Christmas traditions in this Swedish-American-Belgian household in Egypt; celebrating 1st of Advent today

So, here we are; four weeks from Christmas break (as you might have figured, our family life is forever divided into semesters and school breaks), and things are getting busier than ever. Apart from wanting to finish all our fall semester 1st and 2nd grade work, we have at least three big homeschooling events before Christmas, two choir Christmas concerts, two taekwondo belt tests, Advent celebrations, Christmas preparations, one wedding, exams, a couple of parties, and of course everyday life to tend to. To stay on top of things, I write everything down; I make shopping lists, to-do lists, schedules, and use post-its for everything. At this point, I just hope I have the energy to go through with everything. Obviously I cannot give the boys exactly what I had when I was little (lots of snow, St. Lucia concerts, dark, cold, crisp and mystic winter nights, my grandmother’s treats, the daily special radio Christmas show and everything else that is Christmas in Sweden) but I want the boys to feel as excited as I did around this time of the year when I was a child, and I want us to have a nice family Christmas here, our second year in Egypt. It will be different from what we’ve had in the past – it will even be different from last year (we can at least hope!) – but I still want it to be amazing (which is something that takes planning and effort).

So how does an American Swedish family that has spent most of its time in Belgium celebrate Christmas in Egypt? Throughout this month, I plan on taking you through our various traditions, which will contain a mixture of pagan, Catholic, Protestant, Belgian Dutch and French, American culture, Swedish culture and third culture customs.

I come from a very conservative (in its European sense) family and have a lot of traditions and ceremonies associated with all holidays and yearly celebrations. Courtney’s family has comparatively very few traditions. A few things we’ve picked up in Belgium and/or created ourselves. I think family traditions are important because they promote security, character and a sense of historic continuity in children. Some customs I follow may seem arbitrary or futile, but in the context that is our world and the life that I have chosen to lead, these rituals have definitely helped me keep my chin up in my quests through life.

Today we went to the CSA Christmas Bazaar, and tonight we start our Christmas tradition by celebrating the first of Advent. After dark we gather around the Advent wreath, and August will get to light the first candle. We will have Swedish gingerbread cookies and Christmas tea (occasionally the tea is replaced by mulled wine), listen to Christmas music and perhaps even read a couple of verses. Tomorrow, on December first, when the boys wake up, their advent calendars, containing 25 little presents each, will be hanging downstairs. The boys will be opening one present every day until Christmas.