My Christmas Traditions

It's not secret that I am obsessed with Christmas. I've been listening to Christmas music since November and had most of my shopping done before the first week of December was over. I love the decorations, and the holiday smells of cookies and evergreen-scented candles. I know that it'll surprise you that I love Christmas movies too...from family movies like Elf or How The Grinch Stole Christmas, to the slightly cheesy holiday movies on Hallmark. I will happily watch them all! Most of all I love all of the traditions that I have with my friends and my family. Here are a few of them! 

1. Christmas Eve Breakfast

Since high school, I have had breakfast on Christmas Eve with my group of best friends. We meet at one of our houses, cook breakfast together and swap gifts through a secret Santa. What I love most about this tradition is that I am a firm believer in the idea that friends are just the family you meet along the way, so its like having breakfast with my family!

2. Christmas cookies

My mom has made an amazing amount of Christmas cookies for as long as I can remember. Throughout the years, I have been able to help her more and this year we have cranked out 7 different kinds of cookies (My favorite are the sugar cookies, with gingerbread in close second!) I love this tradition because it is always great quality time with my mom!

3. Wendy's for Christmas Eve lunch

This is definitely the weirdest tradition that I have listed, and it started like 10 years ago when my family would clean our house like crazy the morning of Christmas Eve, thus resulting in fast food take-out for lunch as to not mess up the kitchen. Since then, we have gotten better about not waiting until Christmas Eve to clean everything, but we still carried on with Wendy's for lunch! 

4. Sibling gift swap on Christmas Eve 

My brothers are younger than me (13 and 11) so they have always been so eager to start getting gifts before Christmas day. It has turned into a tradition that the three of us swap gifts on Christmas Eve to get excited for Christmas Day! I re-upped their Xbox Live subscription this year so I am excited to tell them about it! 

5. Picking out the tree as a family

There is something about picking out the tree that makes me so happy! I love searching for that perfect one that isn't too tall/too short/too bare/too awkward and even though my family deliberates over which tree to get, its great family bonding time! 

6. John's house for Christmas Eve dinner 

Starting a few years ago, I was invited over to John's house for Christmas Eve dinner with his family. This year will be the third (or fourth? I don't know anymore...) year that I will head over there to celebrate. I love their Christmas Eve dinner/party because they sing Christmas carols and do a Yankee Swap! I remember being nervous the first year, since I was leaving behind some traditions with my family at home, but its been fun to make a tradition with John of spending Christmas Eve with his family and Christmas day with mine! 

I know some of these traditions are cliche (hello, cookies and picking out the tree!), but they are all special to me because they just make me so thankful that I have my family and my friends around me during the holidays!

What are some traditions that you have during the holidays?