BIQ-Unostef Fanning, Saturday, Decanter 17, 1994
Kids
The Hoffman family enjoy Christmas traditions such as this one. Dad Steve Katrina, and Tessa listen,
reads the Christmas story while his wife Beverly and daughters, Angela, Joy,
Christmas Traditions From The Hoffman Family
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
AKRON (Lancaster Co.)
Families everywhere are busy pre
paring for Christmas. Many have
family traditions, which are estab
lished customs they enjoy doing
each Christmas.
These traditions often become
happy memories associated with
Christmas. They are things that
family members want to do again
and again each year.
The Hoffman family in Akron is
no exception. Parents Steve and
Beverly have four daughters,
Angela, 9; Joy, 7; Katrina, 4; and
Tessa, 10 months.
When daughter Angela was
asked to name her happiest mem
ory about Christmas, she said,
“When dad reads the Christmas
story in the Bible and we open
presents.”
Each year, on Christmas morn
ing the family gathers around the
tree for the stray before opening
presents. But before they do that,
they have other traditions and one
of those is what Joy loves to do.
She said, “What we decorate
the tree, we each put up our own
ornaments.”
Each child receives a new orna
ment each year to hang on the tree.
For her first Christmas, Joy
received a tiny baby in a Johnny
Jump-Up swing. This is still her
favorite ornament and the one she
hangs first each year.
Angela enjoys making presents
for other family members. Some of
her homemade presents over the
years have been a calendar, place
mats, a picture frame, and Christ
mas ornaments.
The girls bake Christmas cook
ies at their Grandpa and Grand
ma’s home.
Each year the Hoffmans also
prepare a package for a missionary
family. Many times families living
in other countries cannot buy
bubble gum and snack foods that
children like to eat. So the Hoff
mans often include those items
with a special toy for each child in
the family.
This year, the Hoffmans and
some of their Mends called the
Ephrata Social services to ask for
the names of families who don’t
have much to eat The Hoffmans
and their Mends will take food
baskets to three different families.
Christmas Eve is the night for
more traditions. After the family
eats popcorn, they snuggle in
sleeping bags under the tree for the
night’s sleep.
Korner*
W V
v V
Katrina is only four years old,
but she remembers the fun of open
ing presents.
After the presents are opened,
the family has a birthday party fra
Jesus. The children’s mother
purchases a decorated cake with
the words, “Happy Birthday,
Jesus.” They put candles on the
cake and sing, “Happy Birthday.”
“That helps teach the children
that Jesus is the unseen guest at the
table,” she said.
Strengthen Your Family
With Family Time
HONBSDALE (Wayne Co.)
One of the most important
traits of a strong family is the abil
ity to provide the affection, love,
understanding, and trust each
member needs. Parents who have
a warm, loving relationship with
their children, give them encour
agement and support, contribute
greatly to the child’s emotional,
social, and intellectual develop
ment.
“Family Time” is a set of four
booklets for each age group: (2-3,
4-6, and 7-8). There is a different
book for each season. The book-
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Fra Christmas dinner, the fami
ly takes turns every other year vis
iting their two sets of grandpa
rents. Because one set of grandpa
rents live two hours away, the
family sometimes stays overnight.
The Hoffmans want their child
ren to realize the true meaning of
Christmas. They do not emphasize
anything with Santa Claus. They
believe it is important fra children
to distinguish between the true
meaning of Christmas and the pre-
lets are designed for the family -
for parents and children to spend
time together doing different
activities. “Family Time” will be
mutually rewarding for both par
ents and children if planned for
and carried out on a regular basis.
The booklets are free.
Christmas At Landis Valley
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
LANCASTERChristmas at
Landis Valley Museum will be
celebrated Tuesday, December
20, fiom6 toB:3op.m.Enjoyafiee
program of touring decorated
buildings, 7 p.m. candling around
•>
tense of Christmas.
Joy thought of a pretense about
Christmas that many children
believe. She said, “Reindeer don’t
fly.” She said this in reference to
die poem, “T’was the Night Before
Christmas.”
Christmas traditions are fun and
are ways that help families do
things together. The Hoffmans
continue to find new traditions
they enjoy doing together.
If you are interested in learning
about the various activities that
you can do with your child or chil
dren to create an atmosphere that
will enable parents and children to
have a closer relationship, call
your county office.
a bonfire accompanied by the
Lidtz Moravian Trombone Choir,
and cookies and hot cider. The
museum is located 2.5 miles north
east of Lancaster on Rt.
272/Oregon Pike. For more infor
mation. call (7171 569-0401.
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