Family Christmas Traditions

[Kimberland30]

The post in Chit Chat about Hallmark ornaments got me thinking.

What sort of Christmas Traditions does your family have?

We never grew up with standard traditions. When my parents lived in town, our family would go to church on Christmas Eve night, go to their house and eat those BIG hot dogs with lots 'o chili, then open gifts. My family (then DH and kids) would open our gifts on Christmas morning. When we split, we still had the same routine each year. Now that I'm remarried, I'd like to start traditions of our own, even though my DD is now a teen and won't be at home much longer (3 more years until college).

This year I'd like to start an ornament collection between my DH and I. Maybe we'll buy a "Our First Christmas" ornament together this year. Even though technically it's our 4th Christmas as a couple, it's our first married year. Each year we could exchange ornaments as gifts to add to our collection.

I'd like to start a regular tradition with my daugther, but I'm not sure what. When the kids were younger, they'd get a pair of pajamas and an ornament that they could open at our house on Christmas Eve. But that stopped when my son left to move to Chicago to be with his dad. My ex and I have the kids every-other-year and our family tradition slipped away.

[Chimichanga]

We don't really have a lot of traditions, but I'd like to start some with DH.

Growing up my sister and I would bake cookies with my mom on Christmas Eve and leave them out for Santa with a carrot for the reindeer.

On Christmas morning we'd open our stockings first, then move to the tree. We'd always get a thank you note from Santa for the cookies and carrots. And, my dad would leave a big boot print in the ashes from "Santa."

When we were about 10 my mom started buying my sister and I ornaments. We get one a year - now my tree has some nice ornaments on it (not just cheap store brand ones). I get my DH and ornament every year too.

Since I was about 5, my mom, sister and I would turn on the Christmas lights and turn off every other light in the house and sing Christmas Carols in the tree room. (My dad wasn't much of a singer, but he'd sit in there with us). We were so horrible, but it was so much fun. We still do that to this day.

[camberne]

My aunt always gave everyone in my generation an ornament for Christmas (still does) and I've taken up the ornament giving for my neices/nephews for the next generation. I think it's great that by the time you move out, you have your own collection that means something to you (and I have a serious ornament addiction).

Every year, on Christmas Eve, my entire family gets together. We did it at my mom's house for years, then my brother's house, my house for one year, and we're back at my mom's again (she just hosts it, we all do the food). When we sort out gifts (sorted by the youngest member of the family attending), we all sit around the room and go one by one in the circle and each open one gift. This way, everyone can see what everyone got and no frenzied free-for-all. It generally takes a couple hours, and there are always sentimental and funny gifts along the way.

Christmas Day, everyone does their thing with their spouse's families. I'm lucky because my husband's family is in town too. So, we actually go to my parents' house and have a special breakfast/brunch and then open gifts that we specifically saved for Christmas Day. After noon, we head over to Phil's parents' house and have Christmas with his parents and grandmother. Sometimes his sister shows up, and sometimes his step-brother shows up. There, things are a frenzied free-for-all which I admittedly have a hard time handling. It just seems so impersonal that way.

I really do love Christmas!! :D

[DallasLady]

My family has no traditions, but DH's family has one that I like and we are going to continue. On Christmas eve, they have a dessert party where everyone brings over a christmas dessert (we throw in some appetizers for good measure), we drink egg nog, hot cocoa, warm cider and a few "grown up" drinks and watch Christmas movies. It's so much fun :D

[katmg]

Dallas - I like that Christmas Eve tradition!

Since DH and I have been engaged we've spent Christmas Eve with his family. They have a very traditional/formal Christmas dinner and then we open presents. We go to midnight services together and then go home. Christmas Day, DH and I wake up and give each other our presents. Then we go to my family's ranch and have Christmas with my extended family. We're usually traveling on Christmas (a 6 hour drive) which isn't really something I'd like to continue once we have kids, but for now, it's a nice drive b/c there isn't anyone on the roads!

The only "tradition" I can really remember growing up is that we always had a big breakfast Christmas morning after we opened presents. And we ALWAYS had Pillsbury cinnamon rolls w/orange icing. Yum!

[sublime311]

~~On Christmas Eve my family goes to my BFF's house for her family's Christmas Eve party after attending their church's Christmas Mass. BFF and I have been friends since 5th grade (we're 36 now) and I'm Godmother to her 3 kids. The kids call my mom Grammy so we're all very close. Then on Christmas day BFF and her DH and kids come to our house in the evening to have our gift exchange.

~~We always have the same Christmas dinner, "wine roast", "baked" mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and corn.

~~DH and I buy a special ornament each year. We already bought the one(s) for this year (it's a bride and groom!):
http://www.christmaslightsetc.com/Images/CategoryDetail/Jingle_Buddies_Special_Occasions.jpg

~~Ever since I was little, I would wake my mom up on Christmas day yelling "Santa came! Santa came!" and we still do this even now.

~~The actual process of decorating for Christmas is also a tradition for us. Nothing is done half-way and the entire house is FILLED with the sights, scents and sounds of Christmas!

~~Starting on Thanksgiving and thoughout the Christmas season, we watch "A Christmas Story" OVER and OVER and OVER until we just can't take it any more! lol

I just totally *heart* Christmas!!

[sublime311]

And we ALWAYS had Pillsbury cinnamon rolls w/orange icing. Yum!

Yes! I almost forgot about that one! We do this, too! When I was little I HATED waiting to open presents while my mom put the rolls in the oven, but now I LOVE IT! Mmmm, that yummy scent wafting through the air as we open presents is just the best!

[katmg]

Oh my goodness - A Christmas Story!! My family loves that movie. DH had never seen it until this past year. He was probably so confused as to why my dad and I would sing "Ringle Rells" at Christmas and say, "But I didn't say Fudge..." :p Man, that is such a good movie.

[laurenc]

i usually spend christmas eve with DH's family. we do the big italian christmas eve seafood binge :) and it's always delicious.

we also do secret santas -- at thanksgiving, anyone over age 21 picks out someone else's name out of a hat and on christmas eve we give out gifts. for the under-21 crowd, who are mostly actually under 13, we just get them all gifts every year no matter what.
the rules are:
--if you pick someone in your immediate family, you have to pick again, as it's assumed that you'll be giving your immediate family gifts anyways
--you can't spend more than $50
--you can't get a gift certificate/money/giftcards/etc.

then we spend christmas day with my family. we always have a big christmas breakfast with fresh-squeezed orange juice, eggs benedict, homemade waffles, etc. and it's delicious!!! we used to open our gifts first thing when we woke up but now that we're all older and like our sleep, we have breakfast first and then open gifts.

[LoveYouKisses]

My family has a ton of Christmas traditions -
Starting with the Friday after Thanksgiving our whole family hits the mall together, and I don't just mean me, my mom and my sisters...I mean my aunts cousins uncles the whole bunch of us.

Then the next Saturday (it used to be Sunday but we had to change it bc we had to back to college Sunday afternoon...) my immediate family (mom/sisters) and my uncle and his wife/kids all go to a tree farm and cut down Christmas trees. Then we go back to their house for the first real Christmas-y meal of the season....

Christmas eve is usually at my mom's house and its a big meal (buffet style) and a lot of movie watching...Although for the first time last year, I spent Christmas eve with Paul's family, it was nice. It is a big deal in his traditions (way more than christmas day actually) they have a 7 fish dinner (which ends up being closer to 13 fish! which I dont eat) and they go to a friend of the family's house and then his Aunts house...pretty much the same thing every year...its kind of cool...

Christmas morning has a ton of traditions for me...and it has been this way since I was a kid...since Paul and I aren't married yet (nor do we live together) some of this is going to be changing pretty soon when we are living together...but for now- My little sister wakes the whole house up at 5am and we go downstairs turn on the coffee pot for mom and we get to go through our stockings...After that at around 630 we go up and get my mom out of bed and we open presents. My dad used to hand everyone one present and we would open them together and show each other what we got - my uncle did it last year bc they were visiting from Colorado (thank god for them)...and my mom will probably do it this year....then we usually finish with presents around 8 or so (we take our time) and we usually all pass out and sleep until 9 or so...Then my mom and I make a huge Christmas breakfast while my sisters kind of organize the new presents and set up the presents for other people under the tree...We have my mom's side of the family over for breakfast, and my dad's father usually comes up too...Then at around 2 my dad's side of the family comes over, and we sit around and drink and eat and be merry, and then we do the "cousin present exchange" and then we eat dinner...The night usually ends by watching White Christmas and watching my 5 year old cousin Dean sing and dance every song in the movie....Great times :-)


I too LOOOOVE Christmas.
If it weren't for Christmas I probably would have been extremely depressed last year, I threw myself into Christmas cheer which makes everyone happy :)

[Kimberland30]

I really like opening presents one by one. My DH's family does that, and I was really surprised (my family used to just go for it). I like it much better his way, everyone can see what everyone got, and it's much easier to keep track of presents that need thank-you's sent out.

[Janey]

When we were very little, my mom heard from somebody at church (we're Episcopalian) that it seemed like the kids were really into the presents & Santa, but weren't really 'getting' the fact that it was also "Jesus's Birthday." So they had this idea to make a "Birthday Cake for Jesus" to teach us little kids that not only was it presents for us, but the reason for Christmas was that we were celebrating Jesus's birth. So mom made a little Snackin' Cake and put a candle in it, and we sang happy birthday to Jesus.

Now, the tradition has just sort of morphed into "Cake for Breakfast! Woohoo!" ;) and Mom always makes this cake:

Cocoa Apple Cake

3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
.5 cup water
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbs cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 cup finely chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
.5 cup chocolate bits
2 apples, cored and grated or very finely chopped (I use Golden Delicious)
1 tbs vanilla

Beat together sugar, margarine, eggs, and water until fluffy. Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, cinnamon, and allspice. Add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in nuts, chocolate bits, apples, and vanilla until evenly distributed. Spoon into greased and floured 10-inch loose bottom tube pan. Bake in 325 degree oven 60-70 minutes until cake tests done. Makes a tender moist cake. (I find it usually takes longer than 70 min.)

Note: Does not work well in a bundt pan.

---------------

ETA something funny: When I was explaining the tradition to B, and told him that "Mom always makes Cocoa Apple Cake for Jesus's birthday cake" ... B said: "...because that is Jesus's favorite cake?" I said, "Yes! That's exactly why she makes that cake, because it's Jesus's favorite! Never mind the fact that it also happens to be my favorite..." ;)

[tigger8402]

When I was growing up Christmas would basically start the weekend of my birthday (Dec. 6). We would either go get a tree or set up the fake one and get it all decorated. Then it was always the rush of what to get people and that kind of thing. Then on Christmas morning, my brother and i would go get my parents up and everyone would go into the living room but we weren't aloud to touch anything until the camera's were ready. So then we opened stockings then gifts and my parents took pictures of every gift we opened. then it was our turn to take pictures of them. After all the gifts were opened we played for a little while and then had to put all of our new toys away and get dressed to go to our grandmothers houses. First stop was my mom's mom. When we got there we opened gifts from her and my aunt (who always have and still do buy gifts for everyone together) and then sit around watching tv until someone else came in the door and we got gifts from them. After everyone was there it was time to eat. My grandmother always made a big turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, the whole nine, complete with pies and ice cream. After we finished there we headed to my dad's mom's house. We got gifts from all of my aunts and uncles, and the guys normally went outside to play football, even in the snow and ice. then it was time for dinner there. She normally made ham and boiled potatoes and corn and beans and everything else. There was normally a pie or two around and deffinatly a coconut cake from the lady across the street. YUM!!! After we finished there it was normally time to go home to play with our toys and go to sleep.

Since Guy and I have been dating things are a little different, even though we dont live together. His mom's birthday is Christmas Eve, so she always has a big party at her house. Lots of food and fun. His whole family is there. And there are always games played. Then on christmas day it seems to change since i dont live with my parents anymore and live with my grandmother but its gifts to each other, gifts with my parents, and dinner with my family at my grandmother/my house.

The plan for this Christmas is party with his family at his house on christmas eve, drive the hour and a half to my parents house (at probably somewhere close to 1:30 am) and go to sleep. Christmas morning open gifts with my parents and brother, then to my house/my grandmother's house for gifts and dinner wtih them, then back to his house for gifts from each other and to his mom and brother maybe a gift or two from him mom (she normally just gives a small gift to guy and his brother and then hands them money)


I so cant wait until Christmas!!!!

[mindy]

Subscribing I have 2 small kids and am always looking for new ideas for the holidays.

[Atlanta_eBride]

With my mother's side of the family we play "Dirty Santa" every year. We decided that it was just costing too much money to buy everyone a gift and we were all grown with no grandkids yet. So now we each bring a $20 non-gender gift with no card or anything. However many people we have, we place that many pieces of paper in a hat or bag or something each with a number from 1 to however many people are participating. Each person draws a number and the game begins.

The people with the number one and the last number are the luckiest. Number one goes to the pile under the tree and chooses any gift they want to open. Once they have opened it (and shown everyone) it's Number two's turn. This person has a choice to either TAKE number one's opened gift and make number one go fishing for a new gift OR they can go get any gift under the tree and open it. This goes on and on until the last person has opened the last gift or chosing to take one and making someone else open the last one. Finally, the person who was number one can TRADE their gift with ANY gift that someone else has.

Typically, there are a couple of gifts that are fought over and trades hands quite a bit. We've even had couple "plot" to try and get the one they want. It has become a lot of fun over the years.

-----------------------

Another tradition I had in a previous married life was a cookie party. I had this every year - and the one year I said I didn't feel like dealing with it I though I was going to be linched by family and friends both - some which are neither now - LOL. Anyway, this goes by everyone bring 2 or 3 dozen (depends on the size of your party) HOMEMADE cookies. You provide a continer (I usually used fancy Christmas bags) and everyone goes around nd gets 2-4 cookies from each plate to take home with them - the number of cookies taken also depends on the size of your party. The end result is that you get all of these homemade cookies that are out of this world. It was always a lot of fun - one day I may start it up again.

-----------------------

With my FH we purchase a special ornament together every year and also a Department 56 item.

[Etoile]

Extended Family Tradition:
-There is always a lottery after Christmas Eve dinner, everyone chips in 10.00 and one of the little kids get to draw the name

My mom & me traditions:
-Christmas decorating begins the day after thanksgiving.
-my mom & i exchange an ornament each year, and I always buy one for DH & I each year.
-Brenda Lee and Stevie Wonder christmas albums are our absolute favorite, but my mom & I both really get into christmas and listen to the all-christmas radio station starting the day after thanksgiving
-You are allowed to open 1 present on christmas eve.
-we go to midnight mass on christmas eve
-you get up really early to open presents (when I was 14 my mom woke me up at 5 am, she was more excited than I was)

Hubby and me traditions:
-our # 1 together tradition, that we started two years ago, is that we do not cook on christmas day, we have Chinese Food, ala the Christmas Story. It makes for a much more relaxed christmas day itself. Last year, though, our good friends had christmas at their house (there were about 10 of us there) so we did our chinese food on christmas eve.
-we have the family/friends get-together on christmas eve where I cook or we do a potluck with our friends (we do not have any local family except for my mom & stepdad)
-I try to throw either a holiday cocktail party or new years eve party
-we send out about 80 christmas cards (well, really me, not we) and we include a picture of our family (dh, me, and our furry dog-child)
-lotto scratch tickets in our stocking
-midnight mass is the 1 time out of the year that he will go to church with me

Friends traditions:
-we have a drawing every year for presents, around the beginning of december. Each couple puts their names in, together or seperately, and draws as many names as they put in. there is a 20.00-30.00 limit.
-one of us hosts a christmas eve or christmas day potluck. right now, we have the biggest dining room/house that is not up in the mountains, so it will probably be us this year!

[Kimberland30]

Atlanta_eBride: My husband's office does this also. Last year his manager took a Chia Pet and his wife told him he better not come home with it. He ended up picking No. 1 and yep....he brought home the Chia Pet just because his wife hated it (as a joke though, no malice intended). :)

My DH brought home a remote control Batmobile. He played with it for weeks. LOL

[Atlanta_eBride]

Kimberland30, yes we have had items of similar interest, last year it was the Clapper - LOL! A couple of years before that was that singing bass thing that hung on the wall like a trophy. I'm sure a Chia Pet would be a hit at ours too, but I'd have top fight your husband for the Batmobile if we were in the same group. :cool:

[CMTorie]

I guess we have a fair amount of traditions. PLUS...I'm always looking for more!!!

~ Cookie Exchange...always the Sunday Before Christmas...unless Sunday is Christmas Eve. Here we all do 6 dozen cookies and also add in an ornament exchange

~ Christmas Tree Lane...our town has a very old posh neighborhood that has the 1950 type mansions...absolutely beautiful and 2 1/2 miles of homes. All the homes are decorated exquisitly! Typically you drive through it...but two nights during the season they close it off and allow people to walk through it.

~ Of course Ornament Exchanges. We mainly only do it for my immediate family...me, dh and the kids.

~ Christmas Eve is always with DH's extended side of the family.

~ Only one person opens a gift at a time.

~ One gift opened on Christmas Eve...and that is our 'matching' pj bottoms to be worn to bed with a white shirt so that we all coordinate in the morning when we take pix! LOL

~ Friends Christmas...Christmas Eve and Day are usually full of family...so we have a special night for our friends to get together.

IDEAS I'D LIKE TO START
~ Tree Trimming Party, the weekend after Thanksgiving have everyone over to help decorate the house. Serve Appetizers and the such.

~ Christmas Tree Skirt...every year have the kids paint their hand and foot prints on the skirt and write their name/year below. Just keep adding to it each year!

~ Block party. In our old house the neighborhood wasn't real friendly...I'm hoping that will change with the new neighborhood we are moving to. I'd love to do a progressive type party.

[Aimee]

My family and I aren't big "Christmas people." In fact, I could celebrate it once every 6 years like the Olympics and be just fine. But we do have traditions:

~We always go to Christmas Vigil mass. Always. I've never been to church on Christmas morning.

~Starting the year they were engaged, my dad got my mom a sterling silver ornament for the tree. After he died in 1994, I continued for a few years. I think we missed a few years though. DH started the tradition over for us this year for our first married Christmas. I told him I'd like to do that, considering I'm an only child so I'll eventually get the ornament collection - it's nice to build upon it.

~My mom's youngest sister and I always get chocolate covered cherries. Dunno how or why it started - but we each get a box. Even though my mom stopped exchanging gifts with her siblings long ago, she still picks up a box of the chocolate covered cherries.

~My mom and I make Christmas cookies together. We do rolled sugar cookies and gingerbread men. This year we got DH in on the fun.

[isign]

Growing up, we didn't have any family around since my dad was military. We would always put a call in to the North Pole, and tell Santa, aka, Pop-Pop, what we wanted. We would always spend several hours pulling out Christmas decorations and decorating the tree. The year we got married was the last year our entire family (immediate) was together and all stayed under the same roof, and the last Christmas we had our puppy, Lady so it was pretty special. Santa used to ring bells on the door when he'd leave so he'd get up. I used to be the first to wake everyone, but in high school I passed that job down to my brothers. I distinctly remember 1 Christmas somewhere between the time I was 20 and 22 that my oldest brother, who's 3 years younger, coming into my room and waking me up. We don't get along so it is a nice memory. We were only allowed to touch our stockings, but we couldn't open any thing wrapped in them. There was usually a 1lb bag of candy, MMs for me, and twizzlers for my older brother and skittles for the younger 2.

My parents would come out, my dad with the camera and we'd all position ourselves in the usual spots in the room, and hand out gifts. We'd take turns opening them so we'd all watch each other. Then there was usually the gift that was forgotten and left in the back of the house. My dad would always sit and watch and then after we were all done he'd open his. My mom would then go make breakfast - monkey break or french toast, something warm and yummy. We'd arrange all of our presents under the tree and call our friends.

When DH and I got together I discovered just how different traditions are. Christmas Eve we'd go to church. He has a large extended family and they all (30 or so) of them pack into MILs or his Uncle's house for a yummy Christmas dinner. Then the fun begins. We play dirty Santa. Gifts are usually around $30. Most of the men in the family are electricians, and those who aren't still like tools. Usually that's the gifts that are fought over. Last year was Granny's last Christmas with us, and it was the most fun of the 3 I had been to. Somehow she ended up with a stud finder which she decided she needed to use in her apt complex ;). The adults play theirs and the younger cousins (the unmarried) do theirs. Usually someone brings a date and DH and his cousin have to pull some kind of prank. Last year they attempted to disconnect the car battery, but there was so much corrosian (sp?) on the battery it didn't work.

Christmas morning - they usually don't do, except for this last year. They usually all go to the beach a few weeks before Christmas, stay the night in a condo and then MIL gives everyone $$ to spend at the outlets. It was decided last year that it was more fun to shop secretly, then to just give $$

[princess1224]

In early December my mom used to make sugar cookies with us and decorate them, now I do that with my kids. We put up and decorate the tree either the last saturday of November or the first saturday of December, depending on what's convenient. It was always a big deal when I was little and we make a big deal out of doing it with the kids now. Ever since my son was born I've bought him a special ornament...since he's been old enough I let him choose. Now that I have SS they all get one. I also buy an ornament for DH and one for the house (that would be the one that I want). When I was little my brother always used to make me up to tell me Santa had been. I'm not sure what we did first when I was really young but I remember in my teens we opened stockings last. Usually they held a little something extra...like the film that went with a new camera.

We let our kids open a present on Christmas eve, it's always pyjamas that they get to wear that night. I put a little something extra in the box too, last year they had slippers that matched the PJ's, the year before it was gloves that I had fabric painted the logos of their favourite superheroes. We've always and still do put out milk and cookies for santa and carrots for teh reindeer. (One year a friend put some oatmeal and metallic star confetti into a ziploc bag and called it reindeer food for the kids to sprinkle on the yard, I keep meaning to do that again) When we open the presents we hand them out so everybody has one, open them at the same time, and then everyone has a little look at what everyone else got. It's kind of a cross between the one at a time method and the free-for-all pandemonium.

When I was little we used to get to pick out a special cereal at the grocery store for our Christmas morning breakfast. Now we make turkey bacon, eggs, hashbrowns...that kinda thing.

My parents always used to have a big Christmas dinner, we were always the hosts and I still feel very uncomfortable having Christmas dinner at anyone else's house. My parents hosted until I had kids. I've been the Christmas dinner hostess ever since. My DS goes to his dad's for Christmas dinner, but he spends the day with us til around 2pm. The first year I was living with DH we had his parents (that's his only family) and my parents and brothers over to our house for dinner. MIL usually hosts a Christmas Eve dinner and FIL always had Christmas day so he did boxing say that year. Last year I wanted to do our dinner on Christmas eve so DS could be with us, everyone seemed oaky with it but MIL threw a little fit as it got closer. We went to FIL's for Christmas day (FIL and MIL aren't together but they're best friends and attend all functions together). Last year MIL said that she would understand if we wanted to do Christmas without them this year. My family is very loud and the IL's aren't used to loud....well not since they quit drinking anyway. So I ahve no idea what we're doing this year....I know I won't try the Christmas eve thing again, but it's really important to me to have both our families together, I don't to choose one. They all get along fine, KWIM. Sorry I went off topic, I guess we're still working on the tradition there.

My brothers birthday is in November so at his birthday we draw names of all the siblings and SO's for Christmas presents that we exchange Christmas day. I think it's a $30 limit (we're all poor).

For friends, we have a get together in mid-november to draw names. The guys names go into one hat and they buy for each other and the girls names go into a different hat and we buy for each other. We do a $40 limit and then we have a get together usually the weekend before Christmas to exchange the gifts. And we all buy for each others kids. Both get togethers are pot lucks, last year we hosted the name-drawing night and I think we'll be hosting again this year.

Traditions I'd like to start after reading this thread:
Since I was about 5, my mom, sister and I would turn on the Christmas lights and turn off every other light in the house and sing Christmas Carols in the tree room. (My dad wasn't much of a singer, but he'd sit in there with us). We were so horrible, but it was so much fun. We still do that to this day. Another tradition I had in a previous married life was a cookie party. I had this every year - and the one year I said I didn't feel like dealing with it I though I was going to be linched by family and friends both - some which are neither now - LOL. Anyway, this goes by everyone bring 2 or 3 dozen (depends on the size of your party) HOMEMADE cookies. You provide a continer (I usually used fancy Christmas bags) and everyone goes around nd gets 2-4 cookies from each plate to take home with them - the number of cookies taken also depends on the size of your party. The end result is that you get all of these homemade cookies that are out of this world. It was always a lot of fun - one day I may start it up again.

[mindy]

I love the christmas tree skirt idea with the kids hands and feet is there a certain type of tree skirt you have to buy and what is the best paint to use?

[Lisa]

~ Christmas Tree Skirt...every year have the kids paint their hand and foot prints on the skirt and write their name/year below. Just keep adding to it each year!

what a cute idea! I wonder what kind of skirt I could use???

[PGirl26]

My mother and I have a Christmas tradition of buying each other new pajamas/nightgowns for Christmas. We save that as our last gift on Christmas Eve and always wear them that night!

[jlp]

It's become a tradition the past 4 years with my DH and his kids that just the 4 of us put the tree up while watching "White Christmas". It's funny too, because when I first suggested watching that, the kids wanted nothing to do with it. Now they watch it on their own too. :)

Of course, an even bigger tradition with us is watching "Christmas Vacation" no less than 10 times in the season. It just gets funnier every time you watch it. :D

"Eddie, I wouldn't be more surprised if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet."

"Hey Griz, you aren't doing anything constructive, go in the living room and get my stogey."

Ok, just one more.

"Every time Catherine revved up the microwave, I'd p*ss my pants and forget who I was for a 1/2 hour."

:D I have to go, I'm sitting here giggling to myself. Everyone MUST watch that movie!

[sublime311]

Of course, an even bigger tradition with us is watching "Christmas Vacation" no less than 10 times in the season. It just gets funnier every time you watch it. :D

lol Love those quotes! This is one of our favorite holiday movies, too!

[isign]

~ Christmas Tree Skirt...every year have the kids paint their hand and foot prints on the skirt and write their name/year below. Just keep adding to it each year!

what a cute idea! I wonder what kind of skirt I could use???

growing up, my mom always used a white sheet, maybe that would work for you too.

[mrsface]

What neat traditions everyone has.

Christmas time growing up was always amazing. My mom made it really special for us all.

The day after Thanksgiving (or when we got back from our bi-annual thanksgiving family reunion) we would pull out the decorations and get the whole house ready. Mom collects nativities and each year gets a new one- those all go in the family room by the piano. Everything has its specific place and it's so fun putting them where they go. While we decorate we put on the music and it doesn't stop until new years, except when we watch our christmas movies....

Each year we would host an open house party, with lots of amazing food. My mom, sisters and I spend 3 days in the kitchen making everything. We always have french onion soup, quiche, polynesian meatballs, wassail, and ham. Those are the mainstays, but we have a least a dozen other salads and things that we add in and experiment with. We set up a dessert table in the family room that holds at least 8 desserts, plus fudge, toffees etc... We are total over-achievers when we cook! We have leftovers forever and we love them!!!!

My mom made us each a fleece blanket that we only get to use at Christmas time. We get them out the day after Thanksgiving and have to put them away again when we take down the decorations.

On Christmas Eve we get to open one present- homemade pajamas. For many years we would all put on our pjs and go caroling around the neighborhood in them. We were notorious- people were always excited for us to come by and the one year we didn't several people commented on how disappointed they were that we didn't come by!

Christmas morning we would get up around 8 or 9 and have a huge breakfast. Coffee cake, eggs, hot chocolate, fresh orange juice, bacon and sausage- all sorts of yummy things. We set the table with the nice christmas china and have a feast!

After breakfast we always line up, shortest to tallest, and take a picture before going in to look at the tree and presents.


So many fun things! I love the idea of a cookie exchange- I might have to do that this year! And the tree skirt... Thanks!

[IrishMeg]

I have a big Irish family and we all grew up in the same area (where I stil live today). Overtime, a lot of family has moved away but we still celebrate Christmas here in FL.

A few years back, my brother and I started a tradition for our generation. On Christmas Eve, after we've done dinner etc. we meet at this martini bar downtown. It started just a couple of us but last year it was about 20 people. Anyone can come and bring anyone they want. The more the merrier. We stay until the place closes and drink and drink. We have the best time catching up and just enjoying being together.

We're usually pretty hung over on Christmas Day but our family has come to expect it. I just feel lucky to be a part of a family where we can have so much fun together, even if it is only one night a year.

[KrissyCat7]

We have a few traditions-

Each year my brothers and their families all gather at my one brother's house. We just hang out and have a few drinks and talk.

On Christmas Day my entire family comes to my parents house and we play a game called, "stinky grandmas gifts". What we do is each person wraps up a gift that they dont want, something they received, or something sitting around the house. Then we take turns choosing a gift, and trading them based on the feel and wrapping. Then we all open to find our sometimes useful, sometimes hideous gifts. Its always a lot of fun.

[CMTorie]

For the Tree Skirt I would imagine almost any type would work...and you'd have to use just any paint at Michaels that is safe for fabric (won't wash off). I'm sure it wouldn't take a whole lot of research to figure it out...I might start that this year.

Also...another tradition I heard that I like is to send the kids to bed...then...after they just fell asleep you pop popcorn...get the kids up and take them around the neighborhood looking at all the 'lit' homes while eating popcorn. After a few years they start to expect the trip...but each night they never know if that night will be the night.

[Kimberland30]

Christmas Tree Skirt...every year have the kids paint their hand and foot prints on the skirt and write their name/year below. Just keep adding to it each year!

That reminds me of what my grandma in CA did.

One year she took out a white tablecloth and her TriChem markers (anyone remember those from the late 70's and early 80's??). We'd draw pictures or sign on our name on the sheet. It was taken out each year and we added to it. All my extended family on my dad's side is in CA, so they got together often for the holidays.

[Rosebud]

Bumping this thread back up.

Our biggest family tradition is that we don't really do Christmas dinner-- we do an elaborate Christmas breakfast instead. We wake up, open presents, and then sit down to this amazing breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls, eggs, baked apples, sausage and all manner of yummy things. At each place setting is a Christmas Cracker, which we pop. We spend the breakfast wearing our paper crowns and reading the corny jokes that come in the cracker. As I've gotten older, this breakfast is by far my favorite part of the whole holiday.

The other fun tradition was that when my great aunt was still alive she would always hide presents (money) for us at my grandparents' house. It was a very elaborate game. There was an inital clue found in our stockings, and then we had to figure it out. One year, the bills were found inside specific ornaments on the tree (which had to be smashed to remove the money). One year they were glued inside the foil wrapping on chocolate bars. More recently there were found in wooden boxes which had to be turned to a specific angle to release a hidden drawer. They were always really complex, took forever to figure out, and became a total competition amongst our cousins. I really miss that.