Christmas Traditions

[yorkiesmiles]

I thought it would be fun if we shared some of our family's Christmas traditions.

I'll start and share one that is a lot of fun. I started this for my daughter's first Christmas, but you could start it anytime.

Each year, my daughter gets to select one Christmas ornament off of my tree for a tree of her own in the future, so that some day when she decorates a tree in her own house, she will have a bit of history from her own childhood.

She loves doing this, but when I started this I didn't realize how many cute ornaments my mom & I would also buy her over the years. So several years ago she got her own Christmas tree - probably at the age of 10 and she can fill it!

I'll share other traditions later, but what traditions do you have?

[Jenn218]

We do the same thing.....I collect glass ornaments...and each year, my daughter and I go and get us each one!

We also spend every Christmas Eve at my parents house.....we watch movies, play games, bake cookies, have a wonderful dinner, etc. I love it because I love reliving my Christmas when I was growing up and this reminds me of it.....parents house, the wonderful smells, etc.

[tjdmom]

Has anyone heard of the peppermint pig? I don't know if they just have them around here or not... It's this little candy peppermint pig about the size of my fist and it comes with a little hammer and you pass it around and everyone hits it with the hammer and at the end it's all broken up and you share the pieces and they are supposed to bring you good luck. We actually had it at a friends house last year but I'm going to start it at my house this year.

I've also heard of the Christmas Pickle. One of my friends does this. She has a pickle ornament that she hides on the tree and on Christmas morning, whoever finds the pickle gets a special gift.

[Amy81]

My mom, sister, her groom to be, and me always go to my moms mom (she wont allow us to call her grandma ) we go to her house on christmas eve she has a christmas party. and after everyone has ate. we bring the bible out and one of the kids reads the scripture about christmas from the bible. and then we open gifts! then christmas morning we wake up with my mom and open gifts, then at lunch we go back to moms mom for christmas lunch! this year is going to be weird. because my sister is going with her soon to be husband to his familys in massachusetts .

[pepe mint]

great thread!!

we let my daughter pick out an ornament each year...and we pick one out for us as well.

i am hoping to start some new traditions for our family. DH and I talked about it a couple of weeks ago and have come up with some ideas....i think it will be very nice

one of the traditions i want to start up is baking christmas cookies and giving them to people...teachers, coaches, etc.

we are also going to get an angel from the angel tree each year. i think this will be very valuable in helping to teach my daughter about the joy of giving and helping those less fortunate!

[pepe mint]

Originally Posted by tjdmom

I've also heard of the Christmas Pickle. One of my friends does this. She has a pickle ornament that she hides on the tree and on Christmas morning, whoever finds the pickle gets a special gift.

what a great idea!!!!!!!!

[BubblPopElectrc]

I also collect glass ornaments (particularly Old World) as well. I collect them whenever we go on vacations- so sometimes I get quite a few at one time.

We also watch a few movies.

Last year, we started the tradition of going to Disney World the week before Christmas! We have a few things we do there every year including Mickey's Very Merry Christmas, putting up a tree in our room, dinner at certain restaurants, etc. I'm really looking forward to it this year!

[Yorkiekids]

We always have a big seafood dinner Christmas eve, and I let my kids open one present at the same time. It's nice to get together that evening and celebrate the reason for the season.

[scrappysmom]

we would sit around christmas eve and get a chicken dinner from kfc,and watch a chrismas story and let the kids open one gift.

[yorkiesmiles]

We used to eat Oyster Soup after going to a candlelight Christmas Eve service when I was growing up. But my brother never liked oysters, so after he got out of college and decided he could cook, my brother started preparing this meal and he would make fettuccine and lasagna. We would have so much food & fun.

So, now even though my brother will be with his in-laws on Christmas Eve we'll at least have lasagna and yummy garlic bread.

[bdbmamaw]

We go out to eat Mexican food on Christmas Eve, then we all head to the skating rink. My husband and I rent it privately for the evening as the family is too big to all meet at one house. This way the kids have a blast, the parents can relax and I don't have to clean!!!!! We also hire a Santa Claus to come in and pass out the gifts. Everyone loves having the rink to ourselves. Then Christmas day is spent at individual homes so the kids can just relax and play with their toys without having to get dressed and head to grandmas. (No whining!)

[RoxyJosMom]

Since my dtrs birthday is xmas day, we have a little family birthday party xmas eve. We draw names for the following xmas for gifts. Here's the fun part. You cannot reveal the name you have. You have to make a gift using whatever you can find around the house. If you absolutely must purchase something to help make it, you can't go over $5.00. The whole idea is to go back to the original meaning of xmas. It's amazing what gifts you can come up with! The first time my dh participated, he drew my name and being clueless as to what to make(even tho he built houses from scratch and could make anything) and waiting until the 24th to do anything, he made me a homemade cake! It was the best gift ever .

[RebelBelle]

We have several traditions in my family. We cook Christmas candy and give it away in tins as gifts to friends. Then we have Christmas Eve Spagetti Dinner. (Which I am hosting at my new house this year!!!) My family all get together and have spagetti and then the womenfolk wrap presents in assembly line fashion. Then afterwards all of the grandkids which included me until this year, get to open one present. But it is ALWAYS PJ's! Well now my family has great grand babies. So my cousins and I are old news. LOL! But I'm doing it at my house. So I bought a pair of Pj's for my best friend/roommate Courtney and for Jamie. I can't wait!

[yorkiesmiles]

ok - maybe this isn't a huge tradition - this is probably what normal people do.

In my home, only one person at a time opens a gift, that way they are the center of attn & everyone sees their reaction.

This is different than when I was growing up in my parents home - my brother & I just tore into the gifts, one after another

The one at a time does take awhile, we video tape it all & it makes sure that we get all the family members on tape.

[Bizzymammabee]

The last few years I sit with the kids and help them each make an ornament to put on the tree. We also make an ornament where they put a current picture of themselves. It's a nice growth marker.

My sisters also sleep over xmas eve and we get up open gifts with the kids and then eat a big breakfast together and just laze around the day.

The breakfast thing was something I shared with my MIL when she was alive and lived with us. Now I do it and my little sister will pitch in...I miss my MIL but the tradition will live on.