Hearing the simple jingle of bells, Christmas music starting 24/7, and seeing the Christmas decor appearing in stores gets me as excited as a child for the best holiday of the year!!

And every family has traditions they celebrate each Christmas.  Our family does too and I want to share FIVE I love the most.

1. The Nativity Scene.

If you have been in Augusta for many years, you might remember the Nativity display in front of the old (and surely missed) St. Joseph's Hospital on Wrightsboro Road. The hospital had a full-sized Nativity Scene with 3 Wise Men.  Those Wise Men and the Stable were at opposite ends of the hospital's front lawn and each day after Thanksgiving, the Wise Men were moved a few steps closer to the stable where Mary, Joseph, and an empty manger awaited. I looked forward to seeing those figures getting closer and closer.  It made the anticipation of December 25 even more exciting! We'd look and talk to our kids about the baby Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas.  I have collected quite a few Nativity scenes at home and love seeing them year round

2. BAKING!

I mean, is it Christmas without fudge, divinity, and buckeye balls? My mom is the master baker and the house always smelled of cinnamon and cookies in the oven, and you heard the whirl of the mixer in the kitchen. My kids loved our tradition of cutting out sugar cookies from homemade cookie dough. We'd use festive shaped cookie cutters then cover them in colored homemade frosting and cover each one with sprinkles, cinnamon candy, and those tiny edible silver balls. Their cookies were masterpieces in the eyes of their mom who loved hearing them laugh and talk and being together more than the end result. Even as adults, the kids still come over for a cookie making/frosting afternoon each December

3. Christmas Music.

I am ready to hear it in July but the scolding from my kids has me wait to turn it on until early November... but I won't wait any longer!  It makes me so happy. Our local radio station starts 24/7 Christmas music about the same time and it's all I listen to.  I have Christmas tunes streaming on my computer while I work and I change my ring tone to something festive and snappy! Christmas music will make you sing along, and it will also tug at your heart with memories and heartwarming sentiments.  The music starts in just a a few weeks!

4. Christmas Eve Clam Chowder and matching pajamas.

Since my mom has been a little girl, clam chowder was always dinner on Christmas eve and that tradition has continued for generations. And at the end of every Christmas Eve dinner, we'd all get MATCHING JAMMIES! There are 20 of us now in the extended family and we all look forward to the revealing of that year's outfit. The group photos over the years are precious, hilarious, and priceless.  Jammies have been some fun ones and sweet ones but 20 of us are identical for the next 48-72 hours. It's a perfect way to start Christmas Eve.

5. Cookies and milk for Santa.  Always special in the hearts of young and old....

"The tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa (and carrots for his reindeer) skyrocketed as an American tradition in the 1930s amidst the Great Depression. Parents wanted to teach their children — even during such trying times – the importance of giving back and being thankful; so they set out milk and cookies to show their gratitude." -Megan Grant

That cookie plate was overflowing every Christmas eve with a huge variety of cookies. We also had milk and carrots for the reindeer but even more important than the cookies was THE letter.  The last chance we had to make sure Santa knew we had been good. And I always looked forward to the letter Santa wrote back. It always encouraged us siblings to be nicer to each other, study hard, and listen to your parents because they only want the best for you. That handwritten letter was PROOF that Santa was real!

But we don't have to wait for December.

Santa makes every child excited any time of the year.  And we are so lucky that he will be stopping by Kevin Jiminez Photography.  He's coming July 22-24. It's a surprise visit that your kids won't be expecting, which makes it that much more special. I can almost guarantee that none of their friends visited Santa this summer!

Your children will have a one-hour Fine Art Experience with Santa, sharing Christmas traditions while we quietly photograph their visit. They'll share milk and cookies, help the elves finish some toys, listen to the Christmas Story, and more!! It's the most unique Santa visit ever to come to Augusta, GA! 

Visit our website to learn more.  These photo sessions are extremely limited due to the length of each visit.

My favorite Christmas traditions list could be 10x longer but I want to hear some of YOUR traditions. What are some traditions that define Christmas for your family?

Here's to everyone having a very Merry *Summertime* Christmas!!

Jennifer Crow