35+ Xeno Holiday Traditions {ABCs of Holiday Homeschooling}

This is my, Via Bella's, second year joining Heather Bowens series: "ABC of Home Schooling Through the Holidays!"

This year I got one the hardest letters in the alphabet to do. X.

So many words but none that easily apply to the holidays or to homeschooling.
I spent more time than I would like to admit looking up words that start with X that could apply.

I finally came up with Xeno which means strange in greek.

xeno-

combining form

prefix: xeno-

1. relating to a foreigner or foreigners.

   "xenophobia"

   • other; different in origin.

     "xenograft"

Origin

from Greek xenos ‘stranger, foreigner,’ (adjective) ‘strange.’

It seems fitting for my family and I because a) we are 'xeno' and b) it has been a hard and 'xeno' year for us!

If we look back into our roots, all of us, we will find that we are not one thing. It is rare for a person to only be Irish or only be Jewish or only be Rwandan. We are generally a hybrid. We are mixed.

For me and how I grew up, it was important to me for my kids to know all who I was. All of who they are.

I didn't find out until I was almost 30 that I was a little bit Jewish. Who knew?! I didn't. But I have family members with the world at the feet and in their blood (literally). My cousin and I are day and night-- yet we look exactly a like. My father is Japanese. My grandmother was in the Japanese internment camps. My other grandmother who is Jewish, her father was in the Navy.

So in our family, when we celebrate holidays, it is usually very Americanised but we also celebrate a little bit different. Especially this year, for example. Christmas and Hannukah are the same time this year.  So we will open Christmas presents and play dreidel.


So I am asking my kids what is Xeno about our holidays... Here is what they had to say....

Here are Xeno Traditions my family does or has done:

#1 Arm wrestling

#2 GPM Hugs from Grandpa (Gradual pressure method hugs)

#3 Smaller Gifts first

#4 So many pictures

#5 One present at a time

#6 Easter Eggs for hunting coins

#7 Fake Christmas Tree

#8 Menorah with advent calendar

#9 Menorah on a Christmas plate

#10 Star of David on the Christmas tree

#11 One thing you are grateful for each Hannukah night

#12 Meditation time

#13 Burning the past in prep for the new year in a bowl (meditation style)

#14 Once in a while, have used principles from Kwanzaa to teach the kids

#15 We have invited non family to holidays

#16 Equality in gifts

#17 25 days of Christmas

#18 12 Days of Christmas (in events or little gifts)

#19 We used to visit both sides of family for Holidays instead of switching off, but now just switch off

#20 One present for Christmas eve

#21 SC leaves a thank you card but Santa Clause doesn't

#22 Christmas movies

#23 Peanuts in the stockings

#24 Oranges in the stockings

#26 Dollar coin in their stockings

#27 We don't just give toys for Christmas, we do necessieties as well

#28 Jello with fruit in it (instead of fruit cake) that my Japanese grandmother always brings over

#29 Elf on the Shelf (which has become more popular)

#30 Egg nog all December long

#31 My mum gives the horses, dogs, and cats all stockings filled with goodies

#32 Polar Express is the new holiday movie tradition

#33 My kids shovel snow for people

#34 Another family member carols in the back of a pick up truck

#35 Food drive around Thanksgiving is annual

~Via Bella is a Blog for homeschooling, reviews, family, separation, scouting, and life!  

http://viabella-thebeautifullife.blogspot.com/

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#36 Doing Thanksgivukkah, with a recipe and menu, and a craft ideas and list

#37 My winter to do list, not all but including this list 

#38 Explore some of my heritage along with Christmas  (and write on it, of course)

#39 Support local businesses such as this one or this one 

#40 Do Homeschooling co ops based on this holidays, like this one