Minimalist Christmas Traditions

I would say I come from a tradition-loving family. Every year, a big hoopla was made over watching our extensive list of favorite Christmas movies, putting up a lot of Christmas decorations, eating lots of sweet, and the list goes on. As I've begun building my own family traditions, I have found that our lifestyle doesn't mesh too well with the traditions I grew up with.

At first, I found this a little disheartening. What traditions makes sense for a family that tries to be frugal, not create a lot of waste or take up space, and keep things simple? Here are the traditions we have chosen as fitting with our family lifestyle:



Decorating

Yes, we do decorate, we just don't have much. We put up a tree we made adorned with ornaments that are precious to us. 

We love that is doesn't take up floor space but still gives off the same, warm glow. We also put up a stocking for every person in the family. 

Music

Since my husband and myself are both musicians, there are a few CDs we listen to every year. We always listen to Star Wars Christmas, some jazz, Mannheim Steamroller, and other favorites. Since we don't watch a lot of TV or movies, this is a great alternative for us.

Cutting Snowflakes

I love cutting up snowflakes. Sometimes we end up with pretty snowflakes... sometimes just lots of mess, once my four year old has had her way with the scissors. The great thing about this activity is that is doesn't cost money, and we can recycle the snowflakes once Christmas is over.

Looking at Lights

This was something my family growing up did that we have continued. I still find lights as enjoyable as I did when I was little - especially when the drive is followed by cups of hot chocolate. 

Special Meal

One thing I love doing is preparing a special Christmas breakfast and lunch the day before Christmas so we can enjoy the day without having a lot of work to do. We also tend to have foods we don't typically eat - either because they are expensive or because they aren't a staple in our regular diet (like bacon, since we are vegetarian). We can relax Christmas day and basically do nothing but enjoy the day. 

What are some traditions you keep? Are they similar to the ones you grew up with? Completely different?