Perhaps my favorite tradition entails the Advent Candles.  I have designed my own arrangement of advent candles.  The ones that are normally available for purchase are too thin.  I like nice thick ones so that I can continue burning them each night, as we sit to enjoy a Christmas movie or read a good book or sing carols.  Years ago when my children were very young, I found Christ in Christmas:  A Family Advent Celebration at a yard sale.  Every Sunday night during Advent, we read a selection by either James C. Dobson, Chuck Swindoll, James Montgomery Boice, or RC Sproul.  In addition, there is Scripture, carols, activities and discussion questions that are simple enough for the youngest member of the family to answer.  Last night we started with Dr. Dobson's essay on traditions and afterwards we discussed our favorites.  I enjoy this, because in this busy season, there is simply no time to do it all.  This way I get a good feel for what's important for each member of the family and try to be sure to fit those traditions in.  Also, with the children growing up, and dh and I growing older, I know there will be change. 

I usually wait for a 50% sale at Hobby Lobby, and get their name brand Christmas candles.  I get my two favorite scents, I think vanilla and I forget what the mulberry one smells like.  They are a good bargain.  Then I usually fill in the space with some sort of filler, which we keep an eye on to prevent a fire.  Usually I use greenery.  But last year I bought a couple of these bags of tiny red balls at Hobby Lobby extremely cheap.  I only needed one bag, so this year I am using the last one.  I don't plan to buy these again though.  They are actually styrofoam balls painted red.  If we are having a warm spell, we turn on the ceiling fan which blows the little balls out of the dish.  Or, like tonight, I forget to use the candle snuffer and blow out the candles and get this....

which is worse than 52 pick up!         

Interestingly, the answers have so far been the same from year to year.  12yos favorite tradition is doing the Happy Birthday Jesus fruitcake. Wait, don't leave!  It is really easy to make and delicious! It's not like most fruitcakes! My MIL has me send her some every Christmas!!!  It's a recipe I got from my mom.  My parents and brother don't enjoy much variety, lol, but they have to have this fruitcake every year, as do we.  DH has never liked fruitcake before, but this one is growing on him!  ;) 

14yod favorite tradition is driving around to look at Christmas lights.  I think she was purely delighted Sat when she got to help dh put up outdoor lights at our house for the first time in years.  In past years , dh has either been out of the country,  busy going to college, or something!  Of course, dh expects me to come up with the master plan for the lighting show.  I'm a little too exhausted thinking about the inside of the house and school to think of the outside lights!  Saturday while I did Christmas shopping, he perservered with the lighting plan without me and it looks great! 

We'll drive through some neighborhoods in a few weeks.  Before our children were born, there was one neighborhood where the homeowners hired professionals to design their light shows.  This was the mother of all light shows to be seen!  Traffic backed up considerably, to the point they are no longer allowed to get this fancy.  Nevertheless, this neighborhood still has some good light shows, albeit on a smaller scale.  Last year one of the houses had an interactive.  I got out of the van and rang the bell.  I forget what happened then.  Maybe that was it!  

Then there is another neighborhood where every house on the street is lit up to the max!  It is beautifully bright.  We always laugh, that if someone new moves  onto the street, little do they realize the expectations that will be upon them come December!

One of my favorite streets is near our church.  This is an older neighborhood with large yards and giant live oak trees gracing the road.  The branches sweep over the road and the trees on each side of the street seem to touch at the tips of the branches.  All along the road, are angels lit up underneath the branches, guiding us as if we were driving to the manger...

Yet, despite all the driving all over town, we think the best neighborhood would be our own.  Even our "crazy" friends who did the 12 Days of Christmas were pleasantly surprised as they drove to our house every night, at the great light shows they saw.  Not always huge or elegant, many participate.  Houses around here are consistently colorful and bright, full of hope and good cheer.  

DH's favorite tradition is music.  He leads our music in the evenings.  When we were in Fredericksburg a few weeks ago in the Christmas store, there was a man playing Christmas carols on the guitar.  DH had to buy his CD and we listened to the beautiful music on the way home.  We have a few hopes for incorporating music into our celebrations...I'll blog as those happen.  

My favorite tradition, is this advent book.  For each evening, Monday through Saturday, there are Scripture readings. Tonight we started in Genesis, reading about the Creation, God's original plan. Then that will build to the fall in the garden and God's covenant of a Messiah.  Then from there we'll read verses prophesying about the Messiah.  By the week of Christmas, we'll read about Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary and Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, the announcement of the angels, and the adoration of the shepherds.  If it's a long Chrismas week, we'll even read about His presentation at the temple

Reading these verses on a nightly basis reminds me of the Reason for the Season.  It prepares my heart for the essence of the holiday, to worship God's gift to us.  It is very peaceful reading the Scriptures, sitting cozily with my family, in a dark room, softly lit with the Christmas tree and the advent candles.