Our Hanukkah, Advent, Christmas Story

 Some of you were scratching your heads.

Hanukkah

Advent

Christmas

I know.

I understand completely.

I can't figure myself out,

would I expect any of you to be able to?

Here's the story:

Christmas

When EC and I had our boys, we decided to begin some family traditions.  They didn't start out based on anyone else's traditions.  You know, handed down traditions? Those are phenomenal and I am always in awe of families who take the time to do these special things for those they love.  So we really longed for something special for our boys.  And ourselves.

Christmas, of course, we celebrate.  Altho, no one knows when Jesus was actually born.  And the holiday is based on pagan beliefs & commercialism.  We are not cynical.  We just value the truth about stuff.  However, the warmth of the giving season allows us to express what we feel towards others.  I wish there were several times during the year that that warmth was a common, all over the world expression, like at Christmas time.

So, we don't celebrate it because of Jesus...so much as an expression of love and value towards those around us.

We try to live our lives as that Christ expression

every day

because we know Him.

Hope that didn't sound confusing.

Hanukkah

The Festival of Lights.

Have you ever read the story?

It is one of hope in God, the provider of all things.

EC and I are not religiously Jewish.  We are, however, Jews.  Because Jesus is one of many brethren and we are

His brother and sister.

We are Jews.

I know.

I may have lost some of you here.

Did the numbers just go down?

ah, well.

But that's not why we celebrate Hanukkah.

Before EC and I met and fell in love we both had grown up lives.  We shared much of our time with Jewish folks.  With great fondness and love we participated in the Jewish traditions and high holidays of our Jewish friends/family.

When thinking of creating family traditions for our sons, we thought of celebrating Hanukkah.

It is a beautiful tradition for our boys.

We light the menorah each night, share in the Jewish delicacies of latkes, lox and bagels, matzo ball soup.  It's an absolute blast searching out recipes.  We play dreidel and read the story of how God provided enough oil to keep the lamps burning.

EC reads the book and we all cry.

God's goodness is so beautiful.

Advent

This one is the most Kolein-esque.

I was shopping at Target a few years back and saw this box with the little doors.

fell completely in love  

It was $20.  I put some other stuff back on the shelves so that I could rationalize buying the 

"cutest earthy red box with little doors I'd ever seen!"

I don't even know what Advent is.

I didn't grow up in any religion, so no clue here.

I just had to Google it to find out what it means.

I know that it leads up to Christmas.  And small gifts are given. That was good for me and the boys.

So.

We created our own version.

Each night before the boys go off to bed they open a door.  There's a clue inside that leads them to guess what their gift is.

Small treasures laying inside and around the Christmas tree adds to the sweetness of the season.

Every small token has special meaning to each of the boys. On Christmas Eve, we sit next to the tree and read the little book,

Twas the Night Before Christmas

It's magical.

Because of our traditions, the season has a warm glow for the entire month of December here in our home.

I am blessed beyond measure to be able to create traditions for our little family.

And I am so enjoying reading all about your Christmas season and your expressions of giving with your families and friends. 

It has been a lovely Christmastime here in blog land.

~~~~~~~~~~

I will leave you with this photo taken

December 1st in our backyard.

Snow covered every branch.

I had taken several of the yard blanketed in white

and then I decided to look up.

Look up

In your spirit

in your soul

with your heart

with your mind

look up

and see what you will find

Happy New Year to all of you absolutely phenomenal creative special loving women from all over the world.

You have blessed me beyond measure!

If you've got a Christmas Story to share, join us over here!

Funky Junk Interiors