Today I'm sharing my 5 favorite Christmas traditions, and I'm eager to hear all about yours.

1. Give Annual Ornaments.

Every year I choose one ornament for each family member, to commemorate the year. Year by year, I've put varying levels of thought into this tradition. One year, I bought ornaments that allow you to record a message and put a photo inside, so I recorded each child's voice; these are very special and definite favorites. Click the link below to see them. Another year, I bought matching ornaments on sale post-Christmas, waited 11 months, and then presented them as the annual ornaments (generic, but beautiful).

I got the idea for this tradition from a friend named Nancy who did this for her children and I thought it sounded so special. I adopted the tradition and have been faithfully carrying it out for 10 years. This is the first year that the kids showed awareness and appreciation of the tradition: it became clear as they unpacked the box of ornaments and decorated the tree that they really care about their ornaments. It took TEN YEARS of consistency for this to surface. So, hang in there and keep plugging away. I wrap each person's ornament (including my own) and present them sometime during December. (Pictured above is one of my best ornament selections, it makes me smile.)

2. Read the Christmas Story from the Bible.

It's important to be familiar with the Christmas Story, especially if you're celebrating the holiday. We enjoy reading the story from The Jesus Storybook Bible, a beautifully crafted paraphrase of The Good Book. (The Christmas Story is found on pages 176-199.) The book costs $10 on Amazon, link below. You can break up the reading over the course of a week, or over the course of the month. In the Bible, there are two accounts of the Christmas story: it's found in Luke chapters 1 & 2, and Matthew chapters 1 & 2. Going to a Christmas Eve church service is also a sweet tradition.

3. Watch Home Alone and Home Alone 2.

These films are just the best—the songs, the pranks, the childhood innocence, the quotes, the hilarity. We watch both movies every year. It's only $14.99 for the 2-movie collection, link below.

4. Listen to Christmas Music as often as possible.

I've been playing Christmas tunes before and after school. I'm using Pandora and listening to the station Christmas Radio. I smiled when I overheard one of my kid's friends asking if we always play Christmas music in our house. This year, our favorite song is The Drifters' version of White Christmas. The 50's doo wop beat makes us all happy, click here to enjoy the song and see the band in action. (Bet you can't resist singing the high-pitched part.)

5. Eat Daily Almond Roca from the Christmas Advent House.

You already know about this tradition from a previous article. Click here if you need a briefing.

Now it's your turn! Tell us about your favorite traditions in the comments below. And remember, it's never too late to start a tradition.