Christmas

[daisy2jae]

We use to go to my parent's house every Christmas Eve to celebrate Christmas. We always has bean and ham soup with hot ham and cheese sandwiches. We also had a soup for the adults called "bug soup". Now I've been away from home for 10 years and I over the years we've lost the tradition. We're lucky if we all come home for Christmas. I want my children to remember something "special" about Christmas. I want it to be an inexpensive tradition so we can always keep it. I'd like to make it about the meaning of Christmas. Not sure...I'd love to have people share their traditions: making a craft, dinner, church, helping at a soup kitchen...Anything. Please share what your traditions... even if it's another holiday or birthday. I love being a family and want to pass special memories onto my children and someday my grandchildren.

 

[minkydog]

We stopped "going home" for Christmas about 18 years ago, when DS was 5. We live 400 miles away and it was getting to be very disruptive for us to go all the way down there for the day. So we stayed home the next year and since then have made "our" tradition that we stay home*unless we are at WDW* We have several traditions, actually.

*we put up our tree on Thanksgiving afternoon, while watching sappy movies and drinking hot cocoa.
*we make cut out cookies
*The oldest child always puts our Marley's Ghost(whichis actually Goofy) on the tree first
*the youngest child always puts the angel on the top

One Christmas Eve I always make a low country boil--potatoes, corn and shrimp. It's an easy one pot meal for us, as we also go to a candlelight service in the evening. On the way home we listen to Christmas carols and drive through neighborhoods admiring the lights. When the kids were little, we'd go home and read the Christmas story before bedtime. then lights out and wait for Santy to come. On Christmas morning the rule is don't wake mama before daylight. And don't go downstairs before mama is up. I go down first--to turn on the tree and the Christmas carols, and lite the candles on the mantle. Then the kids come down and it's pretty much a riot after that.

Now my kids are bigger. Now we play elves--girls do the boys' stuff, boys do the girls' stuff. We make a big deal about sneaking downstairs with our stockings and stash all their presents. Everybody sleeps in now(yay!) We open stockings, have a nice breakfast, then go back and open our presents. Very civilized. The kids go see their friends on Christmas afternoon while DH & I sit around in our jammies watching movies or napping.

It's not everybody's idea of a great Christmas, but it's ours. We love it. We miss seeing our families, but we try to get down there at other times. Occasionally we will take our camper and go down for Thanksgiving or July4. But Christmas is sacred. We don't go anywhere. Because our children's lives are here and we are happy staying at home. Maybe we'll feel differently in a few years when the kids are all out of hte house. Or maybe we'll be taking the RV down to THEIR house to spend Christmas with the grandchildren!

 

[mamajoan]

My husband was a Marine.. so we tried to go "home" for the holidays as often as possible. However that got difficult over the years with expanding family. We started having our own holiday traditions.. as our children have grown, married and left we have continued our holiday tradition of gathering all of our food 'gifts'.. including all the sausage and cheese boxes... making a big snack night and watching Christmas Vacation. Gorging on cheese, Christmas treats and hot chocolate, eggnog and beer in our pajamas.. .. I forgot to say that earlier in the evening we drive around looking at Christmas decorations with Christmas cds blaring away.. then we head home for the feast and Christmas Vacation gigglefest!

When ds Mike was in Iraq we sent him a Christmas Vacation DVD and a box of Hickory Farms to share with his fellow soldiers. When DD Anna joined our familly we got her the same.. she knew it was a long time family tradition and she was happy to continue on.... When the other kids finally leave home we shall do the same. The grandkids are thrilled to call and say "Grandma, we just got home from looking at all the lights.. daddy is putting in the dvd.. are you watching it now too?" " Daddy says we will be at your house next year for Christmas.. Yayyyy"

They all still like to come "home" for the holidays... but when they can't the tradition started in our home continues on.. and somehow that just seems right.

 

[suejai]

I am from a German family and we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. When I was young my Dad would take us kids out to look at the windows in downtown Toronto while my Mom would decorate the tree. We had candles on the tree and all around the room. As a result we had to be very still and quiet. This created the most magical atmosphere. We listened to music and the kids had to sing or recite a poem. Dinner was something very simple. Then we opened the gifts and had our plates of goodies - especially marzipan.

Over the years things changed - like the candles, and decorating on Christmas Eve. But we always had a real tree and celebrated on Christmas Eve.

When I got married and had children (including step children) we kind of melded traditions. DH is Acadian and grew up celebrating on Christmas Eve as well but over the years adopted the standard N. American traditions. So what we do now is decorate the tree on the first weekend of December. On Christmas Eve we make homemade pizza, watch a movie, and just sit around talking with music in the background. Then we open gifts. We added the stocking tradition for my stepsons when they were young. So on Christmas morning they get the stockings and the "Santa" gift.

It works for us, but it is no where near as magical as it was when I was a child. Maybe my kids have a different viewpoint. One day I will try to do the candles on the tree.

On Christmas Day I make dinner, usually turkey and all the fixin's. When you do it the way we do, everything is very peaceful. Except for the odd freak out while I'm cooking

 

[teacups]

We have a lot of traditions... for the same reason. I want my kids to carry them with them. Traditions are a comfort.

We drive around looking at the lights, and I take a thermos of hot peppermint cocoa. No stopping at Starbucks that night!

We make cookies and a gingerbread house. We decorate cookies with music playing one entire evening, then pass them out to neighbors the next day.

We pick a tag off the needy tree and shop for a needy kid.

Christmas music is a big one. We start playing the same CD's in November or so... each year the same few, with a new one added when I find one. But those same old ones come out.

And of course you have those Christmas stories that get read each and every year no matter how old the kids get. And movies. We have our traditional list that we watch together every year.


Those are just a few

 

[IDoDis]

Every year we make a HUGE breakfast on Christmas morning. A couple of days before Christmas we go on a breakfast grocery shopping binge. I let the kids put things in the shopping cart that I otherwise never buy them (like Toaster Strudel). We don't go to the store with a list. We just put in the cart whatever looks good, but it usually ends up being the typical breakfast foods -- eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, waffle mix, biscuits & gravy, doughnuts, etc... I usually never buy foods like this, so it's a big treat for the kids. It's fun for them to shop where mom won't say "put it back". We enjoy a nice family breakfast (just me, DH and the kids). It tides us over until the big feast that evening with other family members.

 

[teacups]

Every year we make a HUGE breakfast on Christmas morning. A couple of days before Christmas we go on a breakfast grocery shopping binge. I let the kids put things in the shopping cart that I otherwise never buy them (like Toaster Strudel). We don't go to the store with a list. We just put in the cart whatever looks good, but it usually ends up being the typical breakfast foods -- eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, waffle mix, biscuits & gravy, doughnuts, etc... I usually never buy foods like this, so it's a big treat for the kids. It's fun for them to shop where mom won't say "put it back". We enjoy a nice family breakfast (just me, DH and the kids). It tides us over until the big feast that evening with other family members.

YOU WIN the cool mom award!

 

[manning]

Holidays are tough. There is the call to have holiday events at parents homes. They kind of expect it and it makes it difficult for the new young family. I was lucky as a kid to have christmas at home. It was nice and the memories are treasured.

It is sad as childtren grow up and leave home they will not be there to celebrate as they once did. But life goes on. The children should have the opportunity to start and have their own traditions and memories as a family.

One family I know has solved the problem. They have their christmas on the 6th of January with their children and grand children. They say it is great. After all the next official holiday after xmas is Easter, this gives them something to do in between.

Thanksgiving we would alternate. One year with my side of the family, the next with her's.

 

[clarabelle]

We do an advent wreath at home and light a candle every Sunday night during advent we do a little service (just a scripture and prayer). We go to church on Christmas eve. We have a big breakfast Christmas morning. We stay home for Christmas. When we had children we decided it would be too complicated to travel on Christmas Day. So we get together after or before but on the actual day it is just the 4 of us.

 

[golfgal]

We go and cut down a Christmas tree every year. Christmas Eve we go to Mass then the kids get to open one gift before bed. Christmas morning I make caramel rolls (Monkey Bread) and we open presents. The kids stay in their PJ's all day and play with their presents. We used to drive around and look at Christmas lights after Mass but that was when we went to the children's service. Now that the kids are older we go to midnight mass (which is at 10:00 ).

Usually it is the simple things you do that the kids remember. We love taking out the ornaments and talking about where they came from, etc. We get each of the kids an ornament that relates to something they did that year-like when DS17 got his driver's license he got a car ornament. We always get an ornament on our vacations so we talk about those.

We don't put baby Jesus in the nativity set until Christmas Eve so that is something the kids 'fight' over getting to do each year.

We decorate cookies Christmas Day. That one started when the kids started school and having Christmas Day off was just TOO much time for them to wait and they were getting "antsy"-so we started doing cookies so it kept them busy .

In our old town I was on the board for our local Toys for Tots type charity so we always worked at that in early December. We all miss doing that. If the weather is good this year I might drive back to help out this year.

Every once in a while the kids will say something about "it's our tradition to do...." and I didn't even realize it became a tradition .

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Besides the normal stuff like decorating the tree and whatnot, I purchased a really nice "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" book with beutiful illustrations. Every year we read the book together before I put her to bed. Now she reads the book to me but its still the same thing. Its our little tradition together.

On Christmas morning after we open all our presents we head down to my parents/sister's home and have them make us breakfast. Best tradition yet!!

 

[kacaju]

my youngest dd was born on Dec 22nd. Every year we blow up balloons and stick them in the Christmas tree on her Birthday. For that one day it is not a Christmas tree, it is a Birthday tree.
She loves it and looks forward to her Birthday tree every year.

 

[stsomewhere]

We put the tree up around Thanksgiving.
I let the kids sleep on the floor with the christmas tree lights on. We watch a Christmas movie and have cocoa and cookies.

 

[tazdev3225]

My kids are all grown with their own families so holidays have evolved. My DS and DDIL have their own Christmas. DD1 alternates with her DH's family and ours. My youngest DD spends the whole day going crazy running from house to house. I visit my DS at some point, DD1 at their house to see the kids and DD2 I usually see at my parents. The one tradition we have is going to my in-laws on Christmas Eve so my DH can spend time with his brother. We never decorate until Advent as that is the official start of the Christmas season for us. I bake non-stop. We started a new tradition last year going to Koziars Christmas Village. I try to take my grandkids somewhere to see all the lights in the neighborhood and then to Koziars. They LOVED it.

 

[momof1princess]

our Christmas tradition, which started when DD was very young (she's 12 now) is to watch "A Christmas Story" on TBS or TNT all day long on Christmas Day (for as long as we're home). We turn it on when we get up in the morning to open gifts and it stays on there until the "24 Hours Of A Christmas Story" marathon is over that evening. My in-laws will come over and say "of course you're watching that! isn't there anything else on?" but we don't care, we love it, lol.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I grew up with my mother and grandparents, so I never had to travel for Christmas! When I was little, during the month of December, my grandmother and I would often bundle up after dinner and take a walk around our block, to see (almost) everyone's house done up for the holiday.

On Christmas Eve, we would order a HUGE Chinese take-out dinner. Even though I'm grown now, and my grandparents are gone, I'm back home with my mother and we still do the Christmas Eve Chinese dinner!

And also since I was a little girl, I'd have to watch the Mikhail Baryshnikov version of The Nutcracker. Back then, it was on PBS, but now I have a DVD. I'd have to turn off all of the lights except the Christmas tree (with multicolored lights), have a mistletoe-scented candle burning, and eat a cherry candy cane while watching it. Brings back memories!

 

[Uuaww]

I missed my first Christmas last year, was stuck at work far far away from Oakland, CA. Our traditions are as followed:
1. The six sisters and my Mom will drinking wine discussing clothes, shopping, jobs, school, etc.
2. Me, Dad, fiances/boyfriends in kitchen/living room watching football while Dad cooks, me and Dad will yell, a lot (good yelling though, arguing haha).

 

[minkydog]

On Christmas Day I make dinner, usually turkey and all the fixin's. When you do it the way we do, everything is very peaceful. Except for the odd freak out while I'm cooking

I am queen of the holiday freak out. It got so that the kids would just clear out and go to a friend's house. Now I start cooking about 3-4 days before the holiday so that I only have thoset things that must be cooked right before the meal. Everyone is much happier now.

We decorate cookies Christmas Day. That one started when the kids started school and having Christmas Day off was just TOO much time for them to wait and they were getting "antsy"-so we started doing cookies so it kept them busy .

In our old town I was on the board for our local Toys for Tots type charity so we always worked at that in early December. We all miss doing that. If the weather is good this year I might drive back to help out this year.

Every once in a while the kids will say something about "it's our tradition to do...." and I didn't even realize it became a tradition .

My kids are all about traditions. If we have *ever* done it once, it's a tradition, haha. We have a tradition of making that blasted gingerbread house on Christmas day. My SIL sends one to DD16 every year. I hate gingerbread houses. Next Christmas I'm going to send her one, a great big bad one

I love your idea of helping out Toys for Tots. There is a battered women's shelter near me. I bet they'd love to have someone come down and help them have a nice Christmas.

Besides the normal stuff like decorating the tree and whatnot, I purchased a really nice "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" book with beutiful illustrations. Every year we read the book together before I put her to bed. Now she reads the book to me but its still the same thing. Its our little tradition together.

since we're from the Gulf Coast, we read "The Cajun Night Before Christmas" in which Santa comes through the bayou on a dinghy pulled by alligators--"Ay, Gaston! Ay, Pierre! Ay, Celeste!"

 

[TinklednPants]

Christmas with my family ia always a marathon food and drink orgy. When we ALL get together we are over 50 in number so it's quite the scene. Christmas Eve is the big night. Each "branch" of the family typically makes two appetizers and one dessert while whoever is hosting that year will handle entrees. It's actually pretty obscene. Typically we will have shrimp cocktail, bacon wrapped scallops, crudite platters, anti pasto plattters, cheeses, meatballs, crab dip, hummus, olive trays, grape leaves, stuffed mushrooms, stromboli, steak toasts, chicken satay, and more. We have wines, champagne, liquor, beer, etc. We play music and dance while we try to digest all the appetizers. Then we generally do some variation of the "seven fishes" with lobsters, clams, mussels, shrimp, oysters and usually some sole and Chilean sea bass or mahi mahi or swordfish. Then we will generally have a turkey and a fresh ham. Next is more partying until you are ready to attack the desert table which will typically have some combination of 10 or more pies and cakes along with homemade cookies and candy. Finally we open presents and party some more.
On Christmas morning each family "segment" sticks to themselves and does an "immediate family" breakfast along with Santa activities where appropriate. Mimosas flow freely on Christmas morning after a wild Christmas Eve!!!
On Christmas Day we get together again but it is generally only about 20-25 of us as some family members must visit with "the other side". Christmas Dinner is much more laid back due to fatigue but equally elegant. We stick to 3 or 4 appetizers and a typical dinner would be a Prime Rib Roast with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, various vegetables and 3-4 desserts. Once again the wine will flow. For both nights everyone gets dressed up formally.
We also "adopt" a needy family every year and shower them with gifts.
I don't think any of us work on Dec. 26th!!

 

[Deffenm]

We stay home every year. We tried to do the family visit thing but it was too much for the kids.

We cut down our own tree every year. The kids get a new ornament that relates to what they are into that year and we buy an oranment wherever we vacation. We enjoy talking about each ornament as we put them on the tree.

We always go to our zoo to see the lights and ice skate with Grandma & Grandmp.

Our dd's birthday is Christmas Eve so we don't do any holiday stuff until we celebrate her birthday. Once her birthday is celebrated we go to early church service, eat pizza for dinner, the kids unwrap their holiday PJ's, we watch A Christmas Story and then off to bed.

Christmas day the kids wake up and go thru their stockings, we have breakfast, and then do gifts.

No one comes over on that day. My mom always comes the day after and leaves on New Years Day and my husbands parents come over on Christmas Eve to celebrate daughters birthday and christmas.

Oh I forgot the kids' favorite thing is the count down advent box. I fill it with candy and small little toys, and coupons for outings.