My Christmas Traditions

There's a reason why Christmas time is considered to be the most wonderful time of the year. This time of the year focuses on the importance of family and is rich in tradition. Think of all the little things you do during this time of the year with your family. Every little thing you do each year is a tradition.

A tradition doesn't need to be some grand adventure. It can be something as little as decorating the house and tree together or building gingerbread houses. What makes something a tradition, is the amount of joy it brings to you and your family. Here are some of my favorite Christmas traditions.

Tracking Santa on NORAD. This is my favorite Christmas tradition by far. Ever since I was a kid, (and when the internet was invented) my mom and I would track Santa Claus on NORAD's website every Christmas Eve. NORAD is the North American Aerospace Defense Command, they're in charge of tracking what's flying up in the sky. So it makes total sense why they're the ones tracking Santa on his big Christmas Eve voyage. All throughout Christmas Eve, you can check Santa's current location. I loved tracking Santa as a kid, and it's something I love to do now as an adult. It's something fun and cute to do with kids, or adults who are children at heart. If you want to see Santa's current location click here.

Making Christmas Cookies. This is the one time of the year where my mom and I make our special homemade family recipe cookies. We call them Ta Das! The recipe was created by my great grandfather back when he lived in Bari, Italy. From the stories I've heard, he was a great cook and baker. The only problem was his recipes weren't very detailed. A pinch here, a spoonful there, and bake until they're done. Great Grandpa Ferro wasn't a wordsmith. But, my mom figured out the recipe for the most part. She figured out numbers and measurements and times, but it took her a while to perfect it. So when I learned how to make them, I got a decent recipe to go off of. These cookies are bomb and a Simpson Family delicacy. Ask anyone who's tried them!

Watching Christmas Movies/Specials. Throughout the month of December, especially on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I like to take the time to watch some of my favorite holiday movies. Throughout the month, I watch Hallmark movies with my Dad. Every Christmas Eve, I tune into Freeform and watch Elf. This year, I plan on taking full advantage of Freeform's schedule and will be tuning into How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Santa Clause. Also during this time of the season, I like to watch some of my favorite Christmas themed episodes from my favorite TV shows like Bob's Burgers and The Office.

LASAGNA!!! Every Christmas Eve, my mom makes the best lasagna ever. She only makes it during this time of the year, so I make sure I indulge. My family doesn't do much for Christmas Eve, we keep it low key so we can get ready for the big day. But we do eat lots and lots of yummy lasagna and get into a huge food coma.

Stay Up All Night. This necessarily isn't a tradition I look forward to each year. In fact, I try to avoid it at all costs. But that never works in my favor. On Christmas Eve, I'm either up all night wrapping presents or up all night with excitement because CHRISTMAS IS TOMORROW. There is no in-between and no such thing as a good night's sleep on Christmas Eve.

Watch the Disney Christmas Parade. This is my most favorite holiday tradition. There's nothing like waking up and watching the parade on Christmas morning. Plus with the luxury living close to Disneyland, I actually get to see this parade live whenever I go to the parks during Christmas time. The Disney Christmas parade will always hold a special place in my heart, forever and ever.

Those are some of my holiday traditions, they may or may not be similar to your own. Everyone celebrates the holidays in different ways, as we should. No family is alike, so why should your traditions be the same?

This is the last Blogmas post I will be doing this year. I know I only got up to twenty, which is an improvement compared to last year. The holidays are meant to be spent with your family, which is what I plan on doing. Thank you everyone who read or even skimmed through my posts this Blogmas. I truly appreciate you all very much. I enjoyed writing these posts, so I hope you all enjoyed reading them! I plan on writing more throughout the New Year so stay tuned to what's coming in the future!

Until next time.