“Christmas Traditions, Keep & Love them!” - Marge Barton

“Don’t miss Christmas traditions -

Christmas traditions give heart and home to a family. Children will do almost anything to be sure they are home for a family tradition. Our traditions started the day after Thanksgiving with decorating the Christmas tree, followed up by making a Gingerbread house. None of them looked like the one before and no matter how we messed up, it was always beautiful. One year we did a peppermint candy house which was the only candy we had. As the years went by we added fun decorations, a wider door so you could see a fireplace inside with a small bear lying on the floor, then we found tiny trees that lit up, a mailbox, and elf, and added horses, and a wishing well with a red Cardinal. The greatest addition was a tiny nativity set complete with wisemen and camels. Another year our roof had had not cooked long enough and caved in - we laughed and did our best to figure out a way to make it work. It was always a delight to do with children and grandchildren. Now as I visit the homes of my children I joy in seeing their decorated Gingerbread house complete with candies on the roof and path leading to the door. Children did not mess with the candy, because the Witch, mother/grandmother, threatened to eat them. On New Year’s Day we broke our gingerbread house down and fed it to the birds. Traditions are heart and home to the family; make them, keep them, and love them.