What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?
Since it’s November, I’ve started watching The Countdown To Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel. I really enjoy watching those cheesy, sweet romance tales. Since we’re coming near the Christmas season, I thought it’d be fun to blog about the holiday.
When I was growing up, we didn’t celebrate Christmas in my house. So, as an adult, I’ve started doing things every holiday to celebrate the season. My favorite holiday tradition is cookie baking. I love making different kinds of cookies. I also enjoy eating those cookies, too! There’s just nothing better than eating a hot fresh cookie, right out of the oven, with a cold glass of milk! Yummy!
My son will occasionally wander into the kitchen when I’m baking our annual Christmas treats. He’ll ask me questions about the recipes that I use, and I’ll dole out advice to him. I let him know that eggs and butter should be at room temperature before you start. I might manage to hold his interest for a few minutes before he heads back into the living room to play his video games.
My husband will put in his special request for cookies. His favorite is chocolate chip. Sometimes, while I’m eating the cookies, if it’s night time, I open the blinds in the kitchen so that I can admire the house across the street. The home is decorated with Christmas lights and there’s a huge mechanical reindeer in their yard. The fake deer bobs his head up and down, “eating” grass. The entire house looks so pretty, and looking at it while eating a Christmas cookie makes the experience extra special. Sometimes I’ll even play some Christmas music while I’m baking. My favorite Christmas tunes are the old-time tunes sung by the Jackson Five, The Temptations, and other classic Mo-town groups.
So, what’s your favorite Christmas tradition?
Since I’m talking about Christmas cookies, I wanted to share one of my Christmas titles with you. I’m giving away two copies of Loving Luke. Loving Luke is a story about reunited high school sweethearts. Oh, and the story also features a cookie bakery, too!
Here’s the blurb:
When Kim Taylor returns to Bethlehem to run her family’s cookie shop, her life is in shambles. She doesn’t get along with her dad, and she secretly longs to fix their broken relationship.
She’s stunned when Luke Barnes, her former high school boyfriend, strolls into her cookie shop. Recently widowed, Luke has returned to Bethlehem to raise his daughter, Lisa, in a wholesome environment.
Seeing Kim reawakens Luke’s memories from long ago. Their high-school romance is a painful reminder of the man he used to be. However, falling for Kim is not on his agenda right now. Luke is struggling with a problem, and it looks like Kim is the only person that can help him solve his dilemma.
Luke has already hurt her once, so, can she find the courage to trust him again?
I hope you’ll enjoy this wonderful winter tale!
Wemble says
Hi Cecelia, your tradition sounds fun. Christmas here (Australia) is in Summer, so I tend not to do too much baking, and because it does not get dark until late, Christmas lights on houses lose their magic in the bright sunlight!! So, Christmas traditions- listening to carols, watching my favourite Christmas movie (Bushfire Moon), beach barbecue’s and eating fruit mince pies- YUM! This year we are heading to my in laws place, so lots of time out on the water to look forward too:)
Blessings:)
ausjenny says
We have always made cookie/biscuits for Christmas to give away as gifts. from an early age I remember mum always cooking but at Christmas always more biscuits. We use to make forcer ones and I could turn the handle and would always turn a little further so there was a little left over for me to eat. (I love eating the dough). We made several different types each year and now I am alone I still make them to give away and I play Christmas music while making them. (and pick a day that isn’t over 90 to cook).
sbmcmh says
Strange….but we don’t have an actual Christmas tradition. We usually put up our fake Christmas tree after Thanksgiving and bring it down after Easter – does that count as a tradition?
The books sound great! Thanks for the giveway.
Cecelia Dowdy says
Wow, Wemble! I can’t imagine a warm Christmas! I’ve always lived in an area where it’s cold during the holidays! Your traditions sound like a lot of fun! I love Christmas carols, too! I’m not familiar with Bushfire Moon! I’ll need to check that one out! Another thing I love doing during the holidays is watching Christmas movies! I watched a bunch of new ones last year! :-)
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hey, Jenny! So, you have a warm Christmas too, being over in Australia. Forcer ones? I just had to Google that term since I’ve never heard of them before! Looks like they’re the same as the cookies that we (US folks) make through a cookie press. I’ve never used a cookie press, but the cookies look delicious!
Cecelia Dowdy says
Wow, you keep your Christmas tree up until Easter? That’s a long time! LOL! After I got married, we didn’t have a tree until we had a son. When he was around 3 or 4 he asked why we did not have a tree. So, we purchased a fake tree and we put it up every year. Our son is 12 now and I don’t think he really cares about the Christmas tree anymore. He just wants his gifts. Yesterday, he texted me and asked if he could get his Christmas gifts early. Can you believe that? I guess my son is trying to start his own tradition of attempting to receive his Christmas gifts in early December! LOL! :-)
Renate says
Hi Cecelia! Baked sugar cookies yesterday in the shape of pumpkins and turkeys! For Christmas I bake sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, press cookies – cream cheese, and a family favorite bar cookie – oatmeal peanut butter chocolate bar! I bake more when I can use my garage to keep cookies cool! As a teen I worked in a bakery, so I will definitely be reading your book.
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Renate! Looks like you enjoy cookies as much as I do! :-) Oatmeal peanut butter bars sound delicious!! I need to try those! :-)
lelandandbecky says
We have many Christmas traditions, but one of my favorites is at night before we head off to bed, when we turn off all the lights except for the tree lights, and go around the circle with each one requesting a carol to sing. We often go around more than once. But our children and now our grandchildren love to make and decorate sugar cookies for Christmas. We also have a calendar – one for the morning with Scriptures from Matthew and Luke that tell the story of Jesus’ birth, and one for the evening with a fun guessing game of words that are in the Bible – and my children and now grandchildren love to keep that tradition. I love that all of your books deal with food.
Cecelia Dowdy says
Wow, Becky! Your traditions sound like so much fun! I especially like the guessing word game! I’m glad that you like that my books deal with food! I love writing foodie stories! :-)
Lori Smanski says
this sounds like a wonderful book. Yum, a bakery in this book. that is as good as animals in a book. When our kiddos were young we would bake Christmas cookies together for at least a week. Most of the cookies we made were recipes handed down from my husbands great grandmother. awesome cookies. some were press and some where rolled out and others were dropped. Together we would make a list of who we wanted to give a batch of cookies to. then we went to the store and bought tins. Then we would make batches upon batches of cookies. They stayed well in containers in the garage. Then we would put a name on the lid of each container and with all the different cookies we would fill the tins, making sure that each tin got some of each type. Then we would go and distribute the tins. and of course through all this there is Christmas music playing.
I am one of those people that listen to Christmas music all year long. but this gave the kids a love of cooking and a desire to share and help others. they are both now 32 and 30 and they still have these traits.
Cecelia Dowdy says
That’s wonderful, Lori! Sounds like a lot of fun! I’m sure your friends were grateful to receive those tins of Christmas cookies!
Gail Hollingsworth says
Our tradition when our kids were small was to only let baby Jesus appear on Christmas morning in the manger. That’s the first thing he would look for when he came into the living room. He got married two years ago and that nativity went with him for his own tradition.
We also take turns opening gifts one at a time. That way it lasts longer and we see who got what from whom.
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Gail
That’s such a sweet tradition. I love it!
Renate says
Hi Cecelia! Here is the recipe. Enjoy! Been making these since 1979.
Peanut Butter Bars / My Holiday Breakfast Bar
#1 CRUST: Mix together, PRESS in 12 x 18 ungreased pan.
Bake @375 degrees for 12 minutes. COOL.
1 cup margarine – 1 cup brown sugar – ½ cup white sugar – 4 cups oatmeal
#2 Spread over Crust. LET COOL – I put in garage or outside to harden peanut butter.
1 cup or more of creamy Peanut Butter
#3 Melt together. Dot evenly over peanut butter and spread out. For a festive look, top w/ sprinkles.
12 – 18 ounces of chocolate chips
1 ½ – 2 Tablespoon butter
#4 COOL. Cut into squares. Place into a tin or plastic container.
Keep refrigerated or in a cool garage. Keeps well for up to a month.
amyjtoo says
In recent years, it seems I pick which tradition(s) I’m in the mood for. Some years, it will be baking cookies or stollen bread. Other years, I’ll put up the tree with my favorite childhood ornaments. The latter depends on whether I feel like trusting the cats to leave the tree alone. :-)
Margaret Nelson says
I think I’ve read “Loving Luke.” Was it in a boxed set? Anyway, I like making cookies for Christmas too, along with fudge. If I’m real energetic, I’ll make date bars! We had to have fake Christmas trees for over 20 years on the mission field, so now I really like having a real tree – smells so good! We used to cut one from our yard, but have used up most of the smaller ones :-) If we put it up late enough in December, we leave it up until my birthday in mid Jan.
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Amy
I’ve heard from folks over the years, telling me they’re concerned about their cats playing with the tree! You’ve gotta do whatever suits your mood!
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Margaret. Yes, Loving Luke was in a boxed set back in 2015! I’ve never had date bars before but they sound so good! I use a fake tree because I’m simply too lazy to put up a real tree. However, I do enjoy the smell of a real Christmas tree!
Wemble says
These sound yummy! I’m going to try them, thanks for sharing the recipe.
ausjenny says
Yes they are although the ones we made we did make some with a cookie press but the forcer ones we used a meat forcer or what you can also make mince meat with. (we lost that as mum gave it to someone to use and we never got it back) but you turn a handle and it goes through a grinder. It isn’t used as much nowadays. I mainly use a sawa cookie press now.
Lucy Reynolds says
We have many traditions from making cookies and candy to baking Jesus a birthday cake and sharing it after Christmas Eve Candlelight service. We love making a big breakfast together on Christmas morning including biscuits and gravy before opening presents. My family loves to decorate every available surface and enjoying love and family time. Blessings
sabrinatemplin says
My favorite tradition has been decorating the tree and putting up the nativity. :)
Donna McCoy says
Cecily, your cookie tradition sounds just delicious. I start baking too when it gets closer to Thanksgiving. I make pumpkin bread and a lot of different kinds of cookies. Too much sometimes. I even try my hand at candy making too. Only thing is I have to watch how much of this I eat and so does my husband as we are diabetic. So a lot gets given away to the other family members.
Cecelia Dowdy says
Thanks, Renate!! I will try these!! They sound so DELICIOUS!
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Lucy! That sounds wonderful! I sounds just like a magical storybook Christmas!
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Sabrina! Those sound like great traditions!
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Donna! I’ve never been one to make candy, but, I’d like to experiment sometime! Do you have a favorite kind of candy? I eat a lot of my cookies. Seldom do I give them away. They’re almost too good to share! :-)
Trixi says
We catch as many Christmas movies as we can on TV, in addition to making pumpkin pies I also make a batch or two of cookies (chocolate chip & peanut butter), and of course we play Christmas music softly in the background :-) I’m so glad Hallmark is starting their countdown to Christmas movies….have you seen Denise Hunter’s “December Bride” Cecelia? If you haven’t, you should it’s so good! It’s her book made into a movie :-)
No need to enter my name for the book as I’ve read it, thanks!
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Trixi! No, have not seen December Bride. I did see one other Denise Hunter Hallmark movie, though. I saw The Convenient Groom. I will be sure to watch December Bride! Thanks for the recommendation!
Jessica B. says
My family started a tradition several years ago of eating a certain meal on Christmas Eve before going to church. We also have two Christmas trees that we put up, one right after Thanksgiving and the second one a couple of weeks later.
Laura says
We have the tradition of baking Christmas cookies as well, old recipes from my grandmother. As we were younger just mom would bake them, but now it’s a family thing, even our husbands get involved. We have a really nice family time and really good cookies to eat later! We also have the tradition of advent in our house, so every Sunday we turn one candle on beginning 4 sundays before Christmas Eve. Those are my favorite Christmas traditions!
Abi Buening (@1apple_blossom) says
Oh, this sounds like an awesome Christmas book I’d love to read.
ABreading4fu [at] gmail [dot] com
Cecelia Dowdy says
Thanks for commenting Abi! I hope you have a great day!
Cecelia Dowdy says
Wow, Laura! Your cookie tradition sounds like so much fun since you are doing it together! I also love the Advent tradition, too!
Cecelia Dowdy says
Hi, Jessica! 2 Christmas trees? Awesome!