Passing on the Tradition

I have introduced the girls to a new tradition this year, a Christmas countdown. Our countdowns are definitely a modified version of the more traditional advent calendars but serve the same purpose, at least in a secular sense. These particular countdowns are special to me because they used to belong to myself and my brother. My mom (one more domestically ambitious than myself) actually made them for us. Some of my fondest memories from childhood involve the daily anticipation in December of untying the yarn wrapped around little treasures like candy canes, dollar bills, and special messages. I can remember opening notes with messages such as, "Go Christmas light looking tonight!" I can remember how the dollar bills increased to 5's and 20's as we got older. I can remember being 2o years old, all alone in Germany at Christmas time and opening a box from home with my Christmas countdown completely filled up. These countdowns were made from love, and I am so happy to continue to spread this joy to my daughters this year. Their first message on December 1st read, "Decorate the Christmas tree tonight and drink hot chocolate!" We had a lovely time.