Christmas Book Tradition

Edited to add: I'm linking up with Kelly's Show us Your Life post today ... it's all about Christmas Traditions. Although we have MANY traditions - this one has got to be one of my favorites!

Be sure to check out more Christmas Traditions at Kelly's Korner.



OK friends, here is a tradition you will definitely want to do with your kids - and you will also want to start getting things prepared for it RIGHT now!

This will be our 4th Christmas doing this tradition and every year it's something we ALL look forward to. Here's what you do ...

1. Collect 24 books and wrap them up {individually} in wrapping paper. {You'll see some book suggestions below.}

2. Starting on December 1st, open one book per day. We do this in the evening and we all open it together. Then we read the book together before bed.

3. Your last book should be opened on Christmas Eve.

The details:
* You can choose any variety of books. We use some Christmas story books, some activity books, some coloring books, maybe a cookbook or two, etc. Most are Christmas related but they don't have to be.

* We also sometimes use library books - just be sure that you know when they are due so they don't go overdue while they're wrapped up for almost a month!!

* Some are books that the girls have seen and read every year, and some are ones that are brand new to them. We have a fabulous used book store here so I picked up a couple new ones for a dollar a piece and those will be wrapped as part of this tradition.

* We mix them all up so it's fun and interesting every night. I might purposely wrap a cookbook to be opened on a night when I know it's a weekend and we'll have time to try out a recipe and bake something together.

* The fun thing is that it helps the kids not be so antsy about waiting for Christmas morning and it's also a great reinforcement of family time in the evenings.

* We always save "The Night Before Christmas" to be read on ... well you guessed it - December 24th!

* The girls DO NOT know what I'm wrapping. I do all of the prep work when they aren't around. I choose the books, wrap them and choose the day they will be opened by writing the numbers 1-24 on the outside of the wrapping. It makes it a lot more of a fun surprise if they do not know what they will be opening. And even though some are books they've read before they still have fun and often say 'oh yeah, I remember this book!' {I typically put away seasonal books after the season so the girls haven't seen them since last year.}

This is a very simple, inexpensive and fun holiday tradition and if you get started collecting your book choices now, you will be all ready to get it started on December 1st!

Hope you enjoy! Many blessings!