Throwback Holidays: Honoring Christmases Past

Throwback Holidays: Honoring Christmas Past

Hello, my name is Emma and I am a Christmas junkie. (Hi Emma.) I started hauling out the holly before it was cool. The season just oozes joy to me like an overstuffed jelly donut and I can’t help but eat it up. I am thirty-two, but the second I hear Bing Crosby I turn into a ten-year-old kid waiting for Santa. I try and capture that feeling as much as humanly possible for these eight weeks of celebrating. I have found that by reaching back into my greatest memories of Christmas, I can latch onto some of the best ways to celebrate!

Tales of the Glories of Christmases Long Long Ago…

So many of my best Christmas memories begin and end with people who are no longer with me. I am sure many of you can share this as one of the “blue” sides to the holidays. My uncle’s laughter, my aunt’s pot of coffee brewing, my grandfather hitting his knee while laughing… these are the ornamental memories hanging on my tree that no one else can see. When you gather around the table, with those you love most, remember. Remember those you may not see anymore, or hear anymore, you can still remember them together.

You Serious Clark?

Whether you sing “Joy to the World” with the Griswolds or throwing a lasso around the moon with George Bailey, watch those movies you fell in love with so long ago. I had never seen White Christmas until my husband and I started dating. He introduced me to Bing Crosby, and now every year we watch it while we decorate the tree, sip cheap wine and eat junk food. There are no rules here people, but it’s kind of one of my favorite ways to revive the holidays. I am pretty sure there is nothing better than the claymation of Rudolph, cartoon Grinch (cartoon version y’all…), or Will Farrell in a green suit.

Dressed in Holiday Style

Okay, some of y’all may think I am crazy. But I am a firm, tried and true believer in…the apron. Yep, the kind you tie around your waist and get “it” done. There is a kind of Carol Brady sheen to it, and it is one of my favorite things to wear this time of year. I wear it to bake cookies, clean the kitchen, or even do crafts with the kiddos. Try one on, and I dare you to not fall in love. It also reminds me of my grandmothers and great aunts baking in the kitchen. I am nowhere near their expertise, but sometimes I feel like they talk me through the recipes they left behind. Now if only I could make their caramels… that kind of magic is not built in (I’ve looked).

Santa! I KNOW him!

Visiting Santa Claus, writing the letters, day dreaming about the upcoming treasure trove of toys are all some of the sweetest memories and I love recreating it for my children. Every year since I can remember, the drive home from the evening church service or leaving my grandparents house, I always looked to the sky on Christmas eve. I searched for Rudolph’s red nose, as my parents tucked us in for the night. The magic is palpable, and I truly relish serving up these kinds of moments for our family.

…And to All a Good Night

Matching pajamas anyone? This is a sure fire way to get me tickled about the big night. My mom, sisters and I still match our pajama pants for opening presents and now my kiddos get in on the fun. I have been saving my little one’s matching pajamas for the last few years and one day, I hope to have a quilt made for each of them.

This time of year can serve up all kinds of emotions: excitement, happiness, and even a bit of sadness as we remember days and loved ones we miss so dearly. But hopefully, by looking back at the best parts of our holidays past, we can create more sweet memories with our babies. Do you have any ongoing traditions? How do you keep memories alive for your kiddos?