Holiday traditions

[dreamof145]

I thought it would be fun to list some of our special family holiday traditions that we do each year.

Our family gets together on Christmas Eve (used to be Christmas day before our kids had their own kids and families). We sing Christmas songs and each year a different person is assigned to tell a special Christmas story. We have treats and cocoa as we listen to the story. I have water and an Atkins friendly treat. Then, we exchange gifts and end with lots of hugs and kisses. The kids get to give out the presents to everyone and we take turns opening them.

Does anyone else want to share thier family traditions?

[muffles]

Re: Holiday traditions

We have a few we like.
We all go to Carols by candlelight , song and watch the fireworks.
We pick a night to drive around and look at christmas lights, usually singing carols in the car as well.
We build a gingerbread house and decorate cookies.
We spend a weekend making decorations, (probably stuff with beads and wire this year).
We all make a wish and have a stir of the mix when I make the christmas pudding...

I love all these traditions, but I'm always looking for some more to add!

[dreamof145]

Re: Holiday traditions

We used to drive around and look at lights when they were young, but haven't for a long time now. My girls and I used to build a Christmas mansion with gingerbread, ahhh, those were the days. I had only grandsons till this year, so they don't like to do baking. They like to eat, but not cook that much. I miss the days when my kids were little girls.

[julirama723]

Re: Holiday traditions

My family traditions as well as my boyfriends have really changed since we're so far from home. But one thing we still do is have our big dinner on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas--Christmas is a "lazy" day at my house--stay in pajamas, watch TV, play with the new stuff "Santa" brought and eat leftovers from the night before! I've always loved that my family was more focused on enjoying each others company than a fancy dinner.

We still drive around and look at all the lights on Christmas night.

One tradition I used to have is making christmas cookies, pies, and homemade chicken noodle soup. I might still make that stuff and give it away to friends. But I'm NOT making the soup--my grandmother would roll over in her grave if she knew I was making it WITHOUT the noodles!

[sadie147]

Re: Holiday traditions

We all go over to my aunts house and eat too much turkey and drink too much wine. it's an annual tradition

serisouly though, I just started a new tradtion last year, I have a family party with my extended family of aunts and uncles and some of my cousins and their spouses, this year i'm expecting 22 of them (next saturday the 9th). when i was a kid all the aunts anduncles brought the kids to one aunts house every year for dinner, but of course as we have all grown older and we all have families of our own, everyone has started doing their own family dinners. This is a way for my family to all see each other for xmas again. I lost both of my parents when i was a teen and i'm an only child so having this extended family and keeping in touch is very important to me.

I don't make it anything fancy, just lots of h'ors d'ouevres (sp?), and drinks and it's a casual thing. I don't have the biggest house so it can get a bit crowded, but I actually think that's a big part of the fun!

[Lady_Hawke]

Re: Holiday traditions

In phoenix we'd drive around and look at the christmas lights.
Get together, usually at my Moms or sisters and have a nice, loud, people filled, football watching, volleyball playing, good food and gifts time.
In Norway - if it weren't for my DS I wouldn't bother with a tree or anything.
Here on christmas eve its usually to DH Aunts house - most time I stay home by myself.
On christmas we have a nice dinner, just me, DS and DH and maybe rent a movie.