What are your holiday traditions?

[Poochy]

Shelly .. ITA ..

<<I'm trying desperately to find some Christmas spirit (I'm the original Grinch, only my heart is smaller than his)>>>

having a hard time finding that Christmas spirit also .. the house is all decorated .. minus a tree .. which maybe will cheer me up if I get one ..

I have always loved Christmas time .. and love that warm fuzzy feeling way down deep in your soul you get ..

have not found it yet .. :-(

BUT ... I have faith ..

...our traditions .. the family gets together Christmas eve .. we cook a regular supper .. usually chili or something on the grill .. we open gifts after supper .. DH and I don't have kids .. but my brother has ONE son .. and yes he is the ONLY child .. so you can imagine what HIS Christmas looks like .. he gets so excited .. just tickles me .. he opens his gifts so fast and usually puts on one heck of a show for us (he is four)..

after that we all go home .. Santa always leaves my "babies" something .. they always know where it is and on Christmas morning tear into it like a child . .

Christmas morning is spent just the two of us .. (depending on what shift he is working).. the afternoon is spent curled up watching Christmas movies ..

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[gym_mom]

The Saturday right after Thanksgiving is Light up the Town so we walk downtown and watch Santa arrive in his John Deere pulled trailer. As he passes each building on Main Street, the lights on the building go on. They stay on until the day after New Year's. All the businesses stay open and give out free hot cocoa and cider and baked goods. The playhouse has a free variety show; the town gallery has a silent auction. There are roaming magicians, pupeteers and a DJ who gets everyone singing. We live in a small town so it's a great way to kick off the holiday.

On Christmas eve, we have chinese fondue either at my house or at my Mom's. Then we open presents. We used to go to midnight Mass first, but after my sister married (BIL is Jewish) we decided to do Mass after presents. This way BIL goes home and we do Mass.

Christmas morning is for just the three of us - presents, coffee, breakfast casserole and cinnamon buns. Christmas day is a big dinner with both sides of the family.

This year we're trying to start a new tradition. There are so many people we never get to visit with, we decided to have an open house the weekend before Christmas. We've invited about 100 people (OMG, I didn't know we knew that many people) and we're planning on serving drinks and appetizers all day long. I'm hoping it will work out great and we'll do it every year.

Claude

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop playing" unknown.

 

[MSJ]

This has been a fun thread:7 .

Our holiday traditions:

1. I do a ton of baking, but this year, I have sworn to do less, because it gets to the point where all I am eating is dough and cookies all day long and I feel like cr*p.

2. We give the results of my compulsive baking to the neighbors, friends, family, and DHs co-workers.

3. We put up a Christmas tree.

4. We celebrate Advent--candles, scripture and all.

5. We always pick a night to read "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"--read the book--the movie I saw was AWFUL and totally ruined the story!!! It takes about an hour or so.

6. We open "sibling gifts" on Christmas Eve, after coming home from church. We have 6 kids and they all draw names. I give each of them $5.00 to pick a small gift. If they want to spend more, they have to use their own money.

7. We open stockings first on Christmas morning, after lighting the Christ candle and having the last advent reading. Then we make cocoa and open presents as calmly as possible. Then we have brunch--usually fruit salad, an egg dish, smokies, cinnamon rolls or croissants, and other delectable things.

8. Then we hang out and eat more and watch movies and play with our new stuff.

I think I gained 5 lbs just writing this.:9

Maggie

 

[red_mct]

Ok, this thread is actually making me kinda teary-eyed! And here I was feeling all grinchy after our Xmas tree fiasco (more on that in another thread), so to all of you Grinches out there: thanks so much.

Our traditions have evolved over time. When I was a kid, we used to go to my aunt and uncle's house and wait for "Santa," whose secret identity is still guarded to this day. Being the resident geek, I ALWAYS got books. I collected most of the Hardy Boys this way. However, when I was about 10, my cousin was killed in a car accident, and the tradition ceased because my poor aunt and uncle just couldn't bear it. Very sad.

My family now does Xmas Eve at my parents' house. We do a grab-bag every year with the siblings (I'm one of 5), everyone buys for my parents (who still buy for everyone), and we all buy for the kids. There are usually so many presents you can't even get into the living room, which I suppose we should be somewhat embarrassed about, but we were kinda poor growing up so I think we're all just overcompensating. Then my siblings and I argue about who gets to put the red bird on the tree. See, when we were kids, my parents bought a package of five glittery bird ornaments. Four of the birds are white and one is red. EVERY year we argue over who gets to be the red bird and who has to be the one with the broken wing. Some years my youngest brother hides the red one, lol.

Anyway, Xmas Day is strictly immediate family, with my kids switching off with me and their dad year to year (which is really hard and a tradition that I really hate). The day after Xmas we drive out to NJ to hang out with the SO's family. They make you open your gift in front of everyone, with much whooping and shouting and carrying on. I'm usually cringing and trying to open really fast to get out of there, lol.

Marie