Christmas Traditions

Christmas is a time for traditions. 

Here are a few of our favorites!

Christmas Cookies

Tupperware Cookie Cutters

What is more fun than gathering the family together in the kitchen and baking up a batch of cookies?  You can make them from scratch or for an easy out buy a roll of cookie dough and simply slice or roll it out and cut shapes with seasonal or whimsical cookie cutters. Pop them in the oven and in a few minutes you can start decorating with colored icing, sprinkles and piping. Be sure to make more than you need as quite a few may mysteriously disappear while being decorated!

 

Happy Birthday!

One of our family’s favorite traditions is a Birthday Party! We decorate our dining room with a Happy Birthday banner.

Fostoria American Square Cake Plate

 

On Christmas Eve we have a cake and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. A special cake stand adds to the celebration! It’s a fun way to remind your children - and yourself - of the real reason for the holiday.

Gorham Sterling Silver Snowflake Ornament

 O Tannenbaum

Another Christmas Eve tradition is decorating the tree. Our children are all adults and we break out a bottle of champagne when decorating the tree. Families with younger children can substitute sparkling juice. 

Vintage Champagne Glasses

We enjoy unpacking the special ornament from years past and adding new ones to celebrate the years accomplishments. Vintage ornaments add a special touch to any tree.

Vintage Christmas Tree Ornaments

Vintage Christmas Tree Decorations

Vintage Dancing Santa Ornament

Cookies for Santa

Don’t forget to put out some cookies for Santa. Having a special plate to use every year adds to the traditional fun.

 

Vintage Christmas China Santa Plate

Cherry China Christmas Lunch Set

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning is too exciting for a sit down breakfast.  Pop some sweet rolls in the oven start the coffee and by the time the stockings are emptied you are ready to eat. Snack trays are a wonderful way to eat around the tree while opening presents. The adults will appreciate the coffee and just fill the children’s cups with juice or milk.

Lenox Holiday Dinnerware

Christmas Dinner

Definitely the time to bring out the good china, glassware, candle stick holders, linens and the like. We look forward to using our special Christmas dishes to add to the festive design of our table.

We hope you enjoyed hearing about some of our traditions and please feel free to add your own in a comment. Merry Christmas to all!

GVS Holiday Shopping

For a special treat click on this link for a GVS Holiday Shopping Video, sit back and enjoy! http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Ci8Ye3rQ

About the Author

Karen Mantone-Pillar is one of the founders and administrators of Got Vintage Shops. She currently owns and operates two online shops; Charmings Collectibles on Etsy, and a stand alone web store CharmingsCollectibles.com.

About the Slide Show Producer

 Lynn Stull owns and operates The Eclectic Diva - Where Diva Meets Vintage.

 

The Story of Hanukkah

The story of Hanukkah starts more than twenty one centuries in the past. The Jewish Holy Land was ruled by people who fought to Hellenize the people of Israel. A small group of Jews defeated one of the largest armies and drove them away. The Jews reclaimed the Holy Temple and rededicated it to the service of God. They went to light the Temple’s menorah, only to find they had only a single container of oil – enough to last one day. However, that single container of oil burned for eight days.

 

At the center of the festival of Hanukkah is the lighting of the Menorah each night. One candle is lit the first night, and allowed to burn until it burns itself out. Each night an additional candle is lit – on the second night two, on the third night three, and so on – on the final night of Hanukkah, all eight candles are lit.

Sterling Silver Kiddush Cup

 

Prayers are repeated each night, giving praise to God for "delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few... the wicked into the hands of the righteous."

 

Of course, food plays a part in the customs surrounding Hanukkah. Especially foods cooked in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts). 

Vintage Tablecloth Blue & White

Spinning a dreidel, marked with the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin is enjoyed. The letters represent “A great miracle happened there.”

Let’s not forget the giving of gelt, or gifts of money, to children!  Chocolate gelt often replaces the giving of money these days. We always share gold foil wrapped chocolate morsels with the children at all our gatherings.

Burgess and Leigh Flow Blue Dresden Platter

The colors of blue and white or blue and silver are used in many homes when decorating for this special celebration. The colors are thought to either represent the blue of the water and the white of the clouds in the sky, or the blue and white colors in the flag of Israel. It depends on who shares the story with you.

Libbey Rock Sharpe 'Artic Rose'Cordials

The miracle of Hanukkah is cause for celebration! 

Eat, drink and be festive! Celebrate the triumph of the light over darkness.

Open salts with cobalt glass liners

             

 

  About the Author

 Cathy Heidemann Overfield is on Staff at Got Vintage Shops and owns and operates Charmed Life Collectibles on Ruby Lane, and Charmed Collectibles on Etsy.