How do you make these nights special?

[perd]

Christmas tree decorating night and Christmas Eve -

I'd like to start some new traditions or add to the ones we already have. What are some of the things you do?

The night we decorate the tree we listen to Christmas music - some old Bing Crosby tapes plus some the kids have had since they were little (all teenagers now). We decorate the tree and put up all the other Christmas decorations.

But I'd like to add something - like a special dinner that we have every Christmas Eve or maybe make cookies and Christmas treats that afternoon and eat them while we put up the tree. Or have special Christmas mugs with hot chocolate, whipped cream and a candy cane on the side.

Christmas Eve we really don't have a tradition and I think that's kind of sad! A couple of years we have read the Christmas story from the Bible from Luke, but it's not something we have stuck to or have to do. When the kids were smaller we sometimes read The Night Before Christmas before bed.

What are your traditions?

 

[Mermaid02]

Every Christmas Eve we go out to lunch with my inlaws at the same restaurant.... unfortunately this will be the last year at that restaurant... it is closing December 31. We'll move to another place I guess. The day after Christmas we get together with my dh's extended family for a "post-Christmas" celebration. My Mom comes to our house very early every Christmas morning to do presents with us.

 

[C.Ann]

We always had hot chocolate (with a candy-cane stirrer) and Christmas cookies while decorating - and of course, we played Christmas carols..

Then late on Christmas Eve - just before it was time to go to bed - each child was allowed to open one gift..

Also - when just my youngest DD was left at home - I started giving her a small gift every morning (starting on Dec. 1st) up until Christmas Eve.. Nothing expensive - a pack of gum, a new fancy pencil, etc.. She really liked that and it made the waiting till Christmas a bit more bearable..

 

[Kitty 34]

I always listen to Handel's Messiah and remember past Christmases with my Granny. She bought me the record when I was 10, the first album I owned.

 

[Saffron]

Every Christmas Eve we exchange pajamas.

We pick a pair of pj's we think the other person will like, we wash them, fold them, box and gift wrap them. Then on Christmas Eve, we order Chinese food, pick it up, bring it home, change into our brand new, soft, fresh smelling jammies, turn on the tree, eat our food, wrap any gifts that need to be wrapped etc. It's a real comfy, cozy feeling. Everyone gets new pajamas! My friend and her son stayed with us one Christmas and they got new pajamas and joined our pajama party!

 

[jldriscoll]

Saffron and C. Ann....I LOVE these!!!!

dd (4) asked me 4 times today how many days until christmas I'll do anything to make the wait easier!!!

Saffron...I always give my 2 girls pj's for christmas...they like to wear them on the way home from grandma's christmas day....Never thought to get dh and myself some too...I like it

 

[Jenn Lynn]

Saffron-I love the new PJ Idea!

When we were little we would go to church on Christmas Eve and when we came home Santa (the neighbors) would have left our presents for us. My Mom always made Oyster Soup and we ate that after we opened our presents. Fun memories!

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

Christmas Eve we have dinner and go to midnight services at church then come home to egg nog and storytelling. Then Santa does his thing! Our kids are teenagers but we still do Santa. Christmas morning around 6 am I stand at the top of the stairs and hold the kids back while everyone else gets up (we always have aunt, granmothers somebody spend the night). When everyone in the house is up then I let the kids storm down the stairs to the tree! Then we have hot cocoa and a big breakfast in our pj's.

When we put up the tree there is music and of course, food...we are Southern afterall.

 

[Antonia]

Every Christmas Eve we go to a 6 p.m. Christmas Eve service at our church. It is a beautiful service and always ends with the congregation singing Silent Night while every person lights a small white candle. It ends with everyone crying because it is such a touching service.

 

[MerryPoppins]

On tree decorating night, we always take pictures of the kids in their pajamas in front of the tree with the dogs. I don't know exactly how that one started, but it's a tradition for us. We fix hot cocoa and listen to Christmas music.

We go to the late Christmas Eve service at church every year. By the time we get home Christmas has arrived and so has Santa, so we open our gifts. The next day, we sleep a little later than normal, eat breakfast, then get dressed to go help at the Christmas community dinner sponsored by our church.

 

[TikiGal]

As for Christmas Eve, my family has always used that night to go on our "light exploration adventure". We go hunt out the most publicized light displays or other such things to just drive through & look at with our Christmas tunes blaring. We also pick a movie to watch on that night before bad....usually "It's A Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street".

On tree decorating night, we do our Christmas tunes, make Christmas cookies & then have a gift wrapping session together in the living room. We wrap gifts for people outside of the house OR wrap each other's gifts, but make sure they're "disguised" first. This is a nice, quiet fun time to bond. Obviously not all of our shopping is done by then, but some of it is & it's a nice start to have a few gifts to put under the tree. We'll also make our paper chain decorations or popcorn chains then too.

 

[ASFCurly]

When we decorate trees we just listen to Christmas music and have fun.

On Christmas Eve we go and see a movie, one that the whole family has agreed upon and go out to dinner, church usually, but not the last couple of years because one or the other of us had to work.

 

[mamajoan]

Hi, I think it is important to have your very own family tradition. Since we were a Military family, we often visited our families at Christmas. Once DH left the Marines we began to stay home for the holiday's. Therefore we began our own traditions.
It has grown over the years..
Now.. we
Go to early Mass on Christmas Eve... return home and get the Christmas CD's, a thermos of hot chocolate and pile into the van.
We then tour our local town to see all of the Christmas decorations while listening to the music and singing the songs too.
Then we come home and open ALL of the Hickory farm type gifts adding eggnog, Bailey's, wine and beer, cake and cookies all spread out on the table. Put our pajama's on, gather our food and drink.. then we watch Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase.. hec we can say all the lines but we still LOL.
After this we open the gifts that were sent by Uncle and one other small gift... then its off to bed. Dh and I usually put more presents under the tree and hang stockings while everyone is snoozing.. and then it's soon Christmas Morning

You can't believe how tickled I was when DS then 19 requested the DVD of Christmas vacation to watch with his buddy while stationed at Fort Hood unable to come home for the holidays. YOU BET I sent him the dvd and some Hickory Farms and cookies too... The tradition was passed on..
Happy Holidays...
Joan

 

[CourtasanSatine]

I'm going to see the new Star Trek movie with my boyfriend(our Christmas date as a couple)