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Thursday 1 December 2011

Advent Calendar Door No 1

Here is the first door on our shared online Advent Calendar:

This is a cute little house I stitched many years ago which comes out at Christmas.  It came with a plain wood "hutch" which I painted a lovely Christmas Red.  I love all the little festive details on this piece.

The tradition I would like to share is our Christmas Eve and following morning routine.  After tea and bath time we put out a mince pie and some milk for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeer.  We used to have to leave the carrot outside as the large boy insisted the reindeer could not come inside!  Now we buy special reindeer food from the Christmas Craft Fayre which has glitter in it.  The Nursery children make it and sell it to us all to sprinkle on our gardens so the reindeer see it from the sky and know where to come.

We have a special plate we can write on and the large boy makes a list of the things he and his brother would like.  Then we go to bed for a story and a reading of The Night Before Christmas, both the traditional version and the modern one by Carole Ann Duffy.  We leave stockings by each bed which Father Christmas will fill.

In the morning there will be a full stocking beside the beds with a comic in the top.  Once this comic has been read cover-to-cover it is okay to come and wake Mum and Dad.  My own parents started this tradition when we were small!  Then the stockings are opened in our bed.  The two boys and I have stockings and hubby has a pillow case because that is the tradition is his family!  Father Christmas also leaves a pillow case (or Santa Sack) for MIL when she comes round after breakfast.

The stockings contain small presents, toys and games, chocolates, chocolate coins and of course the comic.  After we've opened them and perused the contents we go through to the Lounge where OCD Santa has arranged the presents into 5 separate piles - the large boy, the small boy, Mum, Dad and Grandma.  We take turns to open the presents with me writing a list of who gave which present ready for the Thank You letters.

ps an apple corer makes excellent "reindeer teeth marks" in the end of a carrot.

Tomorrow's Door will be opened by Agi, find her blog here.

15 comments:

Mouse said...

awwww love your tradition and the tip too ;) can't wait to see the others :) love mouse xxx

Stitchabilities said...

Lovely tradition, like your hubby we had pillow cases!! Love the christmas house!!

Rhona said...

I love your Christmas traditions...especially the 'reading the comic'...wish santa had suggested that when my kids were younger!!

Agi said...

Jo, It was a fabulous tidea to share our traditions, I can hardly wait until tomorrow to post ours in Hungary!

Rachel said...

Jo, I LOVE that design!! :D

I loved hearing about your Christmas traditions as well, it brought a smile to my face! :)

Susan said...

Jo, the comic book is a GREAT idea - do so wish I had thought of that when DSon was young. Thank you so much for hosting this and for telling us your Christmas traditions.

Jan Gartlan said...

What a beautiful xmas routine you have! I a.d.o.r.e the cross stitch house. I want to make one now!

cucki said...

dear jo, beautiful christmas stitching..i loved so much reading this lovely post and the traditions..it is so lovely..
love for you xx

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Very pretty Jo. It is exciting to see what's behind the door.

Maureen said...

Love your christmas house and great traditions - love the idea of the boys having to wait to read the comics before coming through..

Astrids dragon said...

Your house is adorable and looks great in red.

I like the comic book idea too, but I don't know if I could wait until they're done!

Joysze said...

Oh, that's darling!!!!!

Shirlee said...

Hello! I am a new follower, led here by Cucki to see your Advent Calendar : ) I will be coming back to visit all the time, I'm sure : ) I enjoyed this post very much. I like to here about Christmas traditions around the world.

Please come over to my blog for a visit if you'd like : )

http://farmhouseponderings.blogspot.com/

Blessings,
Shirlee

Leslie said...

What a great tradition...and I love the comic book tip......genious! Very cute

Kaisievic said...

Hi Jo, I love your comic book idea. So clever. Your traditions sound like so much fun! I absolutely adore your stitched house - do you still have the pattern? Would you be willing to share? I just adore it!

Thanks also for telling me about EvalinaMaria's 12 days in blogland - it sounds like so much fun!

Hugs, Kaye xoxox