What are your Christmas traditions?

[lauralynne]

Our family opens a gift on Christmas Eve (which is always pajamas so the kiddos look cute on Christmas morning).

After the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve, hubby and I open a bottle of champagne and exchange our gifts. It's a special time for us, and we get to focus more on the kids' reactions to their gifts on Christmas morning.

I also make a birthday cake for Jesus and we even sing Happy Birthday after dinner, and the kids blow out the candles.

 

[emily]

My family also does the pj gift on christmas eve. We also have a glass of port and watch A Christmas Carol.

On Christmas day, we all do gifts, then I head over to the farm for breakfast and gifts, then I have dinner back at my place.

Laura, I love you b-day cake idea. And the champagne, that sounds very nice

 

[caiti]

Christmas eve we make ginger ale cocktails (shirley temples) and smores while there's a fire in the fireplace. I usually stay up wicked late watching old christmas movies like Charlie Brown, and all those clay animation movies.

My mom recently discovered A Christmas Story (movie) and now watches that all the time.

Christmas day we open stockings first then one person hands out all the presents, one by one. Then the cat rolls around in all the wrapping paper until we clean it up. We also usually have a nice breakfast, like eggs, waffles, bacon etc. Then we have a big dinner as well, usually tenderloin or something. After presents, we usually all scatter to play with our toys. And for some reason there's usually a Twilight Zone marathon on (or is that on new years...or both?), which makes me very happy.

This year it's going to be a bit different, since I don't know if there will actually be any presents under the tree (my parents are donating to organizations in lieu of wrapped presents and I am too broke to buy anyone anything, I'll probably make cards or write letters). Plus, it'll be the first christmas that my brother won't be here since he moved to SC so it'll just be the three of us.

That birthday cake thing is clever. Sometimes I forget that it's Jesus' birthday, haha. My dad's birthday is on january 6th, the epiphany (that always confused me what that is) and my mom always tells him it's the only epiphany he's ever had in his life, hehe.

 

[ABBY W.]

LOL My family goes to church on Christmas Eve, then we get together with a group of close friends and do a Bailey's Irish Cream drink-a-thon. Then, Christmas day we open gifts and have a great dinner together. This year, Christmas day will feature a marshmallow shootout with the marshmallow guns I bought

 

[Laurie]

Laura I love your birthday cake to baby Jesus, Lynelle and her family used to do this when the kids were younger.

Our tradition for years has been the immediate family getting together on Christmas Eve. We always have appetizers and they are always the same lol! teriyaki chicken wings, cannibal sandwiches (ick), shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, conquistador dip, meatballs in chili sauce and grape jelly, cookies, fudge, rice krispie treats, chex mix. Mom always makes the fudge, dad makes the chex mix (yes Jam with the rye crisps lol) and I make the rice krispie treats. We all make the cookies and bring them to share.

We have egg nog too--something I miss from the Christmas tradition with my grandma is apricot nectar--we don't do that anymore and I loved it.

Christmas Day used to be my sisters getting together with their husband's family--but that is no more My brother in law Chris' mom died of lung cancer a few years ago and Lisa divorced almost two years before she died.

So our new Christmas Day tradition is attending church together--at Lynelle's church--and then either a movie or game day.

This is our 2nd Christmas without Lisa, while it's difficult and sad, I feel blessed knowing my sister is with God especially on the day we celebrate the birth of his son--who gave up his life so that we have eternal life--and it's a life Lisa gets to spend cancer FREE

 

[Christina Noraas]

We travel to our family down south in Faribault my mother, siblings, and I go to visit my grandpa and bring him some goodies at the nursing home then go to who's ever house to have God Father's Pizza for dinner, open presents and watch movies.

 

[Rob Walker]

To get along with one another...

 

[cindyv3737]

Xmas eve is big for my mom. We all go to her house and have a "traditional" Mexican dinner. Oyesters on the half shell, shrimp scampi, assorted italian cheese and crackers. Usually the main course is some kind of italian pasta dish. I spend most of the day making noodles and my mom will work on the sauce. All in all there is nothing traditional about our dinner, but my mother feels like calling it a Mexican xmas.

Xmas day we all head back to mom's to open gifts and have a nice lunch/dinner. This is when we exchange gifts and just relax. We sing happy birthday to my uncle and give him bday gifts.

One big tradition that all the kids have started is our pinata. It's usualy a santa filled with booze . That is how we celebrate the hoiday.

Oh and there is always more champange flowing than we can drink.

 

[momenteller]

Well, of course its about the food for me. We usually make christmas cookies during the day before Christmas. Christmas Eve we have cracked crab, artichokes, cheese and crackers, etc. We open one present. We spread reindeer dust outside and put out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. The kids sleep in sleeping bags on the floor of our room. On Christmas we open presents, have a big breakfast, and play with toys until we get an appetite to eat some more, lol! We have a cross-rib roast, twice-baked potatoes, and spinach salad with hot bacon dressing for dinner. The last several years we've gone to the movies in the evening. I think this year we'll see the new Jack Black movie Gulliver's Travels.

When I was a kid, we always opened our family gifts on Christmas Eve and just did Santa's gifts on xmas. My husband is sooo opposed to this idea, so I had to give it up for the sake of marital compromise. I really wish we could do that with our kids 'cause it breaks up all of the present opening a bit and I feel you spend more time appreciating each gift!

 

[saphire]

Since both my parents have gone to a better world and being 11 children in the Family, 18 grand children, 9 great grand children, it is very hard to get everyone together at xmas or new years. We are a total of 65. take or leave a couple from year to year.

So, our a Xmas and New Year happens mid January.

We rent a large Cottage at a childrens camp up north. It has 20 or so rooms with 4 -6 bunk beds. We arrive on the friday evening and leave sunday noon.

It cost us 135$ for the week-end and it includes all activities such as skating, cross country sking, snow shoe, hiking, archery, scaling, etc... and 5 full meals, that being 2 breakfasts, 2 lunch, 1 dinner.

So we arrive on friday, kissy kissy etc and the party starts... Get up saturday morning, go to the caféteria for breakfast in another building. Most of us all in our jammies this includes the other rented cottages. And the Day is officially started.. you do what you want, when you want, if you want.

No gifts though, just enjoy each others company and have a great week-end.

It is an amazing week-end.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

Depends on what year - This year my hubby and I will go to the Christmas eve service. He sings in the choir. Then on Christmas day, hubby and I open our gifts to each other. After breakfast, we go to my daughter's house. My daughter and her kids are there. This year my grandson-in-law and my great-grandkids will be there. After that we go home and get ready to go to hubby's elderly Aunt's. Hubby's brother and his family will be there. There we will have Christmas dinner.
Next year hubby and I will go to Tenn. to visit with my son and his family around Christmas. We go every other year.

 

[Dusty Foot Prints]

Christmas eve we usually have seafood- lobster tails, steamed shrimp, oysters on the half shell, etc. I usually make some kind of special dessert like cream puffs or buche de noel. We play games or watch movies. We usually have some kind of special drink- poinsettias, pomegranate martinis, mudslides, etc. When we were younger (or when my daughter was younger) we always opened family presents. I miss the days of Santa. We would leave a bowl of water out by the front door for the reindeer, along with carrots & raisins. We would leave Santa scrambled eggs or a sandwich along with some coffee, lol, a tradition started by my parents years ago. The reasoning was that by the time Santa got to our house he would be tired of cookies and milk that he appreciated the change. The reindeers would always leave tracks- you hold your index, middle & ring fingers together, dip them into water and then into flour- up the driveway. The reindeers were always messy eaters. Now that the days of Santa are gone, I usually end up waking my 14 yr old daughter up on Christmas morning. My husband sometimes cooks a big breakfast, or I make a breakfast casserole. Santa never wraps, so we go through all of that loot. The pets always have a stocking. Some years Tzu Tzu our evil Shih Tzu gets rocks & sticks! Annabelle will have a stocking for the first time. We have appetizers throughout Christmas day then that night/early afternoon we'll have something like cornish hens, ham, turkey- this year its a standing rib roast. We lay around in our sweats, watch football & nap. Bras & makeup are optional :tree7:

 

[GorillaJTA]

We don't really do anything on Christmas eve. Sometimes I will go to some relative's house and play cards. Since all my cousins are settled with kids, now, there is less staying up late telling jokes and more "Get back in bed or Santa won't come." After that I go home. The past few years it has been my job to do stocking stuffers, so I am usually the last one in bed.
I then get up at the butt crack of dawn (because I can't sleep if I need to be up early) and sort presents between immediate family (mom, dad, my brother, and me) and extended family. I start a pot of coffee and everyone else slowly trickles in. We all announce what "santa" left in the stockings, and then we take turns opening presents.

After that, we all get dressed head over to my grandparents' house for breakfast. I spend most of my time playing with my nephews and dodging my great-aunt who thinks I am still 6 and my senile great-uncle who asks me every family gathering "So how long do you have until you graduate?" and "What are you going to do after that?" and "Nobody wants to go to a fat doctor." Since I got tired of answering the same questions every few weeks and getting snide answers, I get creative with my answers. Last time, I told him I was going to finish my masters and move to brazil where I can legally practice medicine. The time before that I told him that I was going to work for my dad working on arcade games because, although it does not pay a lot, it is steady. This time, maybe I will tell him that I am going into the ministry so I can avoid paying taxes and some church will pay my loans off. My family always gets really quiet and waits to see what I will say this time.

Everybody sits in a big oval in the living room and we go around the room opening presents there from oldest to youngest, then have Christmas dinner around 2. Other family members split up and head to significant others' family dinners. Then we play cards or whatever until we all get tired of each other and head home. Maybe we will go to a movie and drink some beer.

Pretty low key.

 

[addictedtochins]

It all sounds wonderful!

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Growing up we always went to my grandma on my dad's side on christmas eve and ate a big dinner, couldnt open our gifts until the dishes were washed and it was dark out so as we got a little older the kids started doing the dishes to get them done faster...literally taking peoples plates lol. then we open family gifts taking turns then watch a movie or something until bed time. we'd leave cookies for santa and carrots and celery for the reindeer. then we kids would try to sneak down to see santa's loots (we'd all pick a corner or spot int he living room for our toys since there were 5 of us grandkids) hear a noise and then run back to bed. My grandmas rule was we had to stay in bed until at least 6am...after that we had to wait forrrevvverrr until coffee was made and all the parents were in position with the cameras. then we all charged down to see santas loot - not wrapped which was so awesome for some reason. then we all wooooowwwww ooohhhh and ahhhh then we play and eat breakfast - usually chocolate syrup (think hot fudge not hersheys) and biscuits, eggs, bacon, toast etc. YUM.

Then we'd head off to my grandma on my moms side and open presents there with the assorted family that would show up - we'd eat an early dinner usually pot roast and then hit the road home.

Now things are so different being married and now that my moms mom is gone and my dad is gone I miss those days more than anything. I think we are still finding ourselves as far as traditions go - haven't done the same thing twice in probably 7 years In fact been arguing with the hubby about it as we speak...

I love the reindeer tracks idea! Im going to use that when I have kids.

 

[Laurie]

I don't have a problem being invited over the Kelly's for dinner on Christmas Eve!!!

 

[mishalaa]

My family is small and none of us have - or likely will ever have - kids of our own, so my brothers and I just head to our parents' house in MD. Depending what day we all show up, we may do Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and leftovers Christmas Day - but we'll probably do it on Christmas Day this year as we're going later. Christmas dinner is Thanksgiving dinner reprised. My folks aren't culinary adventurists; they like what they like.

We don't do gifts anymore, either, but my mom still likes to do stockings with things like socks, toothpaste, and vitamins. And a box of Russell Stover's french mints which we've been getting for Christmas for as long as I can remember.

Then we go play miniature golf. It's cut-throat and no holds barred.

 

[Sandi]

Laura, this is a great idea! I will start this tradition this year, thanks.

I also make a birthday cake for Jesus and we even sing Happy Birthday after dinner, and the kids blow out the candles.

Christmas Eve has always been about my huge family getting together. We all take turns hosting Christmas eve dinner as it's about 50-75 people. Everyone contributes and all the host has to do is provide a house. Lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. and it's always a good time. Most of us will head over to midnight mass afterwards. On Christmas morning, it's all about my girls, hubby and I. First thing that happens is my youngest waking all of us up, then we open presents and have breakfast together. My father-in-law and borther-in-law come over in the afternoon for lunch and spend time with the girls. It's worked out like this since my kids were born so it's all good.

 

[Jenn]

On Christmas eve, we make it a point to be together as a family, watch, A Christmas Story, (have watched that movie every year since I was a kid!) and we allow the kids to open one gift. Bedtime never comes early enough for the early start on Christmas!

The kids wake us up early Christmas morning, and the get to open up all their gifts. John and I usually don't get eachother much for Christmas, I think it is pointless when we do things for eachother all year long, but any gifts for eachother get opened up last. That way the kids don't have to "suffer" watching us open our gifts, lol.

Then it is clean up time and I start cooking up a big Christmas dinner. My parents join us for dinner, and they'll bring gifts along with them. They'll open our gifts to them, and vice versa. And we just spend a nice afternoon relaxing day together. Christmas is about family, for us.

 

[leni]

The last few years I have worked Christmas Eve and Christmas, but this year I will be off Christmas so I'm excited. We usually eat ham, pork, and/or turkey, depending on who all will be coming that year. When we were younger we would open a gift on Christmas Eve, now we usually do a Christmas Bingo where we get stocking stuffer type gifts as prizes, and my niece and nephew love that.

When I lived in Puerto Rico we were a lot more traditional, roasted a whole pig on a spit, and did parrandas, where we went to different people's houses and sang traditional Christmas songs. People played different instruments and it was very loud and cheerful, lots of food, usually had some blood sausage as well. It was a very big deal. I kind of miss it, but I like the low key family time we have now as well.