or doing things they don’t want to do is wearing people down! What do you do to celebrate the holidays that you like doing, that you enjoy?

For Christmas, I love:

Making chili on Christmas Eve (it’s our family tradition)
Setting a really nice table for Christmas dinner
Kid presents
Baking exactly one batch of cookies for my family, usually Snickerdoodles with red and green cherries
Decorating the tree
“Light peeping” around neighborhoods
Taking part in charity events at my work
Christmas Eve service
Special prayers with family at the Christmas dinner
Teacher gifts

Share yours!

First of all, Joyeux Advent OP!

Much of what you said.

It gives me joy to remember people who work hard on our behalf throughout the year and to show appreciation with thank you cards and gifts - teachers, doctors and nurses at our primary care clinic, trash/ recycling/ yard waste and compost collectors, plus our yard service guy.

It gives me joy to buy gifts for family and friends and let them know I love them.

Putting up our Christmas tree is extremely nostalgic for me as we have ornaments from 30 years ago and every stage of life such as hand made ones when kids were young. It is bitter sweet to fondly remember different stages of life in four different countries.

Service activities bring me joy such as participating in the Jewish Community Center’s December 25 project.

Making advent wreaths and taking time to feel the eternal ever present mystery of God’s love and grace despite all my many foibles and living in our broken world brings me joy. I love the symbolism of ever greens, circles and light as encapsulating the Great Mystery.


Sacred and traditional holiday music brings me joy. I can live without the super commercial songs but enjoy some alternative carols if they are genuine.

Enjoy the season OP!

A few posters have mentioned being stressed out about the holidays. It seems doing too much or doing things they don’t want to do is wearing people down! What do you do to celebrate the holidays that you like doing, that you enjoy?

For Christmas, I love:

Making chili on Christmas Eve (it’s our family tradition)
Setting a really nice table for Christmas dinner
Kid presents
Baking exactly one batch of cookies for my family, usually Snickerdoodles with red and green cherries
Decorating the tree
“Light peeping” around neighborhoods
Taking part in charity events at my work
Christmas Eve service
Special prayers with family at the Christmas dinner
Teacher gifts

Share yours!