Fiction Full of Faith

Christmas in July Tri-author Paperbacks Giveaway!

July 27, 2018 in Author TakeOver

Christmas in July Tri-author Paperbacks Giveaway

UPDATE – there will ALSO be FIVE winners of ebook bundles due to the great response! GOOD LUCK to everyone!!

We’ve done our share of ebook giveaways, and a few readers told me they only read print books. Also, one reader asked me about Christmas traditions in my native country. Our readers’ opinions matter to us, and so this Christmas in July tri-author paperbacks giveaway was born! To enter, please comment on this post with the answer what your favorite Christmas tradition is, or just tell us you’d like a chance to win our books! One randomly chosen winner will receive: Calm & Bright by Autumn Macarthur, A Time to Love by Marion Ueckermann, and Season of Hope by Alexa Verde (USA entries only; if the winner is international, they will receive ebooks). The giveaway is open until 6 p.m. CST July 31st, 2018. We look forward to reading your comments!

Alexa Verde.

There are two official religions where I am from: Catholic and Orthodox, so there are two Christmases: on December 25th (Catholic) and January 7th (Orthodox). And while New Year is celebrated once (December 31st), there’s also Old New Year according to the old calendar (January 14th). Yes, there’s such thing as Old New Year! So for some people Holiday Season starts December 31st and continues until January 14th. Christmas is always white there. Until I moved to Texas, I couldn’t imagine Christmas without snowflakes dancing in the golden and pink light of lanterns and snow crunching under one’s boots. It was fun to go to the center of town to look at the gigantic beautiful Christmas tree lighting the night. And food… Oh, the food! Olivier, or meat salad, is super popular, especially during holidays (I love it!), and there’s usually an abundance of food for holiday dinner: meats, sausages, salads, fish, boiled potatoes, pickles, pies, and so much more!

Where I am now, Christmas dinner is often turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. But considering I live in south Texas, sometimes we have tamales for Christmas and an assortment of pies and cakes, including my favorite pecan pie and strawberry cheesecake. I like fireworks, but I prefer admiring them from afar. But the most important Christmas tradition to me is going to church for an amazing service and spending some quiet time with the Lord, thanking Him for sending His beloved Son into the world. So we can have grace and salvation…

 

Marion Ueckermann.

Because of South Africa’s history with the UK, we have several Christmas traditions in common. My favorite Christmas traditions are a Christmas Eve meal of roast turkey, roast gammon, vegetables, rice, and roast potatoes—not forgetting a beautiful table trimmed with Christmas crackers. In South Africa, it’s traditional to ‘braai’ (barbeque) on Christmas day or Boxing Day, but we don’t (at least not on Christmas day) because we always have so much food left over after our Christmas Eve dinner. We usually save our ‘braai’ for New Year’s Eve (ie. December 31st).

Autumn Macarthur.

I love Christmas! I grew up in Australia, and Christmas falls in summer there. The weather is usually hot, hot, HOT. The stereotype of an Aussie Christmas involving a barbeque on the beach isn’t true of everyone. Not even true of most. But true enough! Though many Australians still eat an English-style Christmas meal despite the heat, it’s just as likely to be cooked in a barbeque as the oven! Usual foods in my childhood included roast meat rather than the turkey now more common both in England and the US, roast potatoes (mashed potato isn’t a celebration food in either Aus or England, but an everyday winter food!), and seasonal vegetables. In England, these are usually parsnips, carrots, and brussels sprouts. Parsnips and sprouts aren’t easy to come by in an Aussie summer, so carrots and peas are the most traditional English-style veggie accompaniments for a roast Christmas dinner. Like England, lunch is the main meal on Christmas Day, after exchanging gifts earlier in the day and for Christians, attending church. Many Australians enjoy the traditional English-style extras like pulling Christmas crackers after the meal, singing carols, watching the Queen’s Christmas Speech on TV, and eating Christmas pudding and mince pies for dessert. I have such vivid memories of escaping from helping Mum in the hot kitchen, and retreating to the back steps to eat a big slice of wonderfully refreshing watermelon!

And as I grew up and became more interested in the true meaning of Christmas, I loved reading the Nativity story in Matthew on Christmas Eve. And the Carols by Candlelight community event every year. Singing our hearts out holding candles pushed through cardboard holders so hot wax couldn’t drip on our hands.  My favorite carol – “Silent Night”. Christ our Saviour is born! For the past twenty-two years my Christmases have been in England. No watermelon needed to cool down. It’s c-c-cold! But my one disappointment about Christmas here is how rare a white Christmas is, especially in the southern areas. A few flakes fell my first Christmas in London, but no Christmas snow since then. All those Christmas cards lied!

 

 

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Comments

    • My favorite is decorating the tree. We have several old ornaments and hand made over the years.there are lots of pictures through the year. Every year each child gets an ornament that represents them.

      • What an amazing Christmas tradition, Elizabeth Porter! And how meaningful for each child to get an ornament that represents them! Thank you very much for commenting!

  3. I just loved reading about y’alls traditions! My favorite tradition on Christmas eve is going Christmas caroling in our neighborhood :).

    • I love this Christmas tradition, Jessica! Glad you enjoyed reading about ours! And thank you so much for commenting.

    • We used to do that when I was a child, Jessica. I have memories of being in a church bus driving around town and singing carols. Sadly, I haven’t done that (or anything remotely similar) since then.

    • How sweet, we went caroling as a child too, and we would get invited in for hot cocoa and cookies at so many houses we we’re almost sick by the time we’d get home! Lol!

  4. Hi! Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to enter a giveaway to win a paperback CF book! Would love to win a print book! I really appreciate this “chance” to share that my greatest Christmas memory is when our two sons are able to make it home for Christmas. We try to make extra memorable as we visit together, share Bible devotionals, attend church, have nice meals, play Scrabble, maybe even a game of Chess with Dad, and have prayer time together! Thanks, and God bless! Lual Krautter My email: krautter12ATbresnanDOTnet

    • Thank you so much for sharing, Lual! I thought of you first thing when I knew they were doing a paperback giveaway!!
      I have appreciated all your support on this blog, my new adventure!!

    • Hello, Lual! Your comment to one of my giveaways about print books is one of the reasons I suggested having this giveaway! And thank you so much for sharing your Christmas traditions. I hope your sons will be able to make it home as often as possible. Best wishes in the giveaway. God bless you and your family!

      • My favorite tradition is making cookies putting up the tree n watching Christmas movies with my kids n grand babies. Thank you

        • All such wonderful Christmas traditions, Tracy Crum! Thank you so much for sharing!

  5. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. We started a tradition the year my brother married and moved away and we follow it to this day. Every Christmas Eve we all gather at my parent’s house, all 14 of us now, in the beginning, there was only 6. We all cram ourselves into the house we grew up in from Christmas Eve until mid-morning on Christmas day. We stay up all night playing board games, Monopoly being the most popular and most argued about. While we still get together throughout the year, Christmas Eve is the most anticipated gathering, not only for the adults but for the kids. They talk about it nonstop for weeks before and after the actual event.
    Thank you for the opportunity to win this Christmas in July special, I would love to read these books.

  6. Christmas Traditions!!! I grew up in Michigan, so winter activities on Christmas break were just normal. We went caroling and had big family dinners, with turkey or goose and ham or roast beef and every side anyone could think of!!! Often there was close to 50 people eating. Church had a lot of special services through out December. Singing, productions, worshiping.
    Now in Texas, we still have the big meal, but ten or twelve is a large group. Visiting and tv football games rule the after dinner time. Still have lot of special church services. Attend and enjoy, rather than participating.

    • It is totally my honor, Autumn, I am sincerely grateful for everything the three of you fabulous authors have done to support my new adventure!

  8. Hi ladies. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to participate in this giveaway. Our family doesn’t have any super special traditions. Through the years my husband has always been a shift worker & my son is in the Army so many times we’ve had to work around my husband’s schedule or miss my son altogether while he’s been overseas. But we shift things around & have family come together as best we can. My in-laws arrive as well as the grandkids and some years we have a house full. Some years not as many. Spiral-baked ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pecan pie, and chocolate pie are generally on the menu. We may add a couple more items but those are the usuals. Christmas is a time of celebration and joy in our home. We always attend Christmas Eve service at our church. Christmas is a time of to celebrate our Savior’s birth. I would love to win the paperback collection. Thanks again for the opportunity.

    • Thank you so much for sharing, Carol Nemeth! I totally agree. Christmas is the time to celebrate our Savior’s birth! Sorry on having to work around your husband’s schedule or miss your son! I hope you’ll have your entire family at home at all future Christmas celebrations! Thank you so much for stopping by and best wishes in the giveaway!

    • Thank you for sharing, and for the sacrifice your son and all of your family has done for the service! I have more male relatives that have served in the arm forces than not!

  9. A lot of my childhood was spent as a Missionary Kid in Mexico.
    As a family we would put nuts,oranges ,apple’s and hard candy in paper sacks to distribute to all the kids at our missions.
    Our meal was a traditional US Christmas meal of ham ,sweet potatoes casserole plus lots of tamales.
    Sometimes we had capirotado,a traditional Mexican bread pudding.

    • Bless you, Linda, what an amazing life you have led … I can only image the number of lives you have touched along the journey!

    • How generous of you to distribute these gifts to all the kids in your missions, Linda! And loved reading about all the food.

  10. I have tons of amazing memories of Christmas, but this Christmas is going to be so special bc for once in over 12 years I’m home . I can fix up our house in all my Christmas decorations and I can cook for my family, we can sing Christmas songs laugh tell stories of Christmas past and future and read the story of Baby Jesus. This is going to be AWESOME. And I’m so grateful after my big health that God us going follow me to be here for this perfect day . 😓😊😊💜🎄🏡

  11. My favorite tradition is going to Christmas Eve candlelight service with the family! It seems to set the tone for young & old alike to see Christmas from the right perspective. It’s so beautiful & fills my heart with joy each Christmas Eve!
    Thank you for the giveaway!

    • I love this Christmas tradition, Robin! It’s all about the true meaning of Christmas! Thank you so much for sharing!

    • Same here! I still try to bake up a storm and give them away to co-workers! I so appreciate you stopping by!

    • I’ve started a new tradition in our family … making a gingerbread house with my daughters-in-law each year. This year will be the fifth house I’ve made with either one of them (once we were blessed to have all three of us working on the house…hoping this year we’ll have the same).

  13. My favorite Christmas Tradition is to open our home to others who may not have close family to spend it with; friends, singles, new neighbors, or whoever God puts in front of us. We don’t always manage it, but when we do, we all enjoy getting to know someone new.

    • Patricia, my admiration goes to you! What a generous Christmas tradition! God bless you and your family!

  14. Our church library readers love our Christmas books. Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.

    • This is such a noble cause, Janet! Thank you for sharing your Christmas books with the church library readers!

  15. I only read paperbacks so thank you for this contest keep up the good work

    • Thank you so much for your kind words, Jeri Dickinson! We thought about people who only read paperbacks, and so this giveaway was born. Now I think of readers who donate books to libraries after reading them, so hopefully we can spread more goodwill! Thank you very much for entering the giveaway!

    • Nancy Griggs, yes, yes, and yes! So much meaning and so beautiful! Thank you very much for sharing!

  17. I love reading about Christmas traditions in other countries! A tradition that my family has always done is each person gets to open one Christmas present on Christmas Eve night right before we go to bed.

    • Oh goodness, we always did this too…but the present was always pajamas!! Thanks fo stopping by!!

    • We enjoyed sharing our traditions, Elisabeth! And what a fun Christmas tradition in your family! Thank you so much for stopping by!

  18. Autumn, mashed potatoes are also an everyday food in the U.S. They are in lots of frozen dinners.

    I do love a turkey dinner for Christmas or Thanksgiving. I live in Ohio (U.S.). In addition to turkey and mashed potatoes, I’d eat stuffing with gravy over everything. Pumpkin pie for dessert for both holidays.

    I like to watch Christmas movies on T.V. I’d love to win the books.

    • That’s so true, Michelle Fidler! Mashed potatoes are in lots of frozen dinners. And stuffing with gravy is delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your Christmas traditions!

  19. We always have a special Christmas Eve buffet and watch a Christmas movie together. Later the children can open up one present. It is so much fun and we have such fond memories of past Christmas Eves! I love to bake Christmas cookies for the buffet too!

    • Mmm, you are all making me want to bake this weekend, lol!! Appreciate you taking the time to share!

    • You have such wonderful Christmas traditions, Lori! And kind of you to bake cookies for the buffet! Thank you so much foor sharing!

  20. Autumn, mashed potatoes are an everyday food in the U.S. They are in lots of T.V. dinners.

    For Christmas or Thanksgiving I like a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes and stuffing and gravy over all that. Pumpkin pie for dessert with lots of whipped cream.

    I like to watch Christmas movies on T.V. I’d love to win the books.

  21. Me going bat$&*% crazy and speed-cleaning the house so I can decorate the hell out of it.

    Hiding stuffed animals in the tree and making them nests.

    My mom, making an insane amount of cookies.

    Everyone waiting until the last minute to put presents under the tree.

    Every Christmas, my siblings and I would wait until Christmas Eve to wrap presents and put them under the tree.

  22. I love all things Christmas
    And I love love paperback books. So this is perfect.

  23. Thank you for this paperback giveaway.
    I really enjoyed reading your Christmas Traditions.
    I was born and bred in England and brought some of my childhood traditions with me.
    1) as soon as Santa came we woke the kids up to see what was in there stockings small toys, fruit. But the kids didn’t have long cause Santa might come to see if your still asleep.
    2) we always wrapped the presents Christmas Eve.
    As a child Christmas was always wonderful. But I would always get sick. My Birthday is 2 days before Christmas and we would put the Tree up (always real) on my Birthday. So knowing Father Christmas was coming and all the excitement was too much for me. Boxing Day was wonderful as well I didn’t get as excited because I knew we would be going out. Boxing Day the neighborhood would open there doors from sunup to sundown and go visiting each other. We would put our food out and share. I miss my childhood Christmas’s. But when I came to The States my husband and I put some of his and some of mine traditions together as well as we made up ourselves. If Christmas was on Sunday we would go to Church and sing Carols. What fun we had.

  24. My favorite part of Christmas is just hanging with the family. Cooking with my mom and sister, joking with my dad, etc. I am one of the few people in the world that likes doing the prep work (peeling potatoes, shredding cheese, etc.) Thanks!

  25. One of our traditions is to take the my nieces and nephews caroling to my neighbor’s. We do the one side of the Street and end up at the nursing home to warm up and then do the other side of the street. We deliver home goodie bags or ornaments. I’ve since moved from that street but we spend Christmas at Nana’s which is nearby so we still Carol to the same place.

    • That sounds absolutely precious! I am sure they all.live to hear you coming!!

    • How wonderful, Bobbie 🙂 We gave Christmas away one year when we were visiting my son in Cape Town. Instead of our big fancy Christmas Eve meal, we made up about thirty packs of Christmas meals and drinks on Christmas day, and handed it out to random homeless people. You can watch a video of that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-w8-iqN7K8&t=9s

      About two years later, I showed this video to our work’s Christmas party committee. That year the company gave away our Christmas to a homeless shelter – around 130 meals. And we ate with the homeless people at the shelter.

  26. I love Christmas and Christmas stories. I have an Ideals booklet about Christmas traditions from many countries that I received as a teen. I love to read stories from various sources to share as Christmas dinner programs for organizations I’m in. Caroling is one of my favorite traditions.

  27. What a wonderful prize to offer for Christmas in July! My favorite part of Christmas is watching my grandchildren open their gifts.

  28. When our children were small we started the tradition of having homemade pizza on Christmas day. Since my husband was & still is a pastor there were only a few times that we could travel to see family. Cooking a traditional meal just made me homesick so we decided to try something different one year. Thirty years later we still do that but sometimes it’s on Christmas Eve, depending on when our kids can get together. Our family looks forward to it & the best part, my husband makes the pizza!

  29. I love the entire Christmas season, so I usually start listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies early, usually the first of November. Our family has a special tradition of decorating our Christmas tree on Election Day (1st Tuesday of November in the US). We also love the tradition my in-laws started of driving around a day or two before Christmas to look at Christmas lights and decorated houses (or sometimes a more formally decorated Christmas lights display).

    • I love that you start the celebration so early! The lights are one of my favorite things too. I appreciate you stopping by and sharing!

    • Lights outside homes in South Africa, isn’t very popular, but we do have one street in an exclusive suburb quite close to where we live that is famous for their Christmas light. We went to look at Lawley Street about two years ago…pretty impressive and a great outing with the family.

  31. Of course going to church is something we always do but one we started when our boys were little. We have a little statue of Mary sitting on a donkey with Joseph beside her. When we start decorating that statue goes around the living room and ends up at the stable on Christmas Eve. It was a way to make the real reason for Christmas a little more real to my then young boys.

    • My husband laughs at me too, I have so many! Thank you to all three of these authors for putting this together!

    • Thank you for commenting, Mary Huckabay! I know the feeling, and I agree! The more books the better!

  35. We, too, live in TX. Sigh….Our family now travels somewhere cold for Christmas because it’s just not the same to be on the patio eating fajitas and tamales while your middle-aged neighbor, half-naked in ill-fitting swimming trunks is peering over your fence to see if you want to come swim with him on Christmas day. Mama adores cold and snow and finds a bargain somewhere cold. We pack up stockings and stuffers; the adventures we find along the way are our Christmas gifts to each other (wth perhaps a magnet thrown in to memorialize the said adventures). Mama, while very feminine, can be wild and crazy, mostly because she just loves adventures so much. Daddy, not so much. He closes his eyes, hangs on to that infamous handle, tries not to call it by its nickname, prays we don’t get stuck, and off we go hollering wth delight. (Well, most of us are delighted). The boys still talk about one particular spontaneous adventure, when on one of our meanderings in search of the roads less traveled, we discovered with great glee, “Robert Frost’s woods” on the edge of Lake Michigan in Door County,WI. The woods were lovely, dark and deep, the lake chunky and slushy with ice, the wind fierce, the snow falling, the road a path just wide enough for our mini van, with a loop in a long endless circle. The boys and Mama hatched a plan to bring out the saucer we bought in The Dells, tie Mama’s emergency kit rope to it, measure it out so that the saucer couldn’t go beyond the road-edge snowbanks and tied it to the roof rack. And off we went. We had left Daddy to gaze serenely at the lake, blissfully unaware of our plans. After a couple of rounds, we found him waiting around a corner, hands in his pockets with the “Now what are you up to”, vaguely disapproving look. The shrieks of sheer delight echoing through the woods tipped him off that we were no longer quietly building snowmen in the woods and we were “up to something”. So he found us, one kid hanging out the back window as a spotter, Mama’s red curls flying and frosting in the wind and snow as she drove round and round the loop, the rest of the kids hollering out the windows whose turn was next. The saucer made it through three kids. The fourth was relieved when Charissa hit a bump in the road that cracked the saucer. Mama about cried with disappointment that she missed out on her turn. Daddy had come to realize how carefully Mama and the boys had planned and executed this seize-the-moment opportunity, that this could be fun, and yes, he would drive her. Well, that fun was over, there was a fierce storm bearing down and we were seeing the first signs of it with 350 miles to go before we sleep and miles to go before we sleep. Mama persistently and relentlessly drove through hours and hours of fierce snow, avoiding others’ mishaps in the unplowed roads, navigating properly through our own slips and slides, while calmly educating the new drivers how to do so properly. Daddy clung tightly to his handle until the trauma was too much and he drifted deeply into sleep. Gradually each succumbed to the hypnosis of the driving snow, leaving Mama alone to fight through the storm. The beauty of the day’s snapshots flashed through her mind. The shrieks of joy echoed in her heart. The anticipation of the next evening celebrating the fulfilled promises of a Savior’s birth brought a smile to her face.

    • What wonderful stories, Charlene. Thanks for sharing. I don’t blame you for heading for the cold for Christmas. One of the most memorable Christmases we had was when we were in Finland. Our first and only white Christmas.

  36. We do a major cleaning of our house. New blinds/curtain and homemade decorations are put up. There were no Christmas trees or lights. We bake bread, pepperpot, black cake and pastries on Christmas Eve. Christmas breakfast is with garlic pork and pepperpot with bread. Lunch/dinner would be chicken, salad, and some carb dish. Boxing Day is a day for cake and punch. No major cooking is done. This is the day you can visit with family and friends.

    • How nice! Now must go look up pepperpot and black cake…lol, I love learning new recipes ☺️ thank you for for sharing!

  37. One of our family traditions is also one of my favorite Christmas memories. The family tradition was for my Dad to wake everyone up going “HO HO HO” very early Christmas morning signaling that Santa had come leaving presents under the tree for everyone. My favorite Christmas memory is when our daughter was 12 years old and allowed her Papaw to enjoy the joy of waking her slumber for Christmas morning festivities – a Christmas tradition he had done all her life as well as mine – one more time. Dad would make sure to arrive at our home very early to be there before anyone stirred. What was special about this year was she was turning into a teenager so very much aware of her appearance and didn’t want to be “seen” without being fixed up first much less having photos taken in her nightgown. Don’t know how much she slept that night to be able to make sure to get up before everyone being ever so quiet, getting dressed and “done up” and then crawling back into bed to let her Papaw enjoy just one more year of waking her up and beginning Christmas morning with his “Ho Ho Ho, guess who has been here! “ Both Dad and our daughter have gone on to their heavenly home but precious memories live on forever.

    One tradition that we still do however, is to not worry about food on Christmas. I can remember as a small kid Mom missing things because there was also food to prepare or see after for the Christmas feast. It was finally decided that Christmas could be sandwiches, chips and dip and fun food so that Mom could be involved in the fun stuff too like watching the parades or seeing how new toys work. My Dad’s birthday was New Year’s Eve so we always had out big “feast” a week later when there were less activities and it also made Dad feel like he must be extra special (which he was) to have such a celebration for his birthday. We still do this now – eat whatever on Christmas and have our big celebration meal around when my Dad’s birthday was. I even make his favorite cake and we sing happy birthday to Dad just in case he can hear us. <3

    Thank you for the Christmas in July Tri-author Paperbacks Giveaway and this wonderful chance to win paperback books (the only way I read) from some amazing authors!

  38. Since my husband was a pastor, we couldn’t always be with our larger families, so we developed our own traditions. On Christmas Eve we had our own worship time with favorite carols and the Christmas story. Then we enjoyed all the food gifts that we had been given…sausage, cheese, and crackers along with homemade candy, Texas pecan cake, and other goodies from friends….served from the coffee table, near the tree. This “picnic” was a treat to our children who were not usually allowed to eat in the living room! It also helped them to be aware of all the food gifts shared by our church friends. We also let them open other gifts to them from church members. After our son married and his job took him to Sweden, we enjoyed many of their enchanting traditions, and also incorporate some of them when they come to our Texas home for Christmas. One of my very favorite things to do is to spend an afternoon listening to Christmas music and reading Christmas books!

    • Thank you so much for sharing this, Martha! I loved reading it. And it’s wonderful to incorporate Christmas traditions from other countries, and I don’t think I know of any Sweden traditions. I might look them up!

    • What fun! I just adore those food gifts, lol!! Your family sounds delightful, Martha, thank you for sharing with all of us!

  39. Hello Paula, Alexa, Marion, and Autumn!!! Thank you for an opportunity 🙂
    Our family Christmas tradition is to rent a cabin in the Mountains for 3-5 families and enjoy our time together!
    Usually, it’s Lake Tahoe or Shaver Lake.

  40. I enjoy hearing about the traditions that each of you shared. I still remember the verses that we learned as children for Christmas programs.
    My mom would invite for all of the holidays the seniors that would be alone to dinner. I look forward to a time alone with God during the day myself away from all the distractions to hear His voice and what He says.

    • We enjoyed sharing our traditions, Jeannie! And thank you so much for sharing your Christmas tradition. Your mother has such a generous heart! How kind of her of invite seniors who otherwwise would be alone. And yes, quiet time with the Lord is so important!

    • How sweet, I have always enjoyed the company if seniors as well! Thank you for dropping in and sharing your story!

  41. Lovely Christmas traditions shared – Thankyou for the inside peek!

    One fav, now that there are grands, the Nativity play on Christmas Eve has taken on new importance. Two special wee lambs!
    Following the service, and while said lambs are yet awake, we enjoy their gift opening. Especially, opening their Christmas stocking treasures!

    Which I should be shopping for even as I write . . .

    Thanks for the fun of remembering. May all your Christmases be white ! Dreams or reality.

    • I just loved your comment! Your love for your grands shines through! And thank you so much for kind wishes. God bless you and your family!

    • Kids are so much fun at the holidays! I am an early shopper too! Thank you for sharing!

  42. My favorite part of Christmas was my mom’s home made stuffing when I was growing up. She made the best and I miss that. Now my favorite is being there Christmas morning when my granddaughter opens her gifts and how exciting she gets

    • Thank you so much for sharing, Mary A. Lopp! It’s so wonderful to the excitement of the little one when she opens her gifts!

    • I can so relate to you, Mary! My grandma’s stuffing was the best and I still make it now!!
      Thank you for participating Lual n these wonderful traditions!!

  43. I love Christmas and there are many traditions that I have enjoyed over the years but our church usually has a Christmas program the first weekend of December and this always jump starts my Christmas spirit. The familiar music, the children reciting their different parts and the beautiful story of Jesus Christ’s birth are so inspiring!

    • So true! They are very inspiring! Thank you so much for commenting, Connie Saunders!

    • I so enjoy the Christmas music as well, Connie! Thanks for entering and being a part of this wonderful opportunity from Alexa, Autumn and Marion!!

  44. Thanks for offering this great giveaway!
    My husband and I had to buy everything for our first Christmas together, so we made sure the kids received a new ornament of their choice every Christmas so when they leave home they’ll each have some ornaments to decorate their own tree. We also place a dove ornament on the tree at midnight on Christmas morning for each deceased family member to have them closer to us during the holiday.

    • Tina, so sweet of you to do this for your children! Such a beautiful tradition to start! Glad you like the giveaway, and best wishes in the draw!

    • Tina, I just love that you make sure your kids have something to take☺️. All of my childhood ornaments are still with my mother, she refused to give them up!!
      The Dove idea is so special, I may have to borrow it!!

  45. When I was growing up, my Mother and Daddy built a full-size Nativity scene and we put it up every year!

    • That is amazing! Full-size Nativity must have taken a lot of work to build! Thank you so much for sharing, Sandy De Vera!

    • Oh goodness, Sandy, what fun and so much love going into building it yourselves!! Thank you so much for sharing!

  46. Just wanted to say how much I love reading all these comments! Huge thanks to everyone for sharing their favorite Christmas traditions!

  47. Thank you for this giveaway. I love paper books and Christmas. We always went to my in laws house on Christmas eve with our 8 children for dinner and gifts. When my in-laws could no longer host the evening my oldest daughter welcomed us all to her house. The tradition continues today with our 8 children and 8 grandchildren and spouses.

    • Thank you very much for sharing, Carol Alscheff! What a wonderful tradition! You have a great family, and how kind of your oldest daughter to continue on this tradition! And very glad you love Christmas! Best wishes in the giveaway!

    • That is something so wonderful it brought tears to my eyes that your daughter is keeping the tradition going, Carol!! Thank you for sharing with us!

  49. My Christmas tradition is pinning all the Christmas cards we receive to felt ribbons and hanging the ribbons from ceiling to floor in our entry way. Together they make a colorful display and I see that everyone who visits us always look for their card.

    • Thank you for sharing, Gladys Paradowski! What an interesting and original tradition! Loved it. Best wishes in the giveaway.

    • Oh, I remember doing something similar! Thank you for reminding me, Gladys!!

  50. My favorite tradition is putting up the Christmas tree, and baking cookies with my daughter.

  51. Nice of you to think of us who prefer paperback books. I lived in Germany for 6 years and know some of the different Christmas customs between the Catholic and Lutheran churches. I also am thankful for God and his salvation!

    • Yes, all Glory to God!! I cannot imagine my life without Jesus! Thank you, Vivian!!

    • Very grateful to God and His salvation! Thank you so much for sharing, Vivian. I’ve been to Germany several times but never got to experience Christmas there. I’d so love to!

  52. Thanks for remember we who prefer paperback books. I lived in Germany for 6 years and learned a bit about the different Christmas customs of the Catholic and Lutheran churches. Thank God for his salvation!

  53. My mother always made 14 layer chocolate cakes for Christmas, I have continued this tradition as my mother is no longer with us. Always brings back wonderful memories.

  54. Thank you for great giveaway. My favorite Christmas tradition is Christmas Eve Supper / Dinner. No meat. I always try to make 12 dishes…and opening gifts on Christmas Eve.

    • I love my Christmas Eve dinner tradition we have in our family. Sometimes the table will be far longer some years when we have family visiting from overseas.

    • Wioletta, that is very much like the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve!!
      Thank you for stopping by!

  55. I enjoyed reading about the different holiday traditions. It is so much fun to learn how other areas celebrate the different holidays. I don’t know that I have a favorite tradition now. When I was a kid at home, Christmas Eve is when we opened our presents from Santa and then my brother and I were allowed to stay up playing as late as we wanted while our parents went to bed.

    • We always had to wait until Christmas day … after church when we were kids. I started the tradition with my children of opening them on Christmas eve, then they have the whole of Christmas day to play with their gifts.

  56. Thank you for the opportunity to win these paperback books. I love Christmas. We put up Christmas decorations in November after Thanksgiving. We participate in the County’s Christmas parade by riding on the float made by our children’s church, which is usually the first Sunday in December. We load up and go see Christmas lights at some point. We visit my in-laws on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day we go visit my family. I would like to go Christmas caroling this year.

  57. What’s more fun than Christmas in July? A chance to win books 📚!!!! Yippie!!!

  58. I love Christmas. I love watching all the Christmas movies especially the Hallmark Channel. We usually have roast turkey for our Christmas dinner with lots of side dishes and desserts. Thank you for doing this Christmas giveaway. I love reading Christmas books.

  59. I’m excited about your giveaway – for “real” books. I love ebooks but there’s just something about turning actual pages that makes a book…well, a book 🙂

    Our favorite Christmas tradition is decorating the tree… remembering all the projects made at school, reliving fun family vacations by an ornament bought, and cherishing special people that blessed us with a keepsake.

  60. Thank you for this opportunity. Our Christmas traditions include lots of trees – of course living in warm Dallas Texas we limit ourselves to artificial trees with perhaps a small tabletop “live” one. At least two in the great room and then scattered throughout the house. We travel a lot and get ornaments from places we visit so decorating the trees is such fun – remembering the places and sweet memories from our trips!
    Of course the whole family – daughters and grandchild go to church on Christmas Eve together – then a feast for a meal and sweet dreams ! Feliz Navidad!

    • I think very few people (if any LOL) do live trees in South Africa, Linda, so we grew up with and are accustomed to a tree that gets packed away in a box every year (and once or twice in a lifetime needs replacing). We have some ornaments that we hang out every year that hung on my hubby’s family Christmas tree when he was a child.

  61. Thank you for sharing your Christmas traditions. It is fun reading about traditions in other places. Thank you for the chance to win these book.

  62. I love Christmas! I’m from Alabama, so we don’t usually have snow. We either have a heat wave, or lots of cold, sometimes damp weather.
    My favorite memory of Christmas was when I was six years old. My Grandma, bought me a red pantsuit, trimmed in white. I stayed with her for the whole week of Christmas, and one night we went grocery shopping. At the store I feel in love with a set of twin doll’s. Well this was the night before Christmas, and I did not know about the red pantsuit yet. But my two Uncles, who did know secretly showed my Grandma. The next morning, I was so surprised! My pantsuit matched the dolls red pantsuits almost perfectly!
    I could go on, and on, about that special day, but will stop there. Lol.
    I read the descriptions of your books, and I definately want to read them, even if I don’t win. I’m what I call a read-A-holic! 🤣🤣😆🌼🌸💐💮🍭.

    • Thanks so much for sharing your childhood memory with us, Geneva. All the best on the draw, and enjoy reading the books when you do get them (whether in the giveaway, or not) 🙂

  63. I love the Christmas season. Two things we do every year are watch Christmas movies on TV, and then as a family go see a special movie in the theater. We rarely have a Christmas with all our kids since they’ve left home. But that is a wish of mine.
    The books in the giveaway look great. I I really like Christmas setting books.

    • Thank you very much for your kind words about our giveaway, Linda Palmer! And I really hope you’ll have all your children home for Christmas! Best wishes in the giveaway. 🙂

  66. My family gathers at my parent’s home each Christmas Eve. My husband’s family meets on a rotating schedule of his siblings and parents homes, one each year close to Christmas day depending on work and travel schedules. The constant has been my parent’s every year same day.

  67. Our Christmas tradition is centered around a nice meal, roast turkey, cornbread dressing, sweet potatoe casserole and cranberry sauce or relish. We usually have a purchased pie or cheesecake for dessert. We keep gifts inexpensive and simple as we try to keep the day to honor Christ.

    • That’s wonderful, Perrianne. When we spent a Christmas in Finland with my son’s inlaws a few years ago, it was very enlightening. They don’t give everyone a gift … certain people buy gifts for certain family members, making sure, everyone gets a few gifts. The gifts, however, are all handmade. We liked that tradition.

  68. Christmas in July what a fun idea. I love Christmas filled stories books or movies. Thank you for this amazing oppotunity. Love reading your blogs

    • I love Christmas in July! Thank you so much for your kind words, Misty Handa! So glad you liked our idea. 🙂 I appreciate you stopping by!

    • Isn’t it fun to get excited so early about Christmas?! I am wanting the start playing music!!

  72. My favorite Christmas tradition is dinner with a large baked ham with all the trimmings. Ham is as popular as turkey in the United States especially the Midwest. It’s even better when shared with extended family.

    • Thank you so much for sharing, Beth! I remember one year at my friend’s place we had turkey but didn’t have ham (usually we’d have both), and it just wasn’t the same. Next year, we had ham! I don’t know why I forgot about ham. I appreciate you stopping by!

    • I kind of prefer the ham too, so clean see to having had turkey at Thanksgiving! Thank you for sharing!

  73. I love the Christmas holidays and everything they are about. We all gather on Christmas Eve for our family celebration. On Christmas Day we celebrate with our individual families or with the in-laws. I love all the old, traditional Christmas carols. It is such a beautiful time of the year.

  74. I have three favorite traditions at Christmas time. The first is the advent wreath and window candles. The wreath holds four candles, three purple, one pink. One candle is lit each evening, the first week, with prayer and scripture reading at the evening meal. Two candles the second, three the third week, etc.6.. We also put one candle in each window, symbolizing our waiting for the coming of Christ. Our second tradition is that each person receives three gifts just as Jesus did. The third tradition is the twelve days of Christmas gifts. These are small gifts, such as new toothbrushes and other toiletries with some jewery or clothing items.

    • What wonderful traditions, Cherie. I was first introduced to the Advent wreath and candles a few years ago when we visited Budapest at Christmas time. They had a gigantic advent wreath beside a lifesize manger scene. I subsequently researched the advent wreath and used it in my book, A Husband for Holly.

  75. The traditional Christmas dinner with a Honey Baked Ham and baking Christmas goodies for all to enjoy!!!

  76. The task of choosing a favorite tradition is very difficult because I love everything about my favorite holiday. Reading the Christmas Story and other Christmas books, caroling, listening to Christmas songs (my favorite music) and watching Christmas movies to going to Christmas Eve services, looking at Christmas decorations, and gatherings of family and friends all rank high in Christmas traditions. Although it’s not a Christmas tradition, a favorite memory includes times during childhood when I found Christmas gifts and enjoyed looking at and playing with them prior to the gifting time.

  77. I just LOVE everything about Christmas!
    From the weather, to decorations, to the gift giving and snuggling by our fire to read a Christmas book or watch a Christmas movie. I’m all about, just ask my girls, they are always saying how much I go above and beyond at Christmas and I couldn’t be more proud. Lol
    I would love an opportunity to win paperback about Christmas stories to add to my over aboundent collection.
    Pleas consider me for the chance, and thank you.

  78. Living in MN, we love our white Christmases! Our family enjoys making cookies and giving them to neighbors, friends, and businesses. We started this when our children were young and they enjoyed icing and decorating the cookies. I was out of state helping a relative last year and arrived home Christmas Eve, but our 18 yr old daughter had carried out the tradition, baking and delivering the cookie plates by herself. Looking forward to being home this year for all the Christmas preparations!

    • I’ve only had one white Christmas, and that’s when we went to Finland in 2015. I so enjoyed it. I’m just happy if it turns overcast on Christmas to get a kind of a feel of colder weather. My luck though, it often rains on Christmas eve, and I always set up a table outside under our gazebo. I can think of many a Christmas I’ve had to cover the table with plastic sheets, or carry the table back inside. Thanks for sharing your traditions, Jill.

    • Jill, I miss the whit Christmases so much having grown up in NJ and now live in Florida . I think that was wonderful how your daughter kept the tradition going for you!

  79. Thanks for the giveaway. We love having a big sleepover in our living room as a family during our Christmas break.

  80. My favorite Christmas tradition is on Christmas Eve, my husband and I and any family with us now watch “The Nativity” that portrays a realistic, mostly biblical account of Mary & Joseph. Granted some drama and humor have been added that are not in scripture but I’m sure it could have been true!

  81. My favorite part of Christmas is being
    With family eating enjoying being together playing dirty Santa and sharing gifts and just having a loving happy time singing and being happy.

  82. I’d love to win! My favorite tradition is to have all of my family at my house sometime near Christmas. Unfortunately, that is probably NOT going to be possible this year.

    • Aw, I know exactly how you feel, Joan…my family is from as far as upstate NY south to Florida and west to Colorado!!

    • I’m hoping to have both my sons home for Christmas this year, Joan, now that my youngest has moved back to South Africa (albeit he’s still a 2 hour plane trip away). I’m excited. It is so special when you can all be together for Christmas.

  83. What a lovely set of books! My favorite Christmas tradition is being with family and watching the grandchildren open their presents. Christmas really is all about children.

  84. I love reading books about Christmas time. They bring so much joy to my life. Thanks for the giveaway!

  85. Thanks for offering this giveaway! It is always nice to read books that are centered around Christmas!

  86. I love spending time with family during Christmas and eating dinner together.

  87. I try to spend Christmas with at least one of my children. Thank you for your great books.

    • I love being with family for the holidays too, Hilda! Thank you for dropping by!

    • You’re welcome, Hilda. Hubby and I have always had at least one of our sons with us at Christmas time. Don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t spend Christmas with at least one of them. Hopefully this year, I’ll spend it with both 🙂

    • I hope you’ll be able to spend Christmas with all of your children, Hilda Etherton! And thank you so much for your kind words about our books!

  88. As a child, my favorite tradition was that we all got together on Christmas eve and had a family party. I continued the tradition after I got married and hosted many Eve parties. Now the tradition carries on with my eldest daughter and we all come together at her house to celebrate. Just a great time to get together and enjoy family!

  89. Christmas was a special time wirh my grandparents showing up early Christmas morning when I was growing up. Now my hubby and I make the 600 mile trip to see my kids and grandchildren every December and stay for a couple of weeks. We especially love the many Christmas services at church. Another favoriteis to take a drive in the evening to see as many Christmas lights as possible.

  90. Opening one present on Christmas Eve and it’s new pajamas. We also have homemade stockings. My mother made the originals and after she passed away, I took on the project and have completed the stockings as we have added spouses and children to the family.

  91. Oh happy day! Real books. I so love having a real book to hold and read. As for a Christmas tradition I don’t have one anymore since my youngest sister moved to Florida leaving me here in Connecticut. I have two nieces but they celebrate with their better half’s family. My celebrating is done at New Year’s when I go to spend time with two BFFs and ring in the New Year.

  93. Growing up my favorite Christmas activity was getting together with my mom’s side of the family at my grandmother’s house and baking Christmas cookies. I can only imagine what a nightmare it was for our mothers with so many children “helping” but we always had a blast!

    Once I moved out of my parent’s house, my sister and I started the tradition of going to a Christmas Eve service (every year it was at a different church that we had never gone to before) and then got together with a friend or two and watched Christmas movies til late into the night.

    Since moving overseas, my favorite tradition has been to get together with my local “family” and celebrate Christmas (American style) with them.

  94. I love singing Christmas carols – especially at our ‘Carols by Candlelight’ service.

    • I have a terrible singing voice, Clare, but I live caroling too!! 😆 Thank you for dropping in!!

    • Thank you so much for sharing, Clare Ewan! I can’t carry a tune, but I love listening to beautiful Christmas carols!

  95. Growing up in Queensland, Australia…it was always too hot to bother with a cooked Christmas dinner, so we’d have salads and cold meat instead. Every year Mum would make chocolate balls and hedgehog—the only time she’d make either one. I’ve carried the chocolate ball tradition on in our family, but being married to an Ohioan, Christmas here is much colder and we have the big cooked Christmas dinner.

    My favorite tradition now though is one we started when our kids were small. They each draw the name of a sibling and buy a gift for that kid. It’s been fun to see their gift giving abilities grow as they learn to think of what the other kid would want. They look forward to it each year as much as I do.

  96. Hi everyone! I want to apologise for not replying to every comment individually.
    You have such wonderful Christmas traditions, and thank you for sharing!

    • We love it too, Debra! Paula is such a wonderful support to authors! And Alexa, Marion and I have some more wonderful joint writing projects planned for next year, God willing. 🙂

      • Oh, thanks so much for the kind words, I love all of you and am honored to be a part of this!! ♥️♥️

  99. Our favorite Christmas tradition will always be eggnog in moose antlers glasses on Christmas Eve. Something we picked up from the movie National Lampoon‘s Christmas vacation.

  100. We always do Christmas Eve in order to spend time with our grandkiddies. Of coarse we do foods that have become a tradition in our family. It’s definitely my favourite time of year.

    • That sounds wonderful!
      We weren’t blessed with children (all my babies are in heaven). But because we spent Christmas Day with his elderly mom, my husband and I got in the habit of having a special dinner just the two of us on Christmas Eve.
      Double the Christmas!

  101. I would love a chance to win the free books!
    I don’t really have a Christmas tradition to share, but my husband and I have spent Christmas with my mom who is in a nursing home for the last three years; precious memories.

  102. Awe! Thanks for the giveaway chance! Love your ministries so much! Oh Christmas is my favorite time of year! On Christmas Eve my Mom and Dad host a big party at their house for us 5 kids and our families. It’s so so fun catching up with everyone!

  103. Just like going around the neighborhood and looking at all the lights outside.

  105. this is a wonderful post learning a bit about the authors. thanks for hosting. I love christmas books, especially if they are inspirational.

  106. My favorite part of Christmas is decorating the tree and house (inside and out). This has been in my family for years. We all take part and afterwards we have a light meal and sing Christmas Carols.

    • What a wonderful tradition, Penny! I love decorating the house, too. As a child it was always so exciting when my parents got the big box of Christmas decorations out!

    • I agree, Penny! Reliving all the memories of Christmases past while decorating the tree is so sweet!

  107. ciao, what good authors and nice books!
    I’m martaA, from italy-europe.
    I live in a small village on the Alps, so Christmas time is snow, fire, wood logs, ski, handmade scarf and hat, snowman, snow battles,
    ciao, martaA

  108. We go to church at 11 pm Christmas Eve, leaving at midnight with candles singing ‘Silent Night’. We have a special Christmas breakfast. Our presents are under a tree covered with lights and special ornaments. Some from my grandparents tree, parents, some made by our children and grandchildren.

    • That sounds incredibly special, Kathryn! Thank you for stopping by and participating!

    • Thank you, Kathryn Munsell! The Christmas Eve service is truly amazing! And such wonderful traditions! All these stories truly warm my heart.

  110. The Christmas tradition I remember most is driving out into the woods near my grandparents’s small Mississippi town to find berries of deciduous holly for Christmas decorations. My grandmother stuck the berry-laden twigs in the soil of the garden to keep them fresh till time to decorate the mantel. Oh, how I miss my Grandma and Grandpa!

  111. My favorite thing to do at Christmas is spending time with family. Going to Christmas Eve services with my son’s family and extended family. Then soups on Christmas night with daughter’s family and son’s family. My grandkids are growing up fast so I cherish the time we spend together

    • Being able to spend time with family makes Christmas so much more special, doesn’t it? Creating those happy memories for your grandchildren gives them such a blessing.

    • They grow so quickly, Terry! I tell new parents all the time – don’t blink! Appreciate you stopping by!

    • Thank you for commenting, Terry Wilson, and I think Autumn already said it best!

  112. Thank you so much for dedication to writing Christian fiction. I love your books!

  113. Would love to read all these stories. Thank you for having these giveaways.

  114. My favorite Christmas tradition is an angel tree. Each year I put up multiple trees, and my angel tree is my favorite. The theme of the tree is obviously angels, and I made angels specifically for this tree, and then added pictures of all my angels, my children, relatives, pets, and more.

  116. It has been fun to read about the various way you each celebrated the greatest day in human history.

    So many thoughts also come to mind, but I believe that one of the most fun things we did many years ago was to go in a van with 2 other couples and drive around to look at various homes in different areas which were decorated for Christmas. It was so much fun because of the variety of things which we saw and even heard. It added to the entire experience of making Christmas memories. At the time, it was simply fun.

    • Linda B….we made it!! Lol, thank you so much for taking the time to scroll all the way down, lol!!!♥️

    • Linda, lol! We certainly didn’t expect this many comments, but we’re super happy with the response. Thank you so much for liking and sharing!

  118. I would just love to win. Christmas Eve is the most special day of the year at my house. I pull out all the stops, from decorations, lights, presents, food & drink. I don’t miss a trick 😉

    • For such a special time, Susan, it’s worth going all out! I definitely put more time and effort into our Christmas preparations than any other time of the year.

    • Susan, I so agree on what Autumn said! And thank you for commenting and best wishes in the giveaway!

  119. Thank you for putting this contest together so those of us who live where it’s hot can read some cool books. (groan)

    • LOL, I know all about those hot Christmases, Susan. I love it when it turns overcast on Christmas…it’s about the closest we get to a cool, white Christmas. The most magical Christmas we ever had was our one and only white Christmas in Finland a few years ago.

    • Same here, Susan! England is suffering a monster heatwave!
      I wish I could be writing my Christmas book now. Instead I’m working on a summer book. Though as it’s set by a mountain lake, it probably won’t be quite as hot as you and I are now!

  120. My most favorite Christmas Tradition was spending every Christmas Eve with my grandparents. All the family would get together and exchange gifts. My grandparents have both passed on. Now I am a grandmother and my family all spend Christmas Eve at my house exchanging gifts. I hope both my sons pass it on to their families.

    • I love that, Becky. We too spend all our Christmas Eve’s at our house with either one of our two sons. My youngest has been living in Europe for the past six or seven years, but returned to South Africa this year so I’m hoping we will all get to spend Christmas together again this year (he’s still a two hour flight away, but at least on the same continent now, and the same country).

    • Hi, Becky! I am so glad you have grandchildren to spend the holidays with! Thank you for sharing!

    • Lovely to have some beautiful memories of time with your grandparents, Becky. And it must be wonderful knowing you’re passing that same blessing on to your grandchildren.

  121. We always had a party at my Dad’s on Christmas Eve. It hasn’t been the same since he passed away a few years ago.

    Christmas Day has changed as well. I used to spend it with my mom and her family, then with my husband and his family, now I am by myself as my son is with his dad.

    I used to love decorating my tree but a few years ago, a flood destroyed my city. We lost everything that was downstairs and in our storage room. I lost all my Christmas ornaments. The special ones I collected for my angel baby boy and the precious ones made by my other son over the years.

    I know Christmas is about my Savior’s birth but I miss having some of my things and some of my family that are gone now.

    • Hugs, Kerry! When we’ve lived through such big losses, Christmas can be a time of grief not joy. It’s not easy.
      Praying for you to feel God’s love supporting you through all this. <3

  122. I love making Christmas candies and cookies with my family every Christmas.

  123. Our favorite thing to do when we had children at home was to make lots and lots of Christmas candy on Christmas Eve, package it all up on Christmas morning and deliver to friends and neighbors in our Christmas pajamas. We always tried to find at least one needy stranger as well. It was really fun to share the love of Jesus by doing something silly and our kids loved it every year until they left home.

  124. Our family all gathers at one of my sisters for Christmas day. We open presents and have a meal which has been changed from the traditional to whatever we decide at Thanksgiving. This past year we had bbq ribs with all of the fixin’s. I bake cookies and make candies to give as gifts to family and friends. When our mother was alive we had a huge stocking for her that all of us put together which had gift cards, and things she used throughout the year such as lotions, body wash, hairspray, puzzle books etc. We started this about 15 years ago. It helped her as all the income she had was her social security check. I would love to win these books. Thank you for this giveaway.

  127. For me the best thing about Christmas after JESUS of course is getting the whole family together all generations and enjoying each other’s company. Thanks for another lovely awesome giveaway God bless you all

  128. Our family tradition is buying a birthday cake an singing Happy Birthday to Jesus. I love the look on the faces of the bakery workers when we tell them what we want the cake to say. We buy two gifts for the children one from Mom and Dad and from Santa. Santa’s gift is always wrapped in different wrapping paper and although the other gifts have been under the tree for weeks, Santa’s gift comes out after bedtime on Christmas Eve.

    • LOL, the cake is an awesome idea! I love it. And I can imagine the bakery staff doing a double take!
      My husband and I always sing happy birthday to Jesus on Christmas Day, too. A different tune to the usual one, but definitely happy birthday and definitely heartfelt!

  129. We often visit my parents over the Christmas break so it’s lovely to be able to spend time together as a family; my husband and I have two young children so they enjoy getting to be with their grandparents and just love watching the Christmas tree lit up and presents sitting underneath… a nice evening together as a family is always wonderful, though I do love the following day when we go to a church service together and have the extended family over!

  130. My favorite part of Christmas is giving books as gifts. I go to scholastic books warehouse sale and find lots of books to give to my great niece and nephews. I love the look on their face when they open the gift and find the books they wanted. It is a pleasure to share my love of books with another generation.

    • Awesome to pass that love of books on! Books were always at least part of our Christmas presents from parents and grandparents, and we’d all spend Christmas afternoon reading the books we received.
      My husband and I still do the same. Birthdays, Christmas, and name days, we give each other books. Later on Christmas Day and on Boxing Day, we read!

  131. As a child growing up every CHRIST-MAS we learned about the true meaning about BABY Jesus and how HE died for our sins the true meaning, my family’s lack of resources taught us the true meaning to give and not receive which as a child you may think is hard but in reality we never missed having things (like toys) because we had food, water and clean clothes on our backs. I am grateful for everything GOD PROVIDED and is still providing my family! Thank you for this opportunity to share our true meaning of Christ-mas with you and if anyone has questions please send me an email! May God bless you all

    • Yes, Sarah, beautiful words! My father always talked about how as the eldest of 7 children they we’re so grateful for the new socks, pajamas and underwear they received at Christmas!

      • Yes, so true we would get back to school clothes and also hand me downs from cousins that are older it’s all new to us as kids and happy to have something to wear! We hardly ever had toys and vaguely remember having a Raggedy Ann doll & a cat woman Barbie!! True meaning was knowing what Jesus Christ was born!! Thank you

        • I love giving gifts to my family and friends, but we also five to a shelter for abused women and their children…my favorite gift giving!

    • So true, Sarah. It’s all about giving, as we celebrate the greatest gift given, ever, God born into the world in Jesus.
      Our family was also far from wealthy, so the pillowcases pinned to the end of the bed every Christmas Eve were often mostly filled with things we needed – socks, underwear, pajamas, back-to-school necessities (the Australian school year starts in January). Always also a book and small inexpensive toys – often a cardboard Christmas stocking filled with trinkets. Woolworths used to sell them for $1!
      To remind ourselves it’s about giving, we spend very little on our Christmas gifts to each other, and instead make as big a donation as we can afford to a nearby homeless shelter.

  133. We have so many traditions I love. We decorate the tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving, because we want the Thanksgiving holiday to get its full attention due. On Christmas Eve, my mom hosts a big party. All the aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, etc. come and go throughout the evening. We have fingerfoods and crab bisque. My children have always been allowed to open ONE gift on Christmas Eve, but the rest have to wait til Christmas morning. I play Christmas music in my classroom at school ALL DAY for the month of December-until the students start complaining! And of course, the Church Christmas play!

  134. What a great giveaway! Thank you! I love all these authors 🙂 We has a special Christmas Eve tradition when we were little of making a birthday cake for Jesus 😊

    • A wonderful way to remember the true meaning of Christmas, Sarah!
      We don’t have a cake, but do sing happy birthday to Jesus on Christmas Day. So much to thank and praise God for!

    • Sarah, I love this tradition of making a birthday cake for Jesus! And thank you so much for your kind words!

    • Hi Doreen! I also do most of my reading on an ereader. I still love paper books, but as we live in a small house, we need to keep the number of “real” books under control. Our very small house has no more space to squeeze in extra bookshelves – we already have seven!

    • Me too…or Kindle, in my case..easy to take everywhere, but there is still nothing like a book!!

  136. Thank you as always Paula. Your a sweetheart!
    I just loved reading all about each of your stories about Christmas. It is so touching.
    I answered this question yesterday at the party ( Christmas in July).
    So I think I will put another one for this one.
    One of my favorite traditions is Christmas Eve. My husband is a minister. And on Christmas Eve, we have a candlelight service. It’s usually packed, in one church we had five services. Boy that was a night. Last one at midnight. Made it hard to get up the next morning to go to my parents house. Anyway, we would have communion, in which it was a special time because I would help my husband with it. Then we end the service with candles lit, lights out and singing Silent Night. A very special time of year.
    Thank you Autumn, Marion and Alexa for this opportunity to win paperback books (hopefully signed). What a wonderful prize.
    Blessings
    Kathy

    • Kathy!! I am so glad to see you here!! Thank you so much for your kind words!! I appreciate you so much, you are a dear! Thank you for sharing with all of us!

    • Thrilled to see you here, too, Kathy! Truly our pleasure to do this giveaway. And thank you so much for sharing about amazing candlelight services on Christmas Eve. Abd I couldn’t agree more, it’s a very special time of the year!

    • Oh my, Kathy! Five services in one night is busy!

      But it sounds a beautiful ceremony and such a blessing to those who attended. I love the idea of taking communion on Christmas Eve – reflects what His gift really means. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a church that’s done that.

  137. My favorite Christmas traditions are watching the twinkling light on the tree after all the other lights are turned off and a marathon of Christmas movies.

    Our Christmas meal is generally a buffet of meats, cheeses, veggies, chips and dips and sweets. We eat whenever we get hungry and mom doesn’t spend the day in the kitchen.

    • I adore the Christmas movies too! Thank you for sharing, Donna, and now I am hungry….hahaha!

    • Such lovely traditions, Donna! Thank you so much for sharing. And what a wonderful way to help your mother enjoy the holidays, too, instead of spending the day in the kitchen. Best wishes in the giveaway!

    • The same cookies made any other time of the year simply do not taste the SAME as when they are made at Christmas, Tiffany! One of the few things I still do even with no family around, must bake the cookies!!!

  139. My favourite tradition is going to a carols event. I like to go with other people, but I will go by myself to watch a family member who is performing too. My family are very musical so for many years there have been amazing Carol events that we could attend and also watch them.

    • That would be wonderful, Felicity! Having a family member performing would make it extra special.
      I love carol events, too, though it’s been a couple of years since I attended one due to pesky health issues.

    • I have always loved caroling! How wonderful to be so family involved with it, Felicity!

  142. Our family usually get together on Christmas Eve. We like to go to a Christmas Eve service. We include our son in laws family, friends who do not anywhere to go, and our oldest granddaughters boy friend. Everyone brings a dish. We have ham and or turkey for the main course. After we eat we open presents. Sometimes we ride around and look at Christmas lights. When our children and the grands were younger we had a cake and sang happy birthday Jesus. Thank you authors for sharing your Christmas traditions and for the giveaway!

    • Happy to see you here, Rose Blackard, and I loved reading about your Christmas traditions. You have such a wonderful family! And I enjoy looking at Christmas lights, too. So beautiful! It was our pleasure to do this giveaway and share our Christmas traditions, and thank you for sharing yours!

  143. My favorite family tradition is just family time. It changes and evolves over time. I embrace the time for what it is. <3

    • Well said, Kris! It’s hard to keep the same things over time as families grow larger!

  144. My paternal grandfather came to America from Holland when he was 11 years old. The rest of my grandparents were the first generation of Hollanders, as they were known here, born in America. Due to the fact that I am 100% Dutch our family celebrates Christmas by going to the Christmas Eve service and then we come home to set out our wooden shoes. In the morning we know that Kris Kringle has visited as the shoes are filled with small gifts and fruit.
    Our children were excited to be able to go to Holland, Michigan, to get their own personalized wooden shoes. Thus our family tradition continues on and on.
    Christmas is a Blessed time of year and I am looking forward to reading these three new books by Christian authors!

    • That is absolutely beautiful, Charlotte! All of my grandparents came to the US from Italy as children, so I can appreciate your family traditions being carried on! Thank you for for sharing! ♥️

    • Charlotte, thank you so mich for sharing! What an interesting Christmas tradition and a great part of cultural heritage. I loved learning about it. And thank you so much for your kind words!

  145. One of my favorite Christmas traditions is our Christmas Eve meal of a ground beef, rice, and tomato casserole with Jell-O salad on the side and chocolate mousse pie for dessert. After dinner we attend a Christmas Eve service at church.

    • Sounds lovely, Jessica! Thank you for sharing! Now I want chocolate mousse pie….lol!

    • Thank you for sharing, Jessica! An wonderful tradition to attend the Christmas Eve service. And your Christmas Eve meal sounds delicious!

  146. Our Christmas traditional custom is to to church service and then the whole family comes over here and we eat and open gifts. It’s such a magical day for our family.

  147. These books sound wonderful. I love Christmas books. They always put me in a good mood. Thanks for the opportunity!

  148. One of my favorite traditions is watching my daughter decorate our little tree. She’s now married with two kids but she still comes over to decorate it. I do love our big extended family get-together and helping my Mom keep things flowing and organized.

  149. How fun to read about your different traditions/backgrounds.
    I’m pleased to read about “hot, hot, HOT” weather, which matches Christmas in Brazil just about right. I wouldn’t trade it for the world (did not enjoy cold, cold, freezing cold weather in Upstate NY when I lived there), but humidity is a down side.

    • That sounds very like a Sydney Christmas, Priscila!
      I’ve never experienced a truly cold Christmas-card style Christmas, with deep snow all around. London Christmases are cold, but not REALLY that cold by rest-of-the-world winters. Still, I was so glad to give up my winter commutes, standing on an icy windy train platform in the dark! Cold winters are fine if you don’t need to travel or go out. And if you have the other essentials – a cosy home with a fire to roast those chestnuts on! 😉

  150. We still love our Wise Men Still Seek Him gift hunt, and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus over our pancake cake breakfast.

    • Hello, Celita D. P.! Your Christmas traditions sound wonderful! And I loved the tradition of singing Happy Birthday to Jesus! Thank you so much for commenting.

  151. This giveaway will close today, and we’re so thrilled with the amazing response! Loved reading about all wonderful Christmas traditions.

  152. The giveaway is now over! We hope to announce winners tomorrow. Huge thanks to everybody who commented!

  153. We’re just going over the comments to make sure we don’t miss anybody, and the winners will be announced soon! 🙂

  154. We’re happy to announce the winners, and so sorry for the delay!

    Grand prize (3 paperbacks) winner is Betty! Betty, please reply to the email I sent you this morning within 48 hours to claim your prize as we need your shipping address if you live in the USA. Please note if the grand prize winner (Betty) is international, she’ll receive the ebooks instead, and the grand prize will go to the next winner on the list (Tina R.), and so on.

    Ebook bundles winners:
    1. Tina R
    2. Sarah R.
    3. Connie Saunders
    4. Sandy Nesmith
    5. Rose Blackard

    Ebooks will be gifted as soon as the paperbacks prize winner is confirmed. Congratulations to the winners, and huge thanks to everybody for participating!

    • That’s great! I know everyone will enjoy their prizes! Thanks for the opportunity! Blessings upon you three gals!

  155. I am so happy for all the winners, congratulations to all of you!!

    Once again…a HUGE thank you to Alexa, Autumn and Marion for offering this generous giveaway!!

  156. Ebooks are being gifted via BookFunnel to five winners, and the paperbacks will be going to Betty soon. Loved doing this giveaway!

  157. I am so happy for all the winners!! Thank you to everyone who has participated in this awesome giveaway!!

    There are more books to win on other posts, reviews and interviews here at Fiction Full of Faith!!

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