What are your Christmas traditions?

[d_marsh]

Christmas for me started out as one thing, then became another, and is now becoming something entirely different again. This year I am going into the holiday with a ready made family who has their own traditions but also wants to incorporate some of mine too. Unfortunately my traditions all involve either carrying a rifle of carousing with my battle buddies or unattached women. So I need you to offer up some of your Christmas traditions for me to borrow from. Other than mixing dark rum and eggnog, I have that one covered.

One of their Christmas traditions is to open a single gift on Christmas eve, then open the rest on Christmas day. The gift they open on the 24th is always something inexpensive but meaningful. They do not have a traditional Christmas eve meal, but on Christmas day they always make a seasoned beef roast, usually ribeye roast or prime rib. So I may create a Christmas eve menu we can repeat annually.

 

[Spikedriver]

Growing up, Christmas Eve was always at my maternal grandmother's house. The meal was odd - we had chicken salad sandwiches in foil from the oven every year, along with Norwegian traditional foods like Kringla and Lefse.

Nowadays my parents and my siblings all try to get together, but my nieces and nephews have spread out all around the Midwest and even overseas. It seems that we can't get everyone together in the same place at the same time. We normally have a meal with a spiral ham and maybe a smoked turkey, much like Thanksgiving.

One thing we do every year, is rent a wheelchair van and take Mom out of the nursing home to drive around and look at Christmas lights. It's something she really enjoys.

 

[Cascadian]

Same here, one gift Christmas eve.

 

[snappy1]

I always loved looking at Christmas lights! We always got food from the local Chinese restaurant Christmas eve when we lived in FL. This year we will be getting the Christmas Eve Pizza! LOL

 

[Bacpacker]

Growing up my moms parents always came to our house on Christmas eve, food, presents, the whole nine yards. Christmas day my moms entire family gathered at my grandparents. And oh my lord you wouldn't believe the food. Mid afternoon we'd go to my step dad parents for the evening and another spread like you wouldn't believe. Those were the days.
Now, if we are home, we go to my parents on Christmas eve, and my sisters on Christmas day. Every other year we go to Michigan to the wife's sisters

 

[sonya123]

long time ago we asked the kids if they would rather see snow and learn to ski and snowboard , or have Christmas presents. They picked the snow, so we always went on a trip to a ski resort area, mostly Vermont ( long drive from Florida but my best friend lived in NJ and we stopped there on the way and they usually came along, that's why Vermont and not Colorado....)

this is where we spent most Christmases

http://www.stowe.com/the-mountain/mountain-conditions/mountain-cams.aspx

 

[Neb]

I hide until it is over.

It is a nice relaxing no stress day for me.

Ben

 

[UserNameTaken]

About the only one left is driving around looking at the pretty lights. I used to love walking through the super fancy Fashion Island mall in "New Porsche" Beach, CA on Christmas eve, at sunset as the stores were closing and the final shoppers scurrying around last minute. They always had the "tallest" tree in the country and beautiful decorations and light displays. People would be all dressed up and carols playing on the speakers. Sometimes carolers would wander about singing. As the stores closed, things would calm, then we'd head home to dinner.

 

[LadyLocust]

When the kids were still home, we would pick a random day in December (even a school night ) and have a “slumber party.” We’d take hot cocoa in the living room which had every blanket in the house it seemed and we’d watch a Christmas movie and sleep on the floor.
We adopted the tradition many years ago of some dear friends who were like family to me. His mom got tired of baking pies that everyone was too full to eat so she began serving dessert first. We have dessert about noon then dinner about 1:30.
I will probably think of more-
Oh we didn’t do an advent to Christmas but I did one for St Valentine’s Day. They each had a little mailbox and each day got a little Valentine in it of some sort. Then on SVD they got lots of goodies.

Hubby and I go each year about a week before Christmas and head up to the mountains and get a tree. I make real cocoa (with cream and cocoa nibs) and maybe a shot of (hiccup). Always look forward to that.

 

[Pearl]

Christmas for me started out as one thing, then became another, and is now becoming something entirely different again. This year I am going into the holiday with a ready made family who has their own traditions but also wants to incorporate some of mine too. Unfortunately my traditions all involve either carrying a rifle of carousing with my battle buddies or unattached women. So I need you to offer up some of your Christmas traditions for me to borrow from. Other than mixing dark rum and eggnog, I have that one covered.

One of their Christmas traditions is to open a single gift on Christmas eve, then open the rest on Christmas day. The gift they open on the 24th is always something inexpensive but meaningful. They do not have a traditional Christmas eve meal, but on Christmas day they always make a seasoned beef roast, usually ribeye roast or prime rib. So I may create a Christmas eve menu we can repeat annually.

You really NEED to start some type of new tradition! This is a VERY SPECIAL first Christmas together for you and the ladies!! You have renewed their faith in men and relationships! The young lady needs new traditions that she will carry with her through life!!

 

[DrHenley]

A "Happy Birthday Jesus Cake" (an apple cake with a candle). We sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blow out the candle.

 

[Magpie]

Christmas cards posted today! I've cut way back, but still sent 20 overseas, and about 30 here. Saw an article on them, shared here -

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2024/1202/1484280-christmas-cards-tradition-ireland/

In 1980s Ireland, the festive season was heralded by the daily arrival of Christmas cards, not decorations

These days, Christmas seems to come earlier each year. Before Halloween is even finished, festive products begin appearing in shops, while some people start to put up their decorations in November. When I was a child in the 1980s, houses were not decorated until mid-December. In their place, the festive season was heralded by the daily arrival of Christmas cards.

Sent by friends and family, from far and wide, they brightened up what Patrick Kavanagh referred to as an 'Advent darkened room'. Starting as a trickle of a few per day from the start of the month, their numbers increased to a daily deluge by Christmas, by which time the postman was truly deserving of his Christmas tip. While Christmas cards are popular worldwide, we've added our own unique Irish twist to the tradition in a number of ways.

Christmas cards are now a global multi-million-euro retail phenomenon. Although Christians have been wishing each other Christmas greetings for hundreds of years, the Christmas card is only a relatively recent invention. Britain’s Henry Cole is said to have invented them in 1843. Cole - hugely influential in design education - commissioned a printed card that offered season’s greetings to his wide social network, saving him handwriting many letters. It took a while for the idea to catch on, but throughout the 19th century, lower costs for postage as well as mass colour printing meant sending Christmas cards became affordable for more people and quite fashionable.

 

[old tex]

All we do for Christmas is shop the after Christmas sales. So I guess you could say our tradition is to spend money on stuff we don't need.

 

[d_marsh]

You really NEED to start some type of new tradition! This is a VERY SPECIAL first Christmas together for you and the ladies!! You have renewed their faith in men and relationships! The young lady needs new traditions that she will carry with her through life!!

So chicken noodle soup then?

That's what this thread is for, to give me some ideas. So far I am still drawing a blank.

 

[d_marsh]

.

 

[Pearl]

So chicken noodle soup then?

That's what this thread is for, to give me some ideas. So far I am still drawing a blank.

Think up some game or something to play on Christmas Eve as a family! Or make cookies together!

 

[Magpie]

So chicken noodle soup then?

That's what this thread is for, to give me some ideas. So far I am still drawing a blank.

It only has to be something small and simple. Like hot chocolate under the stars on Christmas Eve.
One of ours started accidentally when the children first started to shop for themselves, pocket money stuff. As both husband and I have a lot of brothers and sisters, (and some wealthy Americans) the children recieved quite a bit. I wanted them to appreciate small gifts, so the four of them would open family and 'Santa' gift first thing under the tree. Then, after dinner later in the day, they give their own presents to each other and husband and I. We usually play a stupid quiz game from years back also, It just slowed the whole event down, and as they grew up they still do it.
Once you are together, nothing else matters really. Enjoy, I would give a lot to go back to out first Christmas together, but I'm a bit of a romantic!

 

[d_marsh]

Think up some game or something to play on Christmas Eve as a family! Or make cookies together!

See, this is why I didn't want to have kids. We could have had naked Christmas with nothing but Santa hats, libations and the thermostat dialed up a few degrees. But nooooooooo.... she just had to reproduce. Maybe the girl can go to her boyfriends.

Once you are together, nothing else matters really. Enjoy, I would give a lot to go back to out first Christmas together, but I'm a bit of a romantic!

So you're saying organize a complex wide paintball tournament? Kidding. I am here making plans but there's a 99.9% chance the lady has already created a full holiday itinerary.

 

[Pearl]

See, this is why I didn't want to have kids. We could have had naked Christmas with nothing but Santa hats, libations and the thermostat dialed up a few degrees. But nooooooooo.... she just had to reproduce. Maybe the girl can go to her boyfriends.




So you're saying organize a complex wide paintball tournament? Kidding. I am here making plans but there's a 99.9% chance the lady has already created a full holiday itinerary.

NOPE, you need to start a Christmas tradition.....clothes on!! VERY important to include the young lady!! I can guarantee she is VERY MUCH looking forward to this first Christmas as a new family!! This is in chapter four of my book, "A Million and One Reasons I Don't Have Children"!!

 

[Amish Heart]

But kids are so fun at Christmas. Our five kids would get up earlier than we did (like at 4 am) and raid their stockings, filled with chocolate and small toys. When we got up a few hrs later, at least one of them would of thrown up already.
We do things for the Christmas lead up. I need to get cards ready to mail. Tree will be this weekend, and lights put out, too. Little granddaughter does a small tree lit up for the barn cats and they like to trash it. Pup will probably run off with it. We watch Christmas movies each night before. Will start next week. One after dinner. We used to go to a special church service, but husband isn't able to. So we'll do an at home reading. Prime Rib dinner Christmas eve. One present to open Christmas eve. The rest in the morning. Always buy an advent calendar for the kids. Little granddaughter likes the chocolate each night. Christmas day dinner around 4 pm....turkey and ham and lots of sides. Homemade dk chocolate cream pie. No fake cream allowed here. My job is the stocking stuffers, and husband does the on line ordering of whatever the kids want. Little granddaughter wants a guitar this year. Not sure what the others want yet.

 

[Peepaw from Tex]

Christmas Eve Texas Chili, make a wreath out of cornflakes think rice crispy treat add green food color. Decorate with red hots. Always have a big pot of Russian tea simmering on stove with orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves.

 

[Amish Heart]

We do the simmering of apple cider and spices. I can smell it now.

 

[Amish Heart]

We do the simmering of apple cider and spices. I can smell it now.
Hey D Marsh...you should bake something for your neighbors. That's a friendly thing to do. We have a Christmas cookie baking day. Then make up plates to give to the neighbors. Sometimes homemade nut breads, too. We just got peach cinnamon rolls yesterday (they were yuck, tho). Another neighbor made coffee cake that was excellent.

 

[SouthCentralUS]

Since you are all grown ups, it will have to be something meaningful to grown ups. My friend and his family all get together and serve meals to the veterans.

One of my grandsons has set out the nativity every year of his life since he was old enough that I trusted him with it. It dates from before his father's childhood. The prices on the bottom of some of the wise men is 59 cents, so that is a clue of how old it is.

My family has no small ones right now, but my grands all insist on certain dishes that I make for Christmas that they had growing up. If you have a special dish, that might start a tradition.

 

[Tim Horton]

When my kids were small we always had ..enough spaghetti for the navy.. or my world famous ..road kill stew.. for Christmas eve.. Some times the kids would do the blanket tent thing in front of the TV.. Our Christmas tree wasn't very big so that it would fit into a kids portable play pen.. This to keep the cats from trashing it immediately after it was put up. But by Christmas eve the cats had figured out how to get into the play pen so the tree looked pretty rough but the mess was reasonably contained in the play pen.. My big brothers girl friend would make red hot chilli and oyster stew for Christmas eve.. Also toxic brandy slushes that would peel the chrome off a pickup bumper..

Christmas in the far north of Canada when I lived there was special also.. All adults in the house then and each had a ..stocking.. that would get stuffed with all manor of small items.. There was a small out of the way neighborhood in town that was called ...Candy Cane Lane... Pretty much every house decorated yards to the max.. Strings of lights from tree to tree across the street and all.. My favorite was a big 2 story that had a plastic life size Santa on the edge of the roof and a string of yellow lights that arched from his belt buckle region to the ground..