Holiday Traditions

[RedAngie]

We have a meat-free Christmas Eve dinner of traditional Polish foods. The most important part of the meal is the breaking and sharing of a thin wafer.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...fer-a-flavorless-tradition-that-s-oh-so-sweet

 

[tcufrog]

We have lots of traditions.

Weekend after Thanksgiving: We put up the tree and put together our Lego Christmas village. Every year they get a new set for it. This year was a Lego Christmas train.

December 23: The town's DPS parades through town at night blaring their lights and sirens with Santa on the back of the fire truck and the mayor on a decorated flat bed trailer. They stop at different stops including at the end of our street so the kids can see Santa. We'll often invite a few families over who live in other towns to enjoy it with us. I make a big pot of chili or stew for us to eat beforehand and we have hot chocolate waiting for afterwards.

December 24: We make cookies for Santa and the kids set out carrots and water for the reindeer. The kids get two gifts: Christmas pjs and a Christmas book inscribed by my dh and I. Before bed we read the books together in front of the fireplace while eating cookies and drinking milk.

Christmas Day: My sister who always comes for a week (she's a teacher) makes sausage rolls for breakfast with our sons. We usually have a Christmas ham and I make bread pudding for dessert.

 

[mousefanmichelle]

We have lots too! This never used to by my favorite time of year but slowly it is becoming just that!

First Saturday in December my family and our best friends family (those that can make it) go to a small town and watch their lighted farm implement Christmas parade then we go to DQ for dinner.

Then another weekend with the same family we go do something Christmas-y. We have a city called Frankenmuth that has a store called Bronners and it is a huge Christmas store. We make our way through there to buy 1 ornament then we walk around the town and act silly. The town is all done up, year round, for Christmas and is pretty at night. Sometimes we eat there or not. We then come back to one of our houses and play games or just hang out. These same folks have started to come to our house Christmas morning for breakfast since they are empty nesters and hate quiet Christmas mornings.

On Christmas eve we go to my inlaws for appetizers and opening presents. I usually have to make bacon wrapped water chestnuts in a sauce every year to bring as my treat!

On Christmas day my whole family usually comes over - sister, niece and nephews, my dad and sometimes my inlaws and a couple of friends who have no place else to go. I cook a traditional meal and always go over board on that and desserts. This year my dad won't be there since he passed away in July and I can't handle my crazy sister or her family SO I suggested to my dh last night we should get chinese foodand go to a movie - just the 5 of us! I think he is on board. Will have to see if my 3 kids are....

 

[piglet1979]

On Christmas Eve I cook dinner and have my husbands family over. We eat, exchange gift and watch Santa Tracker all day. The kids love it and learn something about the counties. Christmas day we get up and open gifts from Santa. If my dad is in town he comes over for breakfast and to exchange gifts. Later that day we go to my moms for dinner and exchange gifts.

 

[Snowflakey]

I LOVE one of our traditions - we save our stockings and open them Christmas night. I'm so happy I did this! This way the magic lasts all day long. So around 7 pm Christmas night we all gather and open our stockings. My DD's are now 20 & 23 and still love this tradition. I thought it was "cute" way back when they were really young and bought them these VERY LARGE stockings....let me tell you it is a small fortune filling them but worth it!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Christmas Eve is a huge party with lots of food and drinks, most importantly a roasted pork shoulder. A lot of gifts are opened at midnight. Growing up we opened gifts on Christmas Eve at night at my maternal grandma's house and then went to my paternal grandma's house around 1-2 am and opened our gifts from Santa there on Christmas morning. That's where Santa left our gifts.

With my kids we still party on Christmas Eve but they open all gifts from me and Santa on Christmas morning. Last year I let them open everything after we got home around 2 am. I told DD Santa came while we were gone. I don't know what my plan is this year. It did feel really good to sleep in Christmas morning and not have the kids wake up every 30 minutes from 4 am until 7 am. I refuse to get up before 7 am but I can hear them

Christmas Day we go to my paternal grandma's and have pasteles and other traditional Puerto Rican foods for dinner.

For lots of Hispanics, Christmas Eve is THE holiday and Christmas day is the rest day.

 

[Aliceacc]

- For the next 4 weeks, every time we have a family dinner we light the Advent wreath and use the Christmas china. (Nikko Christmas Tree stuff. It's dishwasher and micro safe.)

- Every year since 9/11 we bring a tray of wrapped candies to our local police and fire stations on Christmas Eve morning as a thank you.

- Every holiday begins with Cinnamon Buns. Easy, quick and a treat.

- When the kids were little, I would take them to the Dollar Store to do their shopping. They could buy anything they wanted for anyone on their list-- and they wouldn't break the bank. But the gifts were from the heart.

- We exchange sibling gifts on Christmas Eve. That way, the kids' lower budget gifts (especially when they were young) don't get overshadowed by the Santa stuff. We get the kids PJs and one "mom and dad" -- as opposed to Santa-- gift.

- We go to 4 pm mass on Christmas Eve, then head to my sister's house. It's my 4 siblings and their families-- some thing like 34 people at last count. It's loud and hectic and everyone's favorite night of the year.

- Each of my siblings has Christmas Day at home, typically with their inlaws. (Since our side gets Christmas Eve.) Since my inlaws are too far, mom sleeps over my house and stays through dinner.

- Christmas night we end up at a neighbor's for coffee and dessert.



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[AppleDumpling]

Not every year, but I am part Italian-American and that side of the family has the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Then we go to midnight mass.

 

[Parker Clan]

Since 2008, my sister & I go see a movie on Xmas night. Now we include our spouses too.

 

[Poohlove]

Since 2008, my sister & I go see a movie on Xmas night. Now we include our spouses too.

My kids and I used to go to the movies the night before Thanksgiving. When then were younger they loved being out so late.

 

[CandyMouse]

Christmas Eve we get together with my side of the family and have sandwiches and goodies and play games. Christmas morning we go out for breakfast with family and friends and then over to hubbys side of the family for dinner. My family and I also like to make cookies and watch Christmas movies during this month.

 

[BLAZEY]

When I was a Kid my mum had a open house on Xmas Eve and my grandparents (both sets) and Aunts Uncles and cousins came over. Then those who were elsewhere the next day were able to visit. On Xmas Eve DH's family went to his Nana's house for dinner, sweets and Carol singing. We have been going to his Nana's house since we started dating, and then making an appearance at my mum's house. The family dynamic changed, DBIL now has the Piano and we go to his house for the carol sing. My mum doesn't do the open house thing anymore but we do the big present opening Xmas morning at her place. Dinner rotates amongst the houses. Potluck style, host cooks meat, potatoes and one side. Everyone else brings one dish to share. Dinners can be 15-23 people. Core attendees all live in town about 20 drive away. Sometimes extended family such as DSIL's parents/ sisters from Halifax make it out to BC for Xmas. They are always fully welcome!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Some of these are making me tear up!

We've had many "mini-traditions" go in and out over the years, but the ones that have stuck are driving around as a family looking at Christmas lights, opening one present Christmas Eve (carried over from my own childhood) and cinnamon rolls for breakfast Christmas morning! DS also cannot come downstairs until I've turned on the tree lights, but "Santa" always leaves one present in his room.

Growing up our tradition was that we couldn't go around the corner from the hallway to the livingroom until my Mom and Dad and their cigarettes lit and coffee in the cup My sister and I tease my Mom about that every year

We had a similar deal (once we were old enough). - We couldn't wake our parents up until coffee was brewing!

 

[anniemae]

We go to dinner and go look at lights in a neighboring town that is known for their light displays

Christmas parade in neighboring town

bake cookies Christmas Eve day for Santa

Christmas Eve dinner is a fish dinner

 

[adisneyaunt]

My mom n dads tradition was always, making Struffelas with all the kids which then enlarged to all the grandkids (several days before Christmas Eve.)
Followed by .. our family ALWAYS spent Christmas Eve together. When we got married and had kids of our own... it continued.
All 5 of us ( and then our own Adult kids.. have always adhered to this too, so Inlaws got Xmas day, Xmas eve day or another day) there's never been any ******* or strife thankfully.

When mom passed...way to young/soon (RIP) dad has kept up the Struffela making Tradition. Christmas Eve Tradition remains but passed to one of the five kids home...

Unfortunately for me, I moved away so I no longer get to be there. But...we face time each Struffela extravaganza and Xmas Eve too. We even open our gifts "together".
Though I am thrilled to be far from the cold.. holidays are different.
HAPPY Holidays to All!
Keep those Traditions Going!

 

[10MoreMinutes]

We have a few...

On the Friday evening after Thanksgiving, we all congregate in my aunt's living room and watch Polar Express and drink hot cocoa.

On Christmas Eve night, we each open one small present at my parents' house (and those of us who can't be with us physically join us via Skype or facetime) and then after dinner we go to my grandfather's house for dessert.

On Christmas morning, those of us staying at my parents' house get up at dawn, basically, and have coffee and open presents, then my dad makes french toast.

 

[Meriweather]

Christmas Eve everyone stays over, pjs for all, stuffie for the kids, open one present.
Cookies and Subway for dinner

 

[dyna]

My main 1 started with my daddy's family many many yrs ago an I keep it going we have fried rolled oysters for Christmas.

I don't think there has ever been a Christmas that I didn't have them. Some yrs it's been breakfast some for lunch some for supper but always oysters.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Thanksgiving:

• Alternate years between my family and DH's family
• Spend T-giving dinner with one or the other side, then head to (or stay at, depending on the year) my SIL's house Friday for the rest of the weekend
• Help her get ready for our Annual Ugly Sweater Party Friday night with DH's family
• Saturday, we watch the Michigan/Ohio State game (heavy sigh, due to the horrific finish to the game this year - GO BLUE!!!)
• After the game, we head to a little tourist town in MI with 30 of DH's family for the best chicken dinner anywhere! Then we go to biggest Christmas Store in the world for some pre-holiday shopping, or hit the nearby outlet mall.
• Sunday, we visit someone in my family (again, depending on whose year it is for T-giving), then hit the road for the 5 hour trip back home
• Eat at Cracker Barrel on the way back

My kids will not let us stray from this one little bit. We do every single thing on that list, every single year. lol It's their favorite holiday - and mine too!


Saturday before Christmas

• Drive out to MI again and spend the day with my sisters and brother. My mother has decided, after 4 years of avoiding us, to join us this year. Should be interesting.
• We each draw names for nieces and nephews for a gift exchange for the kids, and do a basket exchange for the adults.
• Spend the night at whoever's hosting, then my dad comes the next morning for brunch

Christmas Eve

• It's only the five of us. As the kids get older we will add their significant others and children. The kids have always been told that if they ever know someone who doesn't have someone to spend Christmas Eve with, they are more than welcome to invite them. We set a (symbolic - never used it yet) additional formal place setting at the table for an unexpected guest.
• We dine by candlelight with our china, wine glasses, cloth napkins, centerpieces, etc. The menu is always the same: Cornish game hens, mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggies, and bread. The kids get Welch's sparkling grape juice, DH and I get wine. We dress nicely. Both our families are so huge that we don't ever bother with real plates/silverware/etc on holidays, so this is pretty much a 1-time a year thing, and I take it as an opportunity to teach the kids formal-dining manners lol
• After dinner we read Christmas stories as we have hot chocolate and Christmas cookies. It's so silly now because the books are from when the kids were babies, but they still want to read them! lol We used to have a fireplace, but now we just put the yule log on OnDemand. We are such cheaters haha

Christmas Day
We open presents, then do....pretty much nothing! I make canned cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and warm up homemade tamales that we get from a local Mexican store to snack on all day. (soooo good!) In the past, we would go to MIL's house for dinner, but due to certain circumstances, we will no longer be doing this (long story involving sketchy extended family members that she invites, don't want my kids to have those kind of Christmas Dinner memories...)

Although this year, my SIL's husband is heading an engineering project near us for the two weeks of Christmas for work, so she is coming out Christmas day. I invited them and MIL for a late dinner - SIL has requested lasagna, which is fine with me! Super easy and I can make it ahead of time. It will be fun. The kids are excited to see their "Thanksgiving" cousins at Christmas time for the first time since we moved 7 years ago!

 

[puffkin]

Between our jobs (corporate america, we don't get Christmas/winter breaks like in academia), school, winters sports (DS is a competitive swimmer), etc there is very little time for a whole lot of traditions outside the actual day of Christmas. We do have a few traditions though:

1. We find one night the week leading up to Christmas to drive around looking at Christmas lights.
2. We are not big church goers but we try to hit the family service at church (which is at 5pm) then go out for Chinese afterwards on Christmas Eve
3. The kids always get a chocolate santa in their stocking. The story being that if the easter bunny can bring a chocolate statue of itself, then why not Santa?

There are lots of other things we try to do, visit some local light displays, make gingerbread houses, hit up the community caroling event, christmas train rides, etc but its hit or miss depending on our schedules so definitely not a tradition. I love shopping for gifts, wrapping, baking, decorating, etc....I wish I could have the whole month off to enjoy it!