I have written before about the importance of creating rituals and traditions for our families, for the immediate benefits as well as long term security of family and providing stability of experience, not to mention the wonderful memories they help create.
And Christmas is certainly a time that provides for many family traditions, rituals and experiences that kids look forward to each year and provide that comfort, that excitement and those memories. Be it a regular trip to visit Santa, Carols by candlelight, mince pie and shortbread making or even as is the case with myself, Suzie and Vanessa from Style and Shenanigans….. a yearly pre Christmas trip to Ikea to stock up on some Christmas goodies and decorations.
A christmas tradition favourite for my family has now become our yearly visit to Santa’s Magical Kingdom. I think I am coming up to my 4th year now and the kids just assume it will happen again and have already been talking about it. This years venue has changed to Caulfield race track and it promises to be even bigger and better than previous years. The favourite for the bigger kids is the giant slide, the circus and some fast spinning ride that makes me feel a bit nauseous just watching, whilst the little ones love seeing the dressed up characters roaming around, the train rides and carousels, the circus, the falling snowflakes and giant Christmas trees. For me, it is about bringing a little bit of the magic of Christmas back. Hearing the Christmas songs, seeing the lights and decorations and best of all, the wonder on the the faces of the children.
Our lives are so busy leading up to Christmas, with long lists of present buying and Christmas day preparation, it is lovely to have a little time to just enjoy the spirit of Christmas with this now much looked forward to and anticipated family tradition.
And for some lucky Melbourne readers, I have a family pass for 4 people valued at $130. All you have to do is leave me a comment below telling me about your favourite Christmas tradition. Competition closes 5pm AEST Tuesday 4th November 2014
This is not a sponsored post, however I was gifted the tickets for my family and for the giveaway. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketek or you can check out their Facebook page
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We visited the kingdom last year thanks to your blog, I’d love it to be a yearly tradition. For me it’s all about family and creating happy memories.
So many things … Getting all the Christmas books out and reading one each day in December, my boys (6 & 8) helping their nana decorate her tree (when they were little she had to redecorate once they were gone!) and organising the nativity play at family mass on Christmas Eve.
Christmas records. OLD christmas records. Dad had been pulling them out for years. Last year we missed out as he didn’t have a record player, but alas, what did he get for his birthday? A record player! All will be fine again this christmas!
We have a few traditions that we love.
Firstly, we take a trip into the city and see the beautiful Myer Christmas windows, and then we take our three daughters in to Myer where they are allowed to choose one Christmas ornament each for our Christmas tree.
We also have the Elf On The Shelf traditon, which is such a lot of fun, and very much loved!
And we also donate to the K-Mart Wishing Tree and buy gifts from the Smiles catalogue from World Vision. This teaches my kids that Christmas isn’t just about receiving, but about giving too.
I put on the Robbie Williams Live at the Albert DVD and together we (husband, son, daughter and I) put up and decorate the tree. There is lots of singing (by me) and lots of laughter and teamwork to get our tree just right. Then together we put the star on top to finish our masterpiece. This ritual has been going on since before we had kids and it’s one I plan to continue forever. My kids love it and it’s how we start the magic of Christmas each year.
Coming from a family who for reasons unbeknownst to me just didn’t do Christmas. There was no tree, no Santa, no pressies. If we were lucky there might be an envelope with 20 bucks in it and a roast lunch, to keep up appearances. But all served with a distinct lack of joy. So now I go to the most ridiculous of extremes for my kids every Christmas we have started our own special traditions and celebrate with joy and love. Their favourite is choosing one special ornament each, every year, which we engrave their initials and the date on to. When they grow up and start their own homes they will be given their decorations for their own trees and when they have children we’ll continue the tradition for them.
It sure is beginning to look a lot like Xmas in and around the bloggersphere! My kids can’t wait and have already started their lists!
For me it’s getting the kids together to help with the Christmas baking. They love helping decorate the Christmas Tree Brownies, making miniature Christmas Puddings, Pavlova’s, Trifles, Chocolate Ripple Christmas Wreathes…..great, now I’m hungry! Is it too early to start my Christmas baking yet?
Planting tic-tacs or small similarly shaped, smooth lollies in magic Christmas sand (dyed sugar) on Christmas Eve and waking up to find full grown candy canes!! It blows the kids minds, every year. I love this tradition for the joy it brings them.
And can’t forget the beer and indulgent snack left out for old Saint Nic, and carrots for his reindeer friends 🙂
This is going to be our perfect Christmas with regards to Santa, as my youngest fully understands..but it could be my eldest Last ;-(
We have so many traditions in this house, they get to open ONE present on christmas eve, which contains a Christmas DVD, 3 sets of Christmas Pjs and some treats.
Elf on shelf, treats for Santa and rudolph…(Rudolph always leaves a mess and (raisins) poo, hoof prints and bits of carrot. Santa leaves a picture of himself “fixing”the gifts in the house. (website).
Traditional Turkey and Ham dinner, coins and treats in the Christmas pudding.
And playing old vinyl record (my grandmothers Christmas collection).
I just adore Christmas. WE also leve out a Magic key, so Santa can open the door. Heaps more
I Still can’t believe how quickly the year is going…and its almost Xmas !!
We are going to have a very low key Xmas this year with just good times, family times and yummy food.
Actually we don’t have any traditions as such, but this will be our second year with our oldest out at sea on a deployment so I am hoping for at least a phone call.
What a great Tradition you have 🙂
I read out postcardsand letters I have received over the last 3o years…it reminds us all and informs many yonger members about our lives. We always have a great laugh, remember lost family members and keep the memories alive.
Our favourite tradition starts on the 1st of December when we put up the tree as a family. Each year one of us gets to put the angel on top and turn the lights on for the season.
I can’t wait for this Christmas. My son is understanding it a whole lot better and boy will he be excited! He is 3 in March. 🙂 I love the Christmas lights, myer windows, plum pudding and making gingerbread houses!!
We have a neighbourhood Christmas Tradition. We all meet in the court around 5.30 on Christmas Eve to share a drink and Christmas Cheer. Every family brings a home made gift, usually food, and we all take home a gift. Its great fun, when we started we all had small children, new neighbours still have little ones while some of us bring our grandchildren
Our whole family visit us on the Christmas day & we have a big lunch.We sing, dance,play cards & share alot of family stories.Little kids learn all about family traditions.Christmas get together help us to strengthen our relationships,let go of any bitterness and spread the love.I feel like a kid again myself when granny tells stories about Santa and the baby Jesus.Christmas is magical and it is the most special event of the year for us.
Apart from decorating the x’mas tree with the family and having a big x’mas fest with friends and family we go to the Melbourne city to see x’mas deco’s, participated in fun family activities, enjoy Myer display. We would love to visit Santa’s Magical Kingdom this year and make it as our Christmas tradition.Thanks for the opportunity 🙂
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