What are your Christmas/Holiday Traditions?

[EvelynD2]

I love Christmas and all the festivities! I grew up with a German mom and we celebrated and opened our gifts on December 24th. As a kid, we put up our tree right before Christmas and left it up until New Year's Day. To me, as a child, it seemed it was only up a few days! I really thought my parents took it down right after Christmas but my older brother told me that the tree came down on New Year's Day. As an adult, I put our tree up around Thanksgiving and keep it up until I am tired of looking at it. It could be the middle or end of January if I feel like it! . Our kids and grandkids all come over for Christmas Eve and we have tons of food and open gifts. The youngest opens their gifts first and then it goes around the room until the oldest, my husband, opens his gifts last. I love hearing about family traditions and think it's not to late to start new ones! I would love to hear about your family traditions!!!

 

[KristinCB]

The biggest one in our family is that we play war with my family (my immediate family and parents, sister, nephew)

We all buy dollar store gifts and they're put into the middle of a pile, we play the card game war and people pick presents until there is nothing left and then we usually do a few rounds of stealing. The kids (even now at almost all adult age) love this more than actual Christmas morning I think.

 

[aussiegirl]

We don't do much leading up to Christmas that is a tradition (my husband works in the shipping industry, so Nov to Jan is crazy busy for him).

We recently started Christmas Eve pajamas (like in the last 8-10 years or so), and the girls enjoy those. On Christmas morning, the girls wake up first. They can open their stockings and any gifts in them while they eat breakfast. The girls say that my husband and I go slow and make excuses, but it's mostly just trying to not rush everything in the first 10 minutes of the day! Everyone has to be dressed and eaten breakfast, then we pass out all the gifts. Our girls do what we call "secret sister" where they are each assigned one sister to shop for. We started this when they were young, to help keep the focus of Christmas on others, and it helped our budget too! The girls open their Secret Sister gifts first (trying to guess who had who). Then my husband and I open the gifts from the girls. In our family, only one person opens a gift at a time. It may take a little longer, but it helps with photos, it helps for each person to see what everyone got, and it helps to see the reaction of those you got gifts for; it's also less hectic that way!

We buy the girls 4 gifts: want, need, wear, read. We sometimes throw an extra gift or family gifts in there too. We also get creative with read (I have one who isn't quite a reader, so read can be directions to an item, a watch or a board game). Once all the gifts are opened, we have a snack lunch- crackers, cheese blocks and spreads, summer sausage, and grinch juice. Snack foods I don't have to spend a lot of time with.

With how busy Christmas is for my husband, we try to keep the actual day stress free and family focused.

 

[Brendazzle]

My family does an annual Hanukkah party, starting with making Hanukkah cookies. The tradition started when my mom was a kid and my son is now generation 3 of ridiculous amounts of sprinkles. There's lemon dough, chocolate dough, and the last batch is always the two doughs swirled together. Zero waste if we can help it! It's also tradition that if you don't get a latke as soon as they hit the table, you might not get one. As the "kids" have aged out of receiving presents, the adults now have a white elephant gift exchange.

My husband's family celebrates Christmas so he and I have made a few traditions of our own. We always watch Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve - which started on our son's first Christmas, when we were shivering in the hotel in Atlanta the night before we went to the Georgia Aquarium - and try not to sing until he falls asleep. Christmas morning is just the 3 of us: opening a few presents from his family, making breakfast, and generally just soaking in some peace and quiet around the tree.

My mom and brother like to join us for either Chinese food (traditional), Thai, or pho (also started for my son's first Christmas) for dinner Christmas Eve *and* Christmas Day. We also would sometimes go to the movies on Christmas Day to see Star Wars movies. I miss that a little bit but not enough to try to host a marathon at our house

 

[EvelynD2]

The biggest one in our family is that we play war with my family (my immediate family and parents, sister, nephew)

We all buy dollar store gifts and they're put into the middle of a pile, we play the card game war and people pick presents until there is nothing left and then we usually do a few rounds of stealing. The kids (even now at almost all adult age) love this more than actual Christmas morning I think.

That sounds like such a fun idea! I might have to steal this idea to use for our family!

 

[EvelynD2]

We don't do much leading up to Christmas that is a tradition (my husband works in the shipping industry, so Nov to Jan is crazy busy for him).

We recently started Christmas Eve pajamas (like in the last 8-10 years or so), and the girls enjoy those. On Christmas morning, the girls wake up first. They can open their stockings and any gifts in them while they eat breakfast. The girls say that my husband and I go slow and make excuses, but it's mostly just trying to not rush everything in the first 10 minutes of the day! Everyone has to be dressed and eaten breakfast, then we pass out all the gifts. Our girls do what we call "secret sister" where they are each assigned one sister to shop for. We started this when they were young, to help keep the focus of Christmas on others, and it helped our budget too! The girls open their Secret Sister gifts first (trying to guess who had who). Then my husband and I open the gifts from the girls. In our family, only one person opens a gift at a time. It may take a little longer, but it helps with photos, it helps for each person to see what everyone got, and it helps to see the reaction of those you got gifts for; it's also less hectic that way!

We buy the girls 4 gifts: want, need, wear, read. We sometimes throw an extra gift or family gifts in there too. We also get creative with read (I have one who isn't quite a reader, so read can be directions to an item, a watch or a board game). Once all the gifts are opened, we have a snack lunch- crackers, cheese blocks and spreads, summer sausage, and grinch juice. Snack foods I don't have to spend a lot of time with.

With how busy Christmas is for my husband, we try to keep the actual day stress free and family focused.

You have so many wonderful family traditions, Dawn! I love that you do "secret sister" gifts and that you do want, need, wear and read. This is such a wonderful idea and a good way to foster the love of reading!

 

[EvelynD2]

My family does an annual Hanukkah party, starting with making Hanukkah cookies. The tradition started when my mom was a kid and my son is now generation 3 of ridiculous amounts of sprinkles. There's lemon dough, chocolate dough, and the last batch is always the two doughs swirled together. Zero waste if we can help it! It's also tradition that if you don't get a latke as soon as they hit the table, you might not get one. As the "kids" have aged out of receiving presents, the adults now have a white elephant gift exchange.

My husband's family celebrates Christmas so he and I have made a few traditions of our own. We always watch Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve - which started on our son's first Christmas, when we were shivering in the hotel in Atlanta the night before we went to the Georgia Aquarium - and try not to sing until he falls asleep. Christmas morning is just the 3 of us: opening a few presents from his family, making breakfast, and generally just soaking in some peace and quiet around the tree.

My mom and brother like to join us for either Chinese food (traditional), Thai, or pho (also started for my son's first Christmas) for dinner Christmas Eve *and* Christmas Day. We also would sometimes go to the movies on Christmas Day to see Star Wars movies. I miss that a little bit but not enough to try to host a marathon at our house

It sounds like there are so many fun holiday traditions at your house! I love that you started watching "The Muppet Christmas Movie" for your son's first Christmas and do that every year. I wish we had done that when our kids were little. We did watch Rudolph and Frosty but not a specific movie each year. I have heard of families going out for Chinese food on Christmas and think that is so cool!

 

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

We have Cookie Day within the week to just a few days before Christmas. It was something we did with Mama. We didn't do it last year because she had just passed, but we are going to try to do a mini cookie day as time is running out!

Christmas Eve lunch used to be at my Grandma Dorothy's house (the house we live in now). She always made gumbo and hoe cakes and then the rest of us would make other sides. We started having Christmas Eve at my Mama's after Grandma passed in 2018, but now it's something that we don't do.

Christmas Eve dinner is always at Daddy and Karen's (my step-mom). We've made pizzas, had appetizers, sandwiches, prime rib, etc., but the past few years Daddy has made chicken and sausage gumbo. We open presents after we eat. We have played a lot of silly games over the years, but now that the kiddos have grown up, we have less of that.

Christmas morning has been at our house since Olivia was born. My Mama and my sister Anna have always joined us, and then my Grandma Dorothy and my Aunt Nonie started coming too. We would have a big breakfast and then open gifts. Sometimes we do the free-for-all, everyone opening their presents, but I do prefer when we take turns so we can see what everyone has received.

Christmas dinner has always been at my mother-in-law Judy's, but it's been at my niece Vanessa's house for the past few years. Judy is now 80 and so it's nice for her to just relax and have someone else do the cooking.

By this point, we're all worn out and don't want to talk to anyone else. We usually stay up a bit late and enjoy a hobby or two, and then the next day it remains quiet.

New Year's Eve has been spent in many different ways over the years, but now we stay at home and most of the time order in Chinese food.

I think typing all of this out makes me want to share with others to really enjoy the time you have with family - even if you are overwhelmed. I've learned that special times with loved ones can so quickly be taken from us. I'm so glad that I also have loads of memories to look back on, so take the photos, document the memories!

 

[LynnZant]

Cookie decorating. I wasn't sure my girls wanted to this year, but my younger one requested it, so I spent Friday baking another double batch of cutouts. My older one didn't get home until later Saturday, so we stared decorating after dinner. Leaving my colored icing stored in bags for a week turned it into pretty much water, but no one cared. We had a good time, and I laughed so hard that I was crying at some of their antics. I think that I'll bake as long as I'm physically able.

 

[EvelynD2]

We have Cookie Day within the week to just a few days before Christmas. It was something we did with Mama. We didn't do it last year because she had just passed, but we are going to try to do a mini cookie day as time is running out!

Christmas Eve lunch used to be at my Grandma Dorothy's house (the house we live in now). She always made gumbo and hoe cakes and then the rest of us would make other sides. We started having Christmas Eve at my Mama's after Grandma passed in 2018, but now it's something that we don't do.

Christmas Eve dinner is always at Daddy and Karen's (my step-mom). We've made pizzas, had appetizers, sandwiches, prime rib, etc., but the past few years Daddy has made chicken and sausage gumbo. We open presents after we eat. We have played a lot of silly games over the years, but now that the kiddos have grown up, we have less of that.

Christmas morning has been at our house since Olivia was born. My Mama and my sister Anna have always joined us, and then my Grandma Dorothy and my Aunt Nonie started coming too. We would have a big breakfast and then open gifts. Sometimes we do the free-for-all, everyone opening their presents, but I do prefer when we take turns so we can see what everyone has received.

Christmas dinner has always been at my mother-in-law Judy's, but it's been at my niece Vanessa's house for the past few years. Judy is now 80 and so it's nice for her to just relax and have someone else do the cooking.

By this point, we're all worn out and don't want to talk to anyone else. We usually stay up a bit late and enjoy a hobby or two, and then the next day it remains quiet.

New Year's Eve has been spent in many different ways over the years, but now we stay at home and most of the time order in Chinese food.

I think typing all of this out makes me want to share with others to really enjoy the time you have with family - even if you are overwhelmed. I've learned that special times with loved ones can so quickly be taken from us. I'm so glad that I also have loads of memories to look back on, so take the photos, document the memories!

Cheryl, I loved reading about what you and your family do for Christmas! I know it is hard as we get older and start losing family members. It's also important to carry on traditions for the next generation. Your advice is so true and such good advice! I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!

 

[EvelynD2]

Cookie decorating. I wasn't sure my girls wanted to this year, but my younger one requested it, so I spent Friday baking another double batch of cutouts. My older one didn't get home until later Saturday, so we stared decorating after dinner. Leaving my colored icing stored in bags for a week turned it into pretty much water, but no one cared. We had a good time, and I laughed so hard that I was crying at some of their antics. I think that I'll bake as long as I'm physically able.

This is a wonderful tradition, Lynn! I am so glad that your kids also love to take part and that it means so much to them. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

 

[SweetChar]

I've enjoyed reading your posts. It's nice seeing what others do with their families.

Our routines/traditions have changed here and there over the years as my fellas have grown. When Ethan, Hunter and Nathan were really young, they opened wrapped gifts from other family members (aunts, uncles, grandparents) and the ones from Rich and I on Christmas Eve. Then the things that Santa brought were waiting (unwrapped) in three different areas of the living room (not too far apart, but easy to tell which child each area was for) on Christmas morning. Somewhere along the way, there were no more Santa gifts and everything was wrapped. They would open one gift on Christmas Eve and everything else Christmas morning. Actually, two gifts 'cause one was new pajamas. And, "Santa" still filled their stockings.

Now... Ethan and Hunter come over to stay the night Christmas Eve and the 3 fellas have decided to just open the new pajamas and save everything else for Christmas morning.

We've always made cutout cookies to decorate. Usually just sugar cookies but once in a while some gingerbread, too. They stopped decorating gingerbread houses a number of years ago. Probably before our dog, Rocky, joined our family. I don't have any place to put a finished gingerbread house on display that he could be trusted around. lol

Every holiday lately I wonder, "Will this be the last one with the five of us together?" Both of my older fellas have had their girlfriends for several years and one, a little more than the other, has pretty much said they plan to get married when he's done with law school. I shouldn't wonder what the future will hold... just enjoy the present. Oh...meaning, the routines will change. Any future daughter-in-law will have her family to spend time with, too. And they will want to start their own family traditions, etc. Which is how it should be. I just haven't had to deal yet with all 3 of my fellas not being together with us for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. and I know that day will come. Anyway...

One tradition we have had began in Rich's family when he was a little fella. They had a Christmas song book that was published as advertising for some business. It has about 12-14 or so carols in it. Sheet music style. In the middle is the Christmas Story from the Bible. We have a stack of these old, copied & stapled song "books." (The original was copied and enlarged onto regular printer paper.) On Christmas Eve before any gifts were/are opened, we sing through the carols. When the fellas were young, we probably only sang the first verse (and chorus.) Recently, we've sang 3 out of 4 verses. Maybe we'll do all 4 this year. When we get to the Christmas story, Rich used to read it. Now, one of the guys jumps in and starts reading it. I never know which one is going to pipe up and start reading it from year to year. lol That tradition is actually one of our favorite parts of Christmas. I think with the guys growing up with it, they truly appreciate/enjoy it, too.

Rich and I teach the 3rd grade Sunday school class at our church. We pulled out some freshly printed "books" for our students today and we all sang through 2 verses of each song. I sent them home with the books to keep. I should look into some nicer way to print them/bind them before my guys get married and gift them with a stack of their own.

Well, I've rambled quite a bit here. lol

Looks like last year they must have wanted to get into their pajamas before we sang. (The picture details do show it was 9:00 pm) You can see the song "books" in their hands.

Merry Christmas! :hugs:

 

[Meliora]

The biggest one in our family is that we play war with my family (my immediate family and parents, sister, nephew)

We all buy dollar store gifts and they're put into the middle of a pile, we play the card game war and people pick presents until there is nothing left and then we usually do a few rounds of stealing. The kids (even now at almost all adult age) love this more than actual Christmas morning I think.

My mom started this for us a couple of years ago and it's so much fun! My kids are 15, 16 and 7 so they still get their usual gifts from family, but the adults have foregone gifts among each other in favor of this game. We use dice though instead of cards. 2 years ago my grandfather joined in aswell and he had so much fun!


As I live in Norway we do christmas dinner around 4 on the 24th and after washing dishes and dessert we open the gifts with the whole family present. Kids are getting bigger now, but when they were smaller they got to tired and had to save some gifts for later.
We eat "ribbe" (pork belly, I think?), but the dinner is different from where in Norway you are located.

 

[EvelynD2]

I've enjoyed reading your posts. It's nice seeing what others do with their families.

Our routines/traditions have changed here and there over the years as my fellas have grown. When Ethan, Hunter and Nathan were really young, they opened wrapped gifts from other family members (aunts, uncles, grandparents) and the ones from Rich and I on Christmas Eve. Then the things that Santa brought were waiting (unwrapped) in three different areas of the living room (not too far apart, but easy to tell which child each area was for) on Christmas morning. Somewhere along the way, there were no more Santa gifts and everything was wrapped. They would open one gift on Christmas Eve and everything else Christmas morning. Actually, two gifts 'cause one was new pajamas. And, "Santa" still filled their stockings.

Now... Ethan and Hunter come over to stay the night Christmas Eve and the 3 fellas have decided to just open the new pajamas and save everything else for Christmas morning.

We've always made cutout cookies to decorate. Usually just sugar cookies but once in a while some gingerbread, too. They stopped decorating gingerbread houses a number of years ago. Probably before our dog, Rocky, joined our family. I don't have any place to put a finished gingerbread house on display that he could be trusted around. lol

Every holiday lately I wonder, "Will this be the last one with the five of us together?" Both of my older fellas have had their girlfriends for several years and one, a little more than the other, has pretty much said they plan to get married when he's done with law school. I shouldn't wonder what the future will hold... just enjoy the present. Oh...meaning, the routines will change. Any future daughter-in-law will have her family to spend time with, too. And they will want to start their own family traditions, etc. Which is how it should be. I just haven't had to deal yet with all 3 of my fellas not being together with us for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. and I know that day will come. Anyway...

One tradition we have had began in Rich's family when he was a little fella. They had a Christmas song book that was published as advertising for some business. It has about 12-14 or so carols in it. Sheet music style. In the middle is the Christmas Story from the Bible. We have a stack of these old, copied & stapled song "books." (The original was copied and enlarged onto regular printer paper.) On Christmas Eve before any gifts were/are opened, we sing through the carols. When the fellas were young, we probably only sang the first verse (and chorus.) Recently, we've sang 3 out of 4 verses. Maybe we'll do all 4 this year. When we get to the Christmas story, Rich used to read it. Now, one of the guys jumps in and starts reading it. I never know which one is going to pipe up and start reading it from year to year. lol That tradition is actually one of our favorite parts of Christmas. I think with the guys growing up with it, they truly appreciate/enjoy it, too.

Rich and I teach the 3rd grade Sunday school class at our church. We pulled out some freshly printed "books" for our students today and we all sang through 2 verses of each song. I sent them home with the books to keep. I should look into some nicer way to print them/bind them before my guys get married and gift them with a stack of their own.

Well, I've rambled quite a bit here. lol

Looks like last year they must have wanted to get into their pajamas before we sang. (The picture details do show it was 9:00 pm) You can see the song "books" in their hands.

Merry Christmas! :hugs:

Oh, Char! What wonderful family traditions! I wish that we had done Christmas pajamas when my kids were young. I think Christmas pajama photos are so awesome! I think it's wonderful that you have Christmas carol booklets for your family and that you had them for your Sunday School class! I think so many children don't get the chance to learn the traditional carols.

 

[EvelynD2]

My mom started this for us a couple of years ago and it's so much fun! My kids are 15, 16 and 7 so they still get their usual gifts from family, but the adults have foregone gifts among each other in favor of this game. We use dice though instead of cards. 2 years ago my grandfather joined in aswell and he had so much fun!


As I live in Norway we do christmas dinner around 4 on the 24th and after washing dishes and dessert we open the gifts with the whole family present. Kids are getting bigger now, but when they were smaller they got to tired and had to save some gifts for later.
We eat "ribbe" (pork belly, I think?), but the dinner is different from where in Norway you are located.

I loved reading about your family traditions, Tine! I think that game sounds like so much fun and would love to try it with my family as well. I think it's great that you have a traditional meal that you have for Christmas. I think family traditions are so important and so important to pass down to our children and grandchildren!

 

[MamaBee]

haha - German background here, too.

My son loves, loves traditions and up until this year, we had so many that we did in December that we had to switch to "christmas school" (meaning we stopped our regular curriculum and focused on unit studies around Christmas and other holidays of the month). But this year... kiddo is in college and I'm working full time. The only thing I did was elf on the shelf (but at work with my co-workers, haha). If they dont' think I'm crazy to begin with... but toward the end of the month, many were looking forward to what Chris was doing. (I had a whole write up on what was happening.)

Christmas Eve, though stays the same year after year... Around noon on Christmas Eve we (hubby, son and I) open our Christmas Gifts. Then mid afternoon we go to my parents for dinner and gift opening. Then it is to Candlelight Church Service (my son plays viola in the quartet. This is his third or fourth year.) Then after church we go to gas station for hot cocoa and drive around looking at Christmas lights. Then back home, kiddo gets his Christmas Jammies.

Christmas Day, kiddo gets his gift "from Santa" and we open stockings. Then at noon my husband's side comes to our house (we have hosted Christmas for 18 years) and my parents join. It's just more of a eat when you want to eat... we open gifts... some years we play Bingo, but the last few years it has become a thing and the fun is gone. I'm not feeling it this year.

 

[Saar]

Cookie decorating. I wasn't sure my girls wanted to this year, but my younger one requested it, so I spent Friday baking another double batch of cutouts. My older one didn't get home until later Saturday, so we stared decorating after dinner. Leaving my colored icing stored in bags for a week turned it into pretty much water, but no one cared. We had a good time, and I laughed so hard that I was crying at some of their antics. I think that I'll bake as long as I'm physically able.

I love seeing your cookie baking layouts! I wish I lived closer, I would love to come over and join in on the fun. (And taste the cookies of course).

 

[Saar]

We have Cookie Day within the week to just a few days before Christmas. It was something we did with Mama. We didn't do it last year because she had just passed, but we are going to try to do a mini cookie day as time is running out!

Christmas Eve lunch used to be at my Grandma Dorothy's house (the house we live in now). She always made gumbo and hoe cakes and then the rest of us would make other sides. We started having Christmas Eve at my Mama's after Grandma passed in 2018, but now it's something that we don't do.

Christmas Eve dinner is always at Daddy and Karen's (my step-mom). We've made pizzas, had appetizers, sandwiches, prime rib, etc., but the past few years Daddy has made chicken and sausage gumbo. We open presents after we eat. We have played a lot of silly games over the years, but now that the kiddos have grown up, we have less of that.

Christmas morning has been at our house since Olivia was born. My Mama and my sister Anna have always joined us, and then my Grandma Dorothy and my Aunt Nonie started coming too. We would have a big breakfast and then open gifts. Sometimes we do the free-for-all, everyone opening their presents, but I do prefer when we take turns so we can see what everyone has received.

Christmas dinner has always been at my mother-in-law Judy's, but it's been at my niece Vanessa's house for the past few years. Judy is now 80 and so it's nice for her to just relax and have someone else do the cooking.

By this point, we're all worn out and don't want to talk to anyone else. We usually stay up a bit late and enjoy a hobby or two, and then the next day it remains quiet.

New Year's Eve has been spent in many different ways over the years, but now we stay at home and most of the time order in Chinese food.

I think typing all of this out makes me want to share with others to really enjoy the time you have with family - even if you are overwhelmed. I've learned that special times with loved ones can so quickly be taken from us. I'm so glad that I also have loads of memories to look back on, so take the photos, document the memories!

You have some beautiful traditions, Cheryl. I loved reading them. :wub:

 

[Saar]

I've enjoyed reading your posts. It's nice seeing what others do with their families.

Our routines/traditions have changed here and there over the years as my fellas have grown. When Ethan, Hunter and Nathan were really young, they opened wrapped gifts from other family members (aunts, uncles, grandparents) and the ones from Rich and I on Christmas Eve. Then the things that Santa brought were waiting (unwrapped) in three different areas of the living room (not too far apart, but easy to tell which child each area was for) on Christmas morning. Somewhere along the way, there were no more Santa gifts and everything was wrapped. They would open one gift on Christmas Eve and everything else Christmas morning. Actually, two gifts 'cause one was new pajamas. And, "Santa" still filled their stockings.

Now... Ethan and Hunter come over to stay the night Christmas Eve and the 3 fellas have decided to just open the new pajamas and save everything else for Christmas morning.

We've always made cutout cookies to decorate. Usually just sugar cookies but once in a while some gingerbread, too. They stopped decorating gingerbread houses a number of years ago. Probably before our dog, Rocky, joined our family. I don't have any place to put a finished gingerbread house on display that he could be trusted around. lol

Every holiday lately I wonder, "Will this be the last one with the five of us together?" Both of my older fellas have had their girlfriends for several years and one, a little more than the other, has pretty much said they plan to get married when he's done with law school. I shouldn't wonder what the future will hold... just enjoy the present. Oh...meaning, the routines will change. Any future daughter-in-law will have her family to spend time with, too. And they will want to start their own family traditions, etc. Which is how it should be. I just haven't had to deal yet with all 3 of my fellas not being together with us for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. and I know that day will come. Anyway...

One tradition we have had began in Rich's family when he was a little fella. They had a Christmas song book that was published as advertising for some business. It has about 12-14 or so carols in it. Sheet music style. In the middle is the Christmas Story from the Bible. We have a stack of these old, copied & stapled song "books." (The original was copied and enlarged onto regular printer paper.) On Christmas Eve before any gifts were/are opened, we sing through the carols. When the fellas were young, we probably only sang the first verse (and chorus.) Recently, we've sang 3 out of 4 verses. Maybe we'll do all 4 this year. When we get to the Christmas story, Rich used to read it. Now, one of the guys jumps in and starts reading it. I never know which one is going to pipe up and start reading it from year to year. lol That tradition is actually one of our favorite parts of Christmas. I think with the guys growing up with it, they truly appreciate/enjoy it, too.

Rich and I teach the 3rd grade Sunday school class at our church. We pulled out some freshly printed "books" for our students today and we all sang through 2 verses of each song. I sent them home with the books to keep. I should look into some nicer way to print them/bind them before my guys get married and gift them with a stack of their own.

Well, I've rambled quite a bit here. lol

Looks like last year they must have wanted to get into their pajamas before we sang. (The picture details do show it was 9:00 pm) You can see the song "books" in their hands.

Merry Christmas! :hugs:

Beautiful story, Charlene!
I wish you many more Christmas Eve's with the five of you together. :wub:

 

[Saar]

We will have a quiet Christmas Eve this year. Ward just left for work (it is 7 a.m. here now). We already opened gifts with the four of us and had a nice raclette just a few days ago.

We will spend Christmas day at mom parents' house. We will first open gifts (my mom, dad, brother, his wife and us). After we opened gifts, my uncle and his wife will join us for teppanyaki.

Boxing day we spend at our house. It's starting to become a tradition that I bake brussels waffles (my family in law loves them). I am not very good at baking and decorating cookies, but my Brussels waffles are the best apprently. Lol.
They come over around 11 a.m. We eat and then we play games. The winner of a game can open a gift.

Fast forward to New Years' Eve.
In the morning of New Years' Eve kids go from house to house singing their New Years Wishes to the neighbours. In return they get money. You can compare it with Trick Or Treat on Halloween.
It was my absolute favorite childhood tradition. I used to go singing with my best friend who lived in our neighbourhood.
Now this year, it is the first time I take Finn singing. We've been practicing songs for a month. I am so excited and I hope he will love it as much as I did as a kid. There is no tradition of kids singing New Years Songs in the area I live now, so we'll be singing in my parents neighbourhood. The neighbourhood I grew up in.

In the afternoon we return home and have a quiet evening at home with snacks.

We will spend New Years Day at my parents house. We'll have a brunch with my parents, my brother and his wife, Ward, Finn and I. Finn will 'read' his New Years Letter to my mom (his godmother) and he'll recieve a New Years gift in return.

 

[Natascha]

Love reading all your stories and traditions :wub:

Mine starts with wachting the show "All you need is love" on the television on Christmas eve...BF doesn't like all that sentimental stuff so he will do his own thing OOPS hahaha

First day is just the two of us, quiet and easy going with some yummie food
in the evening and on the second Christmas day my family (parents, little brother and my daughter with a friend) will come over here for the first time like ever.

This is our second Christmas together :wub: Things have changed a lot due to some uhmm issues unfortunally...it will be a very strange Christmas this year, but it is what it is...

On January the 2nd we are leaving for a cruise we got from my parents as a gift :wub:

 

[LynnZant]

I love seeing your cookie baking layouts! I wish I lived closer, I would love to come over and join in on the fun. (And taste the cookies of course).

:hugs:

 

[EvelynD2]

haha - German background here, too.

My son loves, loves traditions and up until this year, we had so many that we did in December that we had to switch to "christmas school" (meaning we stopped our regular curriculum and focused on unit studies around Christmas and other holidays of the month). But this year... kiddo is in college and I'm working full time. The only thing I did was elf on the shelf (but at work with my co-workers, haha). If they dont' think I'm crazy to begin with... but toward the end of the month, many were looking forward to what Chris was doing. (I had a whole write up on what was happening.)

Christmas Eve, though stays the same year after year... Around noon on Christmas Eve we (hubby, son and I) open our Christmas Gifts. Then mid afternoon we go to my parents for dinner and gift opening. Then it is to Candlelight Church Service (my son plays viola in the quartet. This is his third or fourth year.) Then after church we go to gas station for hot cocoa and drive around looking at Christmas lights. Then back home, kiddo gets his Christmas Jammies.

Christmas Day, kiddo gets his gift "from Santa" and we open stockings. Then at noon my husband's side comes to our house (we have hosted Christmas for 18 years) and my parents join. It's just more of a eat when you want to eat... we open gifts... some years we play Bingo, but the last few years it has become a thing and the fun is gone. I'm not feeling it this year.

It's wonderful that your family has so many wonderful family traditions! I thing it's so fun that you did the Elf on the Shelf at work! It always makes the day more exciting to do things like that! . I have thought about playing board games but don't know if all of my family would go for it.

 

[EvelynD2]

Love reading all your stories and traditions :wub:

Mine starts with wachting the show "All you need is love" on the television on Christmas eve...BF doesn't like all that sentimental stuff so he will do his own thing OOPS hahaha

First day is just the two of us, quiet and easy going with some yummie food
in the evening and on the second Christmas day my family (parents, little brother and my daughter with a friend) will come over here for the first time like ever.

This is our second Christmas together :wub: Things have changed a lot due to some uhmm issues unfortunally...it will be a very strange Christmas this year, but it is what it is...

On January the 2nd we are leaving for a cruise we got from my parents as a gift :wub:

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and lots of fun on your cruise!

 

[KristinCB]

Fast forward to New Years' Eve.
In the morning of New Years' Eve kids go from house to house singing their New Years Wishes to the neighbours. In return they get money. You can compare it with Trick Or Treat on Halloween.
It was my absolute favorite childhood tradition. I used to go singing with my best friend who lived in our neighbourhood.
Now this year, it is the first time I take Finn singing. We've been practicing songs for a month. I am so excited and I hope he will love it as much as I did as a kid. There is no tradition of kids singing New Years Songs in the area I live now, so we'll be singing in my parents neighbourhood. The neighbourhood I grew up in.

This is the sweetest thing ever :wub:

 

[lovely1m]

My little family only has a couple of traditions. We always watch The Santa Clause with our presents and we always go out for sushi on Eve or Day.

 

[EvelynD2]

We will have a quiet Christmas Eve this year. Ward just left for work (it is 7 a.m. here now). We already opened gifts with the four of us and had a nice raclette just a few days ago.

We will spend Christmas day at mom parents' house. We will first open gifts (my mom, dad, brother, his wife and us). After we opened gifts, my uncle and his wife will join us for teppanyaki.

Boxing day we spend at our house. It's starting to become a tradition that I bake brussels waffles (my family in law loves them). I am not very good at baking and decorating cookies, but my Brussels waffles are the best apprently. Lol.
They come over around 11 a.m. We eat and then we play games. The winner of a game can open a gift.

Fast forward to New Years' Eve.
In the morning of New Years' Eve kids go from house to house singing their New Years Wishes to the neighbours. In return they get money. You can compare it with Trick Or Treat on Halloween.
It was my absolute favorite childhood tradition. I used to go singing with my best friend who lived in our neighbourhood.
Now this year, it is the first time I take Finn singing. We've been practicing songs for a month. I am so excited and I hope he will love it as much as I did as a kid. There is no tradition of kids singing New Years Songs in the area I live now, so we'll be singing in my parents neighbourhood. The neighbourhood I grew up in.

In the afternoon we return home and have a quiet evening at home with snacks.

We will spend New Years Day at my parents house. We'll have a brunch with my parents, my brother and his wife, Ward, Finn and I. Finn will 'read' his New Years Letter to my mom (his godmother) and he'll recieve a New Years gift in return.

Sarah, I loved reading about your family's traditions! I especially loved reading about children going around and singing on New Year's Eve! I think it is wonderful that you are taking Finn to your parent's home to sing in the neighborhood where you grew up! I also think it's wonderful that you spend New Year's Day with your parents!

 

[EvelynD2]

My little family only has a couple of traditions. We always watch The Santa Clause with our presents and we always go out for sushi on Eve or Day.

Mari, those sound like such fun traditions! I was just asking our older daughter yesterday if the Japanese restaurant in our town was open today. I thought it would be a fun new tradition to start!

 

[LeeAndra]

We have sooooo many Christmas traditions. :wub:

We celebrate St. Nicholas Day by putting out wooden shoes that we bought from Holland (MI -- not the real one! LOL!) under the tree & the kids wake up to a new book & candy. There's a neighborhood close by known for their Christmas lights that we drive through in the weeks before Christmas. We bake Christmas cookies with my mom, and this year, my 16yo went over every Wednesday night in December to help bake cookies as my mom makes some for her neighbors, her church friends, etc. in addition to the ones that our family eats Christmas Eve & Day. Everyone has their own Advent calendar (this year's assortment included cheese, chocolate, hot cocoa mixes, & toys for the dogs). We have a small wooden manger under our tree & most nights in December we write something we are grateful for on a little piece of paper and put it in the manger with them being read aloud on Christmas Day and then taped into a binder for safekeeping. The kids get a special ornament every year that's significant of something that has happened in their life that year, and for the last 5 years or so, my cousin has made these ornaments so they are one-of-a-kind.

On Christmas Eve, we go to my mom's church's Christmas Eve service. Of the entire family, only my hubby & my kids & me + my mom go to church regularly so this is always a big deal and now that my BIL's family is included, we take up more than an entire pew! We go to my parents' house afterwards for soup & homemade Chex Mix. This is the first year that we haven't done Santa at our house but we used to set out cookies + milk + a note before bed for him. If my husband and I are awake enough, we go to the 11 pm service at our church. The kids think the 11 pm service is too late and/or boring so they stay at home asleep.

On Christmas morning, everyone changes into their new matching Christmas jammies (people in my house don't actually sleep in pajamas but just wear them around as comfies -- go figure!) and then the kids are allowed to go through their stockings while my husband wakes up, gets his coffee going, and feeds the dogs. When we did Santa, he brought one unwrapped big gift per kid + the contents of the stockings. Everyone has their own wrapping paper (I usually don't have gift tags on hand) so we know whose is whose.

We go to my parents' house at 10 am for more gifts. This year, my mom was pretty frazzled so Hubby went over around 9 am and did the food prep/cooking while she directed him. After gifts, we have a potluck meal for lunch + peppermint cheesecake with Oreo crust for dessert. Then we go home & crash!

 

[EvelynD2]

Wow! LeeAndra! It sounds like you have such a fun month long celebration which I think is fantastic! It's so sweet that your son went over each week to help his grandmother bake cookies! He will always remember those precious times! I love your idea about writing things you are thankful for and putting it in the manger. I love that you read them together at Christmas and then put them in a scrapbook. It reminds me of a blessings jar that I have. It's nice to look back over those blessings whenever we get discourage. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas!

 

[nesser1981]

We're pretty tradition heavy here, I think it's because I didn't have a ton growing up.

We start with an advent calendar December 1st and each day leading up to Christmas there is a activity/event that we do as a family, so things stay the same year to year, so get switched out. This year with Keira and Cooper working it was just Harper, Sean & I for a lot of them. Things we do every year, Cookies for Santa, Hot Cocoa Bar w/ Mickey's Christmas Carol, Charcuterie Night w/ a Christmas Movie, Gingerbread Houses, Christmas Lights, go to our favorite German Restaurant (this is newer), etc.

The kids all get a new Christmas ornament, Cooper gets a Santa, Harper's are Snowmen and Keira's are fairies, I got her the first in the series at Hallmark the year she was born.

Christmas Eve we have our big Christmas dinner, just the five of us, the kids exchange gifts, and they open Christmas pjs from us, and usually a game. Then we'll play a game or two, watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (original) and maybe another Christmas movie, depending on how late it is. Cookies for Santa go out, carrots for reindeer, then Sean & I watch Christmas Vacation until it's safe to put gifts out.

Christmas Day, don't wake us up before 7:30, then we all open stockings together, then gifts. I make gingerbread waffles for breakfast, then leftovers for lunch, around 3 or 4 we head to my in-laws for to exchange gifts with them, SIL and cousins. We always go in our pjs, and it's usually appetizers, so something simple for dinner.

Tree comes down after New Years.

 

[EvelynD2]

We're pretty tradition heavy here, I think it's because I didn't have a ton growing up.

We start with an advent calendar December 1st and each day leading up to Christmas there is a activity/event that we do as a family, so things stay the same year to year, so get switched out. This year with Keira and Cooper working it was just Harper, Sean & I for a lot of them. Things we do every year, Cookies for Santa, Hot Cocoa Bar w/ Mickey's Christmas Carol, Charcuterie Night w/ a Christmas Movie, Gingerbread Houses, Christmas Lights, go to our favorite German Restaurant (this is newer), etc.

The kids all get a new Christmas ornament, Cooper gets a Santa, Harper's are Snowmen and Keira's are fairies, I got her the first in the series at Hallmark the year she was born.

Christmas Eve we have our big Christmas dinner, just the five of us, the kids exchange gifts, and they open Christmas pjs from us, and usually a game. Then we'll play a game or two, watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (original) and maybe another Christmas movie, depending on how late it is. Cookies for Santa go out, carrots for reindeer, then Sean & I watch Christmas Vacation until it's safe to put gifts out.

Christmas Day, don't wake us up before 7:30, then we all open stockings together, then gifts. I make gingerbread waffles for breakfast, then leftovers for lunch, around 3 or 4 we head to my in-laws for to exchange gifts with them, SIL and cousins. We always go in our pjs, and it's usually appetizers, so something simple for dinner.

Tree comes down after New Years.

I loved reading about your Christmas traditions, Vanessa! I am like you, we didn't have a lot of family Christmas traditions growing up. It's great that you have special holiday movies that you all watch each year and I love the idea about the advent calendar with events and activities that you do.

 

[LJSDesigns]

It's been wonderful to read all the great traditions you all have shared.

Growing up we had a lot of traditions, cookie baking day, family Christmas party with all the aunts, uncles and cousins, secret santa for the extended family. After my grandmother passed away, the extended family traditions went away.

We started celebrating as individual families with our own traditions. Opening Christmas Jammies on Christmas Even and then watching a Christmas movie together. Everyone got a special ornament to represent an event from the year or to go with a series they were collecting. The kids all get one special present from Santa; he only brings one because he has to have something for every child; everything else comes from family. We opened present by taking turns in a circle. Had the traditional family dinner of ham and sweet potatoes. Ate too much and lazed around in our fat pants.

After my parents passed, our traditions changed again. My brother and his family come for Thanksgiving every year, so on Thursday we do turkey at my sister's and on Saturday we have a family Christmas at my house.

We start out with Hot Chocolate and Cookies while we do our white elephant gift exchange. Then we exchange gifts with my brother and his family, with everyone taking a turn opening them. We usually have some kind of game or activity as well, I plan these so it changes every year to keep them all on their toes. I make my Aunt's famous Lasagna, which is a family favorite, for dinner. After dinner we start winding down, mostly just visit and talk about Christmas as kids. Once everyone leaves, I clean up and go to bed.

Christmas for the Indiana branch has a lot of it's own traditions as well. Each year we adopt a family and split up shopping for them. We then get together to wrap the presents and eat cookies. We have gotten so much faster at wrapping over the years that our wrap parties have gotten shorter. LOL

Christmas Eve Day, I usually see my son and grandson for the afternoon. We watch Christmas movies together and have lunch. Then they go home and have Christmas Eve with their own PJ tradition and their Chicken and Stuffing Waffles. I have a quiet evening on my own, usually wrapping presents because I put that off as long as possible.

Christmas Day we gather at my sister's house where we adults exchange presents based on the wear, read, want and need. We open in a rotation so everyone can see what everyone is getting and we all help Wren open his gifts if needed. My sister cooks and changes up the menu from year to year, but we always have cookies for desert.

This year we did a couple of fun things that we hope to make new traditions -- Riding the Polar Express and building gingerbread houses at a community event.

It seems that with each addition or subtraction from the family tree, our traditions change to fit our new circumstances.

 

[EvelynD2]

It's been wonderful to read all the great traditions you all have shared.

Growing up we had a lot of traditions, cookie baking day, family Christmas party with all the aunts, uncles and cousins, secret santa for the extended family. After my grandmother passed away, the extended family traditions went away.

We started celebrating as individual families with our own traditions. Opening Christmas Jammies on Christmas Even and then watching a Christmas movie together. Everyone got a special ornament to represent an event from the year or to go with a series they were collecting. The kids all get one special present from Santa; he only brings one because he has to have something for every child; everything else comes from family. We opened present by taking turns in a circle. Had the traditional family dinner of ham and sweet potatoes. Ate too much and lazed around in our fat pants.

After my parents passed, our traditions changed again. My brother and his family come for Thanksgiving every year, so on Thursday we do turkey at my sister's and on Saturday we have a family Christmas at my house.

We start out with Hot Chocolate and Cookies while we do our white elephant gift exchange. Then we exchange gifts with my brother and his family, with everyone taking a turn opening them. We usually have some kind of game or activity as well, I plan these so it changes every year to keep them all on their toes. I make my Aunt's famous Lasagna, which is a family favorite, for dinner. After dinner we start winding down, mostly just visit and talk about Christmas as kids. Once everyone leaves, I clean up and go to bed.

Christmas for the Indiana branch has a lot of it's own traditions as well. Each year we adopt a family and split up shopping for them. We then get together to wrap the presents and eat cookies. We have gotten so much faster at wrapping over the years that our wrap parties have gotten shorter. LOL

Christmas Eve Day, I usually see my son and grandson for the afternoon. We watch Christmas movies together and have lunch. Then they go home and have Christmas Eve with their own PJ tradition and their Chicken and Stuffing Waffles. I have a quiet evening on my own, usually wrapping presents because I put that off as long as possible.

Christmas Day we gather at my sister's house where we adults exchange presents based on the wear, read, want and need. We open in a rotation so everyone can see what everyone is getting and we all help Wren open his gifts if needed. My sister cooks and changes up the menu from year to year, but we always have cookies for desert.

This year we did a couple of fun things that we hope to make new traditions -- Riding the Polar Express and building gingerbread houses at a community event.

It seems that with each addition or subtraction from the family tree, our traditions change to fit our new circumstances.

Lorie, I loved reading through your family traditions! It's wonderful that your family is able to get together and celebrate throughout the holidays. These are such wonderful traditions to pass down to your grandchildren.