It’s so rare that I have these, that I want to shout it to the world. I’m talking, of course, about moments of brilliance. While brainstorming on how to run a cool and engaging Facebook contest on our small-business page (www.facebook.com/ranchbrands) it somehow came to me exactly how to do it.

Stick with me, I’ll give you some background on why I am pretty tickled with myself…It’s our insane, rush season for all small businesses, but it’s also the time of year to tell all those incredible customers THANK YOU. It’s hard to keep the Christmas spirit, and look at December 25th as anything other than a deadline we need to have orders delivered by, but I’m always determined to do both. Thus my self-proclaimed moment of brilliance (I’m kidding about the brilliance part, but I do love this idea, and it will probably become OUR Christmas tradition). The contest we opted to run was simply “Tell us your Favorite Christmas Tradition” to be in the running for one of two $50 gift certificates. It’s pretty hard not to get in the Christmas spirit and remember the reason for the season when reading through these incredible posts. Here are my favorites, just TRY reading these and not smiling!

“Decorating the tree and hanging the stocking my grama hand made for all of us……she turns 100 next year and has made over 10 of them for her grand kids and great grand kids.”

“Hearing Santa’s bells every Christmas morning at 4:40 with the help of my husband.”

“Danish songs and dancing around the tree! Old family tradition (grandpa passed away and no one really remembers the words anymore lol).”

“For many years our family didn’t have many true Christmas traditions but when my nephew Riley was born it brought us all together in such a special way.”

“Favorite Christmas tradition is opening presents then going for a Christmas day ride in the mountains!”

“My favorite Christmas tradition is CHRISTMAS dinner with my family. Then we saddle a couple of horses and go ski joring.”

“Although I am not a kid anymore, the advent calendar is a must Christmas tradition in our house. its a German Christmas tradition that i upheld all these years. my son says he’s to old for that now and I’m like…too old to open a door daily to see what Christmas themed piece of chocolate awaits for 24 days? no way Lol.”

“My favorite Christmas thing is being with family and friends hearing about all the memories of our lives together.”

“I love this great idea. My favorite Christmas tradition is being with ALL of my family. The only time of the year we are all together. ♡♡♡”

“Walking up early with am the family and having prayer then breakfast and gifts.”

“Drink Glühwein! A German mulled wine you drink hot, like hot Chocolate, when it’s cold.”

“A group of us with kids and all saddle up and we used to go Christmas Caroling. Oh the good old days.”

“Waking up early making a pot of coffee and breakfast for my family (this year six kids with one in Navy boot camp) brining my wife a cup of coffee and watching the day unfold trying not to shed a tear while my babies enjoy Christmas. Followed by dinner with my sisters minus one stationed in Hawaii, my folks and nieces and nephews and reminisce about our childhood. Merry Christmas.”

“Watching Elf with the whole family every Christmas eve.”

“Giving to them in need makes me happy we love picking 2 kids names off the angel tree and buying gifts for the less fortunate thats what christmas is all about!!!!”

“Food.”

“Having the family together is one of the best things about the holidays… Oh, and watching the pets rip open their presents Christmas morning!”

“Decorating the tree and house, while listening to Crystal Gayle Christmas songs. My mom has a string of silver bells that us girls would fight over who got to polish them every year, before we hang them on the fireplace mantle.”

“Our family all go home to Grandmother and Grandaddys house for an “open house” Christmas Eve dinner. Grandmother loves to yard sale..she always has crazy random wrapped gifts under the tree for a gift swap. Anyone is invited…so the house is filled with rows of folding chairs and tables. Just before dinner Grandaddy quiets the crowd and reads the true story of Christmas, the story of Jesus birth from the bible. He also reads cards or letters from those who couldnt make it back home that year. This is a TREASURED family tradition.”

“I think my favorite is reading our Christmas stories last thing on Christmas Eve. My grandpa always read us the stories and I took over the reading when he couldn’t see well enough anymore. Now that he has passed on, it remains a tradition. And the last thing read is always the bible passage about the birth of the baby Jesus.”

“All of our cousins (who lived in the city) would come and stay with us Christmas Eve until New Years Day. We would be outside riding horses , playing in the hay, building forts, going on adventures. If there was snow we would hook a sled up to a horse and see who could get the first bloody nose (it was always Nic). Our house was not big, and with 7-10 kids camping out it must have been nuts for my parents but they never complained and continued to let us enjoy our time together for many years. The memories I have will forever make me smile.”

“Christmas breakfast with huckleberry sourdough pancakes from huckleberries picked during the summer.”

“I’m not sure if eating goodies is a tradition, but it sure is my favorite!”

“I love that monopoly game we all play Christmas Eve night. Stay up way late visiting and talkin with family you don’t see much over a super competitive game of monopoly.”

“Parties!”

“Wearing matching pjs with the kids Christmas Eve and playing dirty Santa.”

“Christmas Eve church service.”

“Giving back to the community to foster kids.”

“Shooting skeet after opening presents! And usually go take a ride!”

“My favorite Christmas tradition would be polishing the harness & sleigh bells up for a Christmas morning sleigh ride through our beautiful mountains.<3”

“Food, Music and Family is my favorite part of Christmas Traditions.”

“We always open one gift of Christmas Eve to get us ready for Christmas Day with the whole family!”

“Making Christmas cookies with my kiddos!”

“Mimosas Christmas morning.”

“Tamales on Christmas Eve. Look forward to it all December.”

“Chores first Christmas morning.”

“Our Christmas tradition is that each child gets 3 gifts, just like Jesus did on the REAL Christmas day it reminds them that it’s not about the gifts…”

“Serving up the famous “dehydrated turkey” has been such a practical joke, now it’s become a tradition after 14 years…”

“Starting a new tradition this year with my own family (8 month old son) we do Christmas eve boxes so kids can open a present. They contain pjs, hot coco mix, popcorn, a movie, and a book.”

“Getting up at the crack of dawn and busting our butts in the ice and freezing cold to get to the barn to share Christmas breakfast and treats with the horses on Christmas morning it doesn’t matter how far or the weather it has been a tradition as Long as I can remember when my horses were boarded three hours away from home back at my college we got up at 4am loaded into the truck and drove three hours down to spend a couple hours with my horses then drive all the way home in time to go to grandmas for dinner and presents after all these years it’s been the best tradition in our family.”

“My family all spends the night at my grandmas house on Christmas Eve and has a breakfast together on Christmas morning. It’s important to all of us even after my grandma passed away.”

“Board games and laughs. Nothing beats family, except me when I win!”

“My favorite part is the tree. I live in Florida so we don’t really get much of a “winter feel.” When you get the tree and the house smells like Christmas it really helps me get in the spirit.”

“Actually having all of the family over and enjoying the laughter and company. It wasn’t about the presents for me, just being around all the family that you don’t get to see all year is what I looked forward to the most.”

“Lots of favorite traditions, but we r starting a new one this year where each family member can make a scrapbook page of something special that happened during the year.. And put it together in a book with everyone’s pages, for the family to share and admire!”