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Your holiday traditions
Your holiday traditions
So, what are your families holiday traditions?
We've spent several Christmas in all parts of the US, but when we're home here our traditions are:
We open one gift on Christmas Eve.
Have a funny puzzle going on.
Drive around to see the outdoor lights at night.
Have homemade pastries on Christmas day.
Visit friends on Christmas day (we have no family here in CO...and many of our friends don't either...so we are all family here!)
Watch tons of movies.
Laugh, eat, enjoy the time together...
Have Swiss Fondue with wilted lettuce salad on Christmas day. Make Tapas (small plates) for Christmas Eve.
Chime in...we're intersted in your traditions.
We've spent several Christmas in all parts of the US, but when we're home here our traditions are:
We open one gift on Christmas Eve.
Have a funny puzzle going on.
Drive around to see the outdoor lights at night.
Have homemade pastries on Christmas day.
Visit friends on Christmas day (we have no family here in CO...and many of our friends don't either...so we are all family here!)
Watch tons of movies.
Laugh, eat, enjoy the time together...
Have Swiss Fondue with wilted lettuce salad on Christmas day. Make Tapas (small plates) for Christmas Eve.
Chime in...we're intersted in your traditions.
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greyhoundmom
- Posts: 978
- Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:06 pm
- Location: Columbia South Carolina
When the kids were still at home we'd open one gift on Christmas Eve and try to make it to 11:00 pm church for christmas music. For 30 years (I feel old!) we've been doing the week before Christmas for extended family, we've traveled to SC, FL, GA to attend these, usually fun with crazy gift exchanges. This year extended family is in Okatie SC at the family compound on the river (near Beaufort). My house on the 25th and 26th will be family members camping out in 3 extra rooms and couches. Always a big family brunch Christmas mid morning; shrimp and grits (it's a southern thing!), breakfast and cranberry casserole and then opening gifts. Happy holidays to all my forum guys! 
GHM
GHM
We meet at my Mom's in St Louis to go to her church for Christmas Eve Service.
Then to my Sister's house (right next door to my Mom's) where we have homemade pizza, salad and usually a delicious German dessert prepared by my niece's Mother-in-law.
Then open gifts one at a time, starting with the youngest, in an orderly fashion until it turns into a free for all with wrapping paper flying in all directions.
Then to my Sister's house (right next door to my Mom's) where we have homemade pizza, salad and usually a delicious German dessert prepared by my niece's Mother-in-law.
Then open gifts one at a time, starting with the youngest, in an orderly fashion until it turns into a free for all with wrapping paper flying in all directions.
Good traditions. Yes, getting everyone to church at 11:00 p.m Christmas eve is a beautiful site, but as the kids got older, we didn't push it. It was more in the spirit to stay home and share conversation.
Today, as the temps started at 4 degrees and decreased to 2, and snow continues to fall, I realized that one of my non-enjoyable holiday traditions was "putting on a winter coat", so to speak. I've been baking and eating all day...along with watching football. If it wasn't so cold out, I'd go for a run. Oh well...tis the season!
Trunk bay looks pretty darn good today.
Today, as the temps started at 4 degrees and decreased to 2, and snow continues to fall, I realized that one of my non-enjoyable holiday traditions was "putting on a winter coat", so to speak. I've been baking and eating all day...along with watching football. If it wasn't so cold out, I'd go for a run. Oh well...tis the season!
Trunk bay looks pretty darn good today.
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chicagoans
- Posts: 1586
- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:51 pm
- Location: IL
Our town has a tradition of doing luminaria (plain paper bags with sand on the bottom, one plain white candle in each bag) on Christmas Eve. This tradition was started decades ago, sometime in the 1930's or 1940's I think. Sales of the luminaria benefit our local chapter of Infant Welfare Society. Almost everyone gets a few dozen to place along the sidewalk in front of their house and up the driveway. They are so simple but beautiful.
One of our favorite family traditions is after church on Christmas Eve, we drive around town and look at all the lights and luminaria.
One of our favorite family traditions is after church on Christmas Eve, we drive around town and look at all the lights and luminaria.
Terry!
Here are our Danish traditions:
24. December is the most important day in Christmas with most similar traditions among people- first of all almost everyone celebrate Christmas together with family. For many years our family visited us Christmas Eve, but now our son and daughter in law have taken over.
For lunch some of us have rice pudding, which is an ingredient for the dessert Christmas Eve, during noon the tree will be decorated, and we prepare the food for the Eve and set a nice table. Some people are going to church.
We take nice cloth on for dinner; have roasted duck with white and brown potatoes, red cabbage and the prunes an apples which have been in the duck. The last 4 years we also have had stopped turkey, which is a tradition for our daughter in law’s family. Our dessert is “rice á la mande” (a typically Danish Christmas dessert) with warm cherry sauce. There is a whole almond put in the rice dessert, and the one who find it, gets a gift (sometimes we cheat a little and let the children “find” an almond). Then someone clean the table, and others put the gifts under the tree and light the candles. We sing some Christmas carols going around the tree holding hands. Then we got all the gifts, which can take a long time to pack out. After that coffee, candies, cookies etc. and about midnight everyone is very tired- of course the children have been put to bed before.
25. December is the day for the big eating and drinking in Denmark. We and our son and family are together with hubby’s family. This year we will be 14 grown up people and 8 children. The party starts about 14.00. First we have different fish dishes (herrings, salmon, shrimps etc.), then we have warm and cold dishes (party shells, roasted pork, ham with savoy carbage, liver pâté with bacon, etc.,etc.), and at last we have different cheese and fruit salad. There can perhaps be 20 different dishes during the meal, and of course it claims a lot of beer and schnaps. After this food orgy we again sing a Christmas song going around the tree, and then we play a game with gifts. Everyone bring 2 not too expensive gifts for the game.
26. December we spent together with a couple of good friends taking a walk and of course eat again. One year they visit us and next year we visit them.
New Year we spent together with old friends, eating, drinking and sometimes dancing. Some years we have been home, and other years we have been participating in an arrangement on a hotel or in a holiday village.
Linne
Here are our Danish traditions:
24. December is the most important day in Christmas with most similar traditions among people- first of all almost everyone celebrate Christmas together with family. For many years our family visited us Christmas Eve, but now our son and daughter in law have taken over.
For lunch some of us have rice pudding, which is an ingredient for the dessert Christmas Eve, during noon the tree will be decorated, and we prepare the food for the Eve and set a nice table. Some people are going to church.
We take nice cloth on for dinner; have roasted duck with white and brown potatoes, red cabbage and the prunes an apples which have been in the duck. The last 4 years we also have had stopped turkey, which is a tradition for our daughter in law’s family. Our dessert is “rice á la mande” (a typically Danish Christmas dessert) with warm cherry sauce. There is a whole almond put in the rice dessert, and the one who find it, gets a gift (sometimes we cheat a little and let the children “find” an almond). Then someone clean the table, and others put the gifts under the tree and light the candles. We sing some Christmas carols going around the tree holding hands. Then we got all the gifts, which can take a long time to pack out. After that coffee, candies, cookies etc. and about midnight everyone is very tired- of course the children have been put to bed before.
25. December is the day for the big eating and drinking in Denmark. We and our son and family are together with hubby’s family. This year we will be 14 grown up people and 8 children. The party starts about 14.00. First we have different fish dishes (herrings, salmon, shrimps etc.), then we have warm and cold dishes (party shells, roasted pork, ham with savoy carbage, liver pâté with bacon, etc.,etc.), and at last we have different cheese and fruit salad. There can perhaps be 20 different dishes during the meal, and of course it claims a lot of beer and schnaps. After this food orgy we again sing a Christmas song going around the tree, and then we play a game with gifts. Everyone bring 2 not too expensive gifts for the game.
26. December we spent together with a couple of good friends taking a walk and of course eat again. One year they visit us and next year we visit them.
New Year we spent together with old friends, eating, drinking and sometimes dancing. Some years we have been home, and other years we have been participating in an arrangement on a hotel or in a holiday village.
Linne
Our traditions have changed so much since my great grandmother passed away @ 10 years ago.
When she was alive, we gathered at her small house on Xmas Eve and had tons of Polish food and all the kids opended presents and everyone took some of "the host" (the communion wafer) before they left. We called my great grandmother Babci (grandmother) and she only spoke Polish. My grandmother (we call her Grammy
) and my Cioce (Aunt, but she is a great aunt, Grammy's sister), had to translate back and forth.
And we always got gifts from Building 19 from my Cioce. For those not familiar, this is a fire/flood rescue kinda store and things purchased there always have a specific smell. My Cioce is not poor, just cheap. It was fun to figure out what was from Builing 19 (sniff, sniff) and what was bought elsewhere.
Since Babci passed, Cioce didn't want to have Xmas Eve anymore, me and my brothers started getting significant others, then married and now they have kids up the wazoo.
Our traditons seem to change every year based on what we can and cannot accomplish that year. It's so crazy. It kinda takes the fun out of the holidays when you are stretched too thin.
Since hubby also has a very close family, we usually split up for the holidays so we can both enjoy our families instead of being rushed from one place to another.
When she was alive, we gathered at her small house on Xmas Eve and had tons of Polish food and all the kids opended presents and everyone took some of "the host" (the communion wafer) before they left. We called my great grandmother Babci (grandmother) and she only spoke Polish. My grandmother (we call her Grammy
) and my Cioce (Aunt, but she is a great aunt, Grammy's sister), had to translate back and forth.And we always got gifts from Building 19 from my Cioce. For those not familiar, this is a fire/flood rescue kinda store and things purchased there always have a specific smell
. My Cioce is not poor, just cheap. It was fun to figure out what was from Builing 19 (sniff, sniff) and what was bought elsewhere. Since Babci passed, Cioce didn't want to have Xmas Eve anymore, me and my brothers started getting significant others, then married and now they have kids up the wazoo.
Our traditons seem to change every year based on what we can and cannot accomplish that year. It's so crazy. It kinda takes the fun out of the holidays when you are stretched too thin.
Since hubby also has a very close family, we usually split up for the holidays so we can both enjoy our families instead of being rushed from one place to another.
On Christmas Eve, we travel to John's parents home. His family does secret santa, so we exchange those gifts, and usually have some light snacks. Later in the day, we all travel to John's aunt's house, where we have dinner and exchange gifts with his extended family.
Christmas morning, we get up early and travel to my sister's house. My parents and brother come too. My sister serves breakfast--the same thing every year: chive and brie strata, bacon, and tea. I bring a fruit plate, my mother brings her homemade Christmas rolls, and my father brings his coffee pot and makes coffee. My brother just shows up.
Then of course we have TONS of gifts for my niece and nephew, so we watch them open all of those. We only stay for about an hour or two, because that evening my sister hosts her inlaws for an early dinner and she needs time to get ready.
Later in the day, we gather at my parents house for dinner. I usually end up cooking. We exchange small gifts--usually stocking stuffers.
Then later that evening, John and I go back to our house and finally exchange our presents!
Christmas morning, we get up early and travel to my sister's house. My parents and brother come too. My sister serves breakfast--the same thing every year: chive and brie strata, bacon, and tea. I bring a fruit plate, my mother brings her homemade Christmas rolls, and my father brings his coffee pot and makes coffee. My brother just shows up.
Then of course we have TONS of gifts for my niece and nephew, so we watch them open all of those. We only stay for about an hour or two, because that evening my sister hosts her inlaws for an early dinner and she needs time to get ready.Later in the day, we gather at my parents house for dinner. I usually end up cooking. We exchange small gifts--usually stocking stuffers.
Then later that evening, John and I go back to our house and finally exchange our presents!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
We don't have any and I sort of hate it but with 2 familes and a few divorced siblings, it is always a logistical nightmare.
The only think that I wil not compromise on is Christmas morning. We sleep with the bedroom tree lights on. (I am such a little kid)
I get up SUPER early because I need to see what Santa brought. We have coffee and open our gifts with just us and the dogs.
After that, we may have to start cooking for his family or may have to get in the car and head out to someone's house but those 2 or 3 hours of just us is something that I will never give up.
The only think that I wil not compromise on is Christmas morning. We sleep with the bedroom tree lights on. (I am such a little kid)
I get up SUPER early because I need to see what Santa brought. We have coffee and open our gifts with just us and the dogs.
After that, we may have to start cooking for his family or may have to get in the car and head out to someone's house but those 2 or 3 hours of just us is something that I will never give up.
X, you have a tree in the bedroom? Hmmm I might have to get me one of those!
We always do Christmas Eve at my sister's. She has a fairly formal dinner for 10 or 12 I think. Then we used to have to help her play Santa for my niece - but the niece is 15 now ..... so......
Now my FIL comes to my sister's on Christmas Eve. It's nice that he's not alone but it means he sleeps over and Charlie takes him to his sister's on Christmas Day. It really breaks up our alone time but really not much I can do about it. I think he and I normally open presents very late on Christmas Eve but honestly I don't remember what we do year to year!
We always do Christmas Eve at my sister's. She has a fairly formal dinner for 10 or 12 I think. Then we used to have to help her play Santa for my niece - but the niece is 15 now ..... so......
Now my FIL comes to my sister's on Christmas Eve. It's nice that he's not alone but it means he sleeps over and Charlie takes him to his sister's on Christmas Day. It really breaks up our alone time but really not much I can do about it. I think he and I normally open presents very late on Christmas Eve but honestly I don't remember what we do year to year!
I have spent every Christmas in Indiana with my family. It was at my Grandparents' home and we had as many as 32 people at one time in a small one bathroom home. Since my Grandparents died, we still go to the area to a Holidome and meet as many family members as we can. It is now down to just my sisters and their families and my mom and her husband, not all of the cousins, aunts and uncles anymore.
Our tradition was to open presents on Christmas Eve. Santa would bring a stocking first. We would all have to go hide in the bedroom when Santa came and then my Grandpa would say HO HO HO. Then we would get the Santa presents at our home on Christmas morning (which sometimes was not Christmas day due to the travel).
New Year's eve we had a funny tradition for awhile with our friends. Between us we had five kids and they all wanted to stay up for New Years. So we would pretend like it was midnight at 10 pm, put them to bed and then have some adult partying time.
Our tradition was to open presents on Christmas Eve. Santa would bring a stocking first. We would all have to go hide in the bedroom when Santa came and then my Grandpa would say HO HO HO. Then we would get the Santa presents at our home on Christmas morning (which sometimes was not Christmas day due to the travel).
New Year's eve we had a funny tradition for awhile with our friends. Between us we had five kids and they all wanted to stay up for New Years. So we would pretend like it was midnight at 10 pm, put them to bed and then have some adult partying time.