A family affair from start to finish is a great way to describe the book Cole Family Christmas. The book is a true, tender, and wholly unforgettable tale of a coal miner’s family that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Hazel Cole Kendle related this story of a very special family Christmas from her childhood to her granddaughter-in-law and co-author, Jennifer Liu Bryan. Hazel was one of nine Cole children raised in the small mining community of Benham, Kentucky, in the Appalachian Mountains. Hazel states, “It was my sister Ruble, our family’s storyteller, who passed down to me the story of a magical Christmas when things didn’t go quite as planned… yet that Christmas become one of my family’s most beloved and memorable holidays. I, in turn, told this story to my children, who then told it to their own children.”
The tale follows a special Christmas when the Cole children are allowed to ask Santa for gifts from the Sears catalogue wish book. An unlikely snowstorm set the stage for a holiday in which gifts are given and received that no one could have predicted.
The book was released in September 2008. It is 74 pages long. I had no idea when I decided to do this giveaway that she was from Kentucky. That is where we have mainly lived the past 10 years as I finished high school, college, and met my husband. So, what a great scene for me as I read the book. The book is a great Christmas traditional book that each family can read together every year. It is really cutely illustrated! I picture a fire going and reading this to my little girl and soon to be baby this Christmas with some hot cocoa! Can’t wait to share it with them!
For more information about the book, visit the book’s site HERE.
Feeling Lucky? Enter to win a copy of Cole Family Christmas. It’s free to enter. Just leave a comment on one of your favorite holiday traditions. You have until 11:59 CST on Sunday, October 19th to enter. A winner will be selected by random number generator, announced on the blog Monday, October 20th, and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address or an alternate will be drawn.
For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway then leave us a comment with the link.
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Decorating the tree and house the day after Thanksgiving. We do this after shopping for Christmas! It’s a fun day. Then we go to the movies at night!!
Carla
cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com
This is a weird one, but my favorite Christmas tradition is putting the snowman on the tree. I have this snowman that my aunt gave me when I was 5 years old, and I still have it. The poor thing is missing its nose and one of its eyes, but it’s tradition for me to stick that thing as high as possible on the tree.
We have always opened presents on Christmas Eve because my grandfather worked almost every day of the year except Christmas Day and when my mom was young, he did not want to be woke up early on his only for sure day off, so they opened presents on the Eve. Funny as that is, he usually ended up working anyway because he repaired furnances and they lived in Minnesota. My grandfather did not want anyone to suffer in the cold if he could do something about it. He passed away in 1986, but that tradition lives on.
angelleslament@ gmail.com
This is a newer “tradition” for me. I get together with my close friends to exchange gifts and hang out. Two Christmases ago, we went through the cable box’s OnDemand service and ended up in the karaoke section. We then belted out amazingly horrible versions of Christmas classics and other tunes. LoL. We did the same thing last year, and even though we might be in a different location this year, we’re still going to do some Christmas karaoke.
lilnamekangelivy[at]aol[dot]com
We have this tradition of going around the city and looking at all the Christmas lights displays- then we go to the town square and take pictures in front of the huge Christmas tree they have. Actually, I think it’s always been on my sister and I’s birthday- which is 2 weeks before Christmas. We’ve had this tradition for many many years.
orchestratenoise0726[at]yahoo[dot]com
Our favorite tradition is to go chop down our own tree.
gkstratos@yahoo.com
My husband likes to decorate with alot of lights outside. One of the things we love to do as a family, my 2 children go outside with him and give him ‘advice’ while he hangs the lights – and my job is to have mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows waiting on them when they come in . . . then we all go out after dark and look at the lights. mpeacock@tipmont.org
My favorite holiday tradition is sitting at the table with all my family and eating great food and laughing and talking about our year. It’s always been my favorite tradition even as a child. Great memories and a great time to catch up on family. Of course I love after we eat we ripped open our presents also…lol…
Our’s is baking Christmas cookies.
DH & I have always had a $100 limit for each other's Christmas gifts-in the best of financial times, and in the worst of financial times. It helps! We also decorate my parent's house the day after T-giving, and go to the spa. Can't beat that! :)
jill and mike 2 at yahoo dot com
Going to see Christmas lights at our local botanical gardens display of holiday lights.
We have stockings that we find curious places to put them up on (because we do not have a fireplace) and after opening our presents the last “treat” is our stockings.
Decorating the tree after Thanksgiving.
Wrapping presents while listening to Christmas music.
We open one present on Christmas Eve.
dwarzel at hotmail.com
we open family presents on xmas eve.
opening one present at grandmas
Definitely driving around town,listening to carols, drinking hot cocoa, and looking at the christmas lights.
Making Christmas cookies and making ornaments for the tree is always something we look forward too.
Going caroling.
Our tradition is the kids choose the tree we either chop down or buy at a tree sale.
Going out as a family and cutting down a Christmas tree. We always wind up thinking that we have one that is just too small and it winds up taking up the whole room. We just laugh and live around it for the season.
Every Christmas Eve we will have Meat Fondue! We eat and talk all night!
Isabel
rosilu2920@aol.com
Christmas Dinner, the kids have came over to our house each Christmas
My husband’s Mom buys us all new pajamas and we open them as presents on Christmas Eve. She started this with her sons when they were little so they would always have on something new for Christmas morning photos. She also does HUGE “stockings” for all of us (even though we are all grown) that come in big storage containers with a stocking laid on top.
accountingfordealies@gmail.com
We go christmas shopping with my mom and sister.
rebbi511 at peoplepc.com
We decorate elaborately starting on Thanksgiving. On Christmas eve DH and I stay up late and sit by the tree, talking and putting out the kids gifts.
Our no-kill animal shelter has a christmas bazaar and my family donates homemade dog bones. We all get together and bake the Saturday before. We have so much fun and it goes for a good cause.
We love Christmas. We always go out and see the Christmas lights the weekend before Christmas. My kids really enjoy it.
Favorite tradition is a giving each famil member a new ornament every year
Our Christmas tradition is to make cookies and give to family and friends!!!
cjnedrow@gmail.com
Gotta have this for my “Cole Family Granddaughters”!
We celebrate Christmas with my only grandchildren by allowing the youngest person in the room to go first when opening the presents.
My girls and I make Christmas ornaments for our tree. They might be simple paper angels or something more elaborate with paint and glue and sequins. The girls don’t care – they just love being part of the decorating, and it’s a wonderful tradition for me.
We have a few houses close to our home that really go all out decorating and we like to go and look at all the decorations.
Making cookies then having a cookie swap with friends.
mandy_ms2000@yahoo.comps
Every year a couple of weeks before Christmas, the girls of the family get together and have a candy & cookie making day. We make lots of goodies, load up lots of trays, and give the goodies to dear friends.
-Terra
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
On Christmas Eve, all of our family members go the the late candlelight service. From there, we go to my sister’s home for a light meal and dessert. Then, we play family games.
This has been a long standing tradition within our families. Many thanks…..Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
One of my fave things to do, to kick off the holiday season, is to go shopping on Black Friday with my brother & sil. Both of our families still go to my parent's house on Christmas Eve & all 15 of us spend the night.
We just love to celebrate a traditional christian Christmas starting with the first advent and ending on the twelth day of Christmas.
Our family likes to gather on Christmas Eve and sing Carols.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com
We get together on Christmas Eve for some shrimp. Then we go to “midnight” mass (it’s actually 11 pm) It’s a great time.
Brandi
lawyer180@yahoo.com
We buy a new ornament each year commemorating some event. This year it is a new grandson!
We work a jigsaw puzzle.
We go to Mcdonald’s for our christmas eve dinner! I wait the whole year to eat Mcdonald’s and it is well worth the wait!
bootyemo@yahoo.com
Bake Christmas cookies on Christmas eve. :)
tcarranco[at]yahoo[dot]com
I collect Christmas books. Would love to add this to my collection
A couple weeks before Christmas, my family all climb into the truck and go to the tree farm a few miles from our house (we live in East Texas, Pine territory!). We bring our own saw and each of us cuts some through the trunk. When we get home, we make homemade pizza (a family affair) and drink milk with it while we decorate the tree. I don’t know why pizza and milk, it’s just one of those traditions. Maybe we got it from Home Alone! Anyway, I now have two of my own, but we still go to my parents to participate in this tradition. Pizza and milk must be magic to have lasted this long!
My brother is Santa each year (Shhh) for my grandchildren. They are amazed that Santa knows so much about them!! HA Christmas is family and that’s what is so special.
My son was born on Christmas Eve 2005 so we try our best to separate his birthday from Christmas. One of the things we do is put up the tree after we celebrate his birthday. Another favorite thing we do is add another item onto his stocking. It’s a tradition my husband and I started while dating during college/grad-school. It’s fantastic to have a son to share it with and soon he’ll be able to add items along with us. This year I’ll be sewing on a felt rocket on his stocking!
Melanie
ladyword75@yahoo.com
Just being together and reminiscing.
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