Traditions

This is the time of year that almost everyone has traditions.  Whether it is baking cookies, shopping on Black Friday or eating Italian on Christmas Eve- traditions are fun and comforting. In Eve Bunting's The Night Tree we hear the beautiful story of a family's unique holiday tradition.

On Christmas Eve the family sets off in their car to Luke's Forest.  Once they are there the family finds "their" tree.  After noticing how the tree has grown, hearing an owl hoot and seeing a deer the family sets down their big box and gets to work.  Inside the box is all kinds of decorations for the tree, but not decorations ornaments, tinsel and other decorations typically used for Christmas trees.  This family has made all edible decorations, a Christmas meal for the animals.  There are popcorn chains, apples, oranges, sunflower seed balls, even nuts and acorns to scatter on the ground.  Once the tree is decorated the family sits on a blanket, drinking hot chocolate and singing songs.  Simply enjoying the time together in the quiet of nature.  You can tell it is a Christmas tradition that the family enjoys because the son says, "Later, in bed I think about our tree, and sometimes, next day, when the aunts and the uncles and the cousins are at our house and it's noisy and happy, I let my mind go back to Luke's Forest."

What a simple and unique Christmas tradition this family has.  Does your family have a unique Christmas tradition?

Even if you can't make it to the forest to decorate an entire tree, you could make some fun snacks to share with the animals in your backyard.

Materials
- peanut butter
- bird seed
- pine cone
- ribbon
- knife

Directions:
1) Tie a ribbon to the top of the pine cone.

2) Use the knife to spread the peanut butter on the pine cone, the more the better!

3) Roll or sprinkle the bird seed onto the peanut butter pine cone.

4) Hang from a tree branch and wait for the birds or squirrels to come for a snack!

Happy Reading!
Laura