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victims cry
 Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:35 pm |
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Favorite Traditions
Apart from the dinner itself, it is the christmas crackers at the table where we all sit around laughing at the silly prizes in them. And force dad to wear one !!!!
How many here have the traditional plum pudding blazing away at dessert? My mother being british has done it forever. She never did hide the goodies in it tho 
Last edited by victims cry on Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:37 pm; edited 1 time in total
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On Vacation!
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
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| Danse Macabre
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:01 pm |
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We're still trying to play around and establish our own traditions- neither set of grandparents (that is, my parents, and my inlaws) have any tradition other than a meal on Christmas Day that includes the obvious turkey and dressing and accompaying side dishes and desserts.
The family became so large that we quit exchanging gifts for financial reasons except to our kids of course, each other, and the grandparents and nieces and nephews, but not our brothers and sisters or aunts etc. But until we got married we each had Christmas Eve celebrations at our respective grandparents homes. My husband's grandfather is still alive and still has that, mine are no longer with us.
When I say we are still trying to come up with Christmas traditions, I guess I mean our kids are young and we are still trying to make our own new and interesting ones. I need ideas. LOL. We put up our tree Thanksgiving weekend, BTW we have as much of our shopping done as possible BEFORE Thanksgiving! I hate mall crowds!), and Santa comes after the kids are in bed on Christmas Eve.
"Santa" (aka us) has a lot to do...Mr Santa usually tries to start early in putting together the gifts that are going to be waiting for the kids...I wrap 5 or 6 from us and anything major is put together and ready to go, so it is Mr Santas job to assemble and I put on any stickers if needed and do the batteries etc). This year it's a swing set that is going to magically appear in our backyard overnight so LOL---I will be in keeping the kids in bed, husband will be outside assmebling a set! rofl)...
But I would like more traditions for our own little family here- the grandparents/inlaws aren't gonna change, so for new traditions and fun to start I need to start it myself with my own family, so I will be watching this thread...
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** Banned **
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| victims cry
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:17 pm |
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Danse one of my favorite traditions as a child, and  even as an adult was christmas stockings. It has an added bonuse for adults too, bc it keeps the kids in bed until a reasonable hour.
"Santa" would fill the toe with an orange or mandarins and the fill the rest with wrapped little gifts that didnt cost much, as well as a comic book or two. After we fell asleep he laid on the ends of our beds or on the door handle. Then we could get all excited and by the time we were done with our stiocking we woke up our parents and it ws breakfast. I cherish the memories of waking up bc of excitement and seeing the stocking
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Joined: 22 Mar 2006
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| woebedamned
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:26 pm |
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A few things I started from the first Christmas as a family were:
I make each of our kids 2 ornaments and a village piece each year. When they were young, they were not really impressed, but as they have grown older, it is one of the things they look forward to each year. When they leave to go on their own, they will take their decorations with them to use in their homes.
Christmas Eve is almost always spent going caroling, then back home for hot chocolate and birthday cake. We have had a birthday cake for Jesus as long as I can remember. Started when I was kid, and I enjoyed, so carried it forward for our kids.
Christmas morning we have quiche. I make them the night before; pop them in the oven when I get up, so by the time gifts are opened, breakfast is ready.
Since we have no family, we usually invite a single soldier or 2 to join us for Christmas dinner.
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Damn it All!!!!
Joined: 15 Aug 2006
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Location: pathetic joke of an American, bitter, gun clinging, God loving, racist cracker
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| BhamMom
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:56 pm |
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Woe,
We also do a birthday cake for Jesus. I started that the first year I had children. I also buy dated ornaments for the boys and they will be theirs when they decide to have a tree of their own. We also select a child to buy Christmas gifts for through our church. My two boys actually pooled their money last year and bought a "Dora the Explorer" bicycle. It was so cute.
Our breakfast is breadfast pizza and then we have birthday cake after lighting the candle and singing Happy Birthday. I have to have both ham and turkey. I have a fan of each and it wouldn't be Christmas without reading the story of the birth of Christ and of course, sweet potato casserole. 
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| justamom
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:37 pm |
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We dont anything nearly as cool as you guys do lol.
Christmas Eve morning/day we make tamales and usually get a couple of bottles of wine and drink up. Its pretty fun all the women make the tamales and the guys I am not really sure what they do.
On Christmas eve we all get together with hubbys step dads family and have our Christmas and pray and open presents. We eat til we cant eat anymore then come back home and try to get the kids into bed early, while we deal with all the toys that have "some assembly required". By around 2 or 3am were asleep if were lucky and at 6am we have little eyes looking into our bedroom to tell us santa has come.
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justaMILF
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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Location: in a cute farmhouse
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| iwabwu
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:01 pm |
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Christmas Eve Bingo
Everyone goes to an elderly family members home for Christmas Eve Bingo.
Regulation Bingo with 4 specials and a final coverall grand prize.
Various people contribute small prizes about $1 or less and a special $5.
The winner of the coverall, gets the grand prize, value $50. The winner of last years prize get's to buy next years prize.
The dollar prizes could be a roll of toilet paper, can of beans, lighter, or other trinket. I buy candy for my contribution.
The coverall is a right of passage. One has to have $50 bones in order to buy next years gift, otherwise you don't play.
After the coverall, it's time to open gifts. The tradition started early in the 1920's as a way to keep everyone up until 12:00 a.m. on Christmas Day.
Food used to be traditional, but as the family changed over the years, so has the food. It's pot luck with a contribution for fried chicken, sausage/beef sandwiches.
Christmas Day is for visiting with other branches of the family, kind of an open house of family and food all day.
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| Belle
Posted:
Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:30 pm |
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My holiday traditions started when my children were very small. Every year on Christmas Eve my children get to pick 1 gift from under the tree and open it. Any gift they want, be it either the biggest or the smallest. Many years later they still can't wait to open that 1 special gift Christmas Eve night. You can imagine the laughter when a pair of socks is opened and the disappointment on a young boys face and begging to open another one! Santa comes during the night even now. They always have gifts to open and gifts that "Santa" leaves and "Santa" still makes a mess with the soot in the fireplace. I hope when my children have their own families they take these traditions with them and have happy memories of Moms Christmas.
As for food we have the southern traditional meal. Turkey and cornbread dressing, ham, potato salad, green beans, fried corn, candied yams, deviled eggs, rolls and banana pudding for dessert. (Its ALOT of work) !!!!
And of course....... Lots of SWEET TEA!
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Belle of the ball
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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| BhamMom
Posted:
Tue Nov 14, 2006 12:54 am |
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SouthernBelle,
We always did the one gift on Christmas Eve also. It was such fun. We did that when I was young and I carried the tradition to my boys. On Christmas Eve, my brother's family and my aunt eat dinner at my house. I usually have a few friends from childhood over if possible. After everyone is gone we would open that one package. It was a good nightcap.
Last year after we opened that one gift we sat around watching Christmas movies and sipping hot chocolate and my boys decided that since it was after 1:00 am that it was officially Christmas and we should open all packages. They begged a couple of minutes and I gave in. We had a wonderful time with our early Christmas. We opened all the gifts and of course tried all the clothes on and had a fashion show. We were giddy by then and listened to new CD's while watching new movies. That was interesting.
I finally cooked our traditional breakfast around 5:00 am and after filling ourselves we went to nappy land. It was a wonderful experience and I think we will continue this tradition until the grandkids come along.
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| Dub
Posted:
Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:55 pm |
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This will really date me but maybe some posters from the Tri-State area will remember this. Wanamaker's in downtown Philadelphia and also the one in Wilmington had the "dancing waters". They played Christmas carols and the fountains lit up in different colors and "danced" with the music.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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| woebedamned
Posted:
Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:03 pm |
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| Dub wrote: | | This will really date me but maybe some posters from the Tri-State area will remember this. Wanamaker's in downtown Philadelphia and also the one in Wilmington had the "dancing waters". They played Christmas carols and the fountains lit up in different colors and "danced" with the music. |
I remember Wanamakers at Christmans time. What a festive occassion. Also a drive by "River Row" to see the lights, was a must each year.
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Damn it All!!!!
Joined: 15 Aug 2006
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Location: pathetic joke of an American, bitter, gun clinging, God loving, racist cracker
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| Dub
Posted:
Wed Nov 15, 2006 4:29 pm |
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| woebedamned wrote: | | Dub wrote: | | This will really date me but maybe some posters from the Tri-State area will remember this. Wanamaker's in downtown Philadelphia and also the one in Wilmington had the "dancing waters". They played Christmas carols and the fountains lit up in different colors and "danced" with the music. |
I remember Wanamakers at Christmans time. What a festive occassion. Also a drive by "River Row" to see the lights, was a must each year. |
With all the boathouses trimmed with Christmas lights. So pretty. It reminds me of something similar. We had a condo in Fort Lauderdale on the intercoastal and every Christmas and New Year's there would be a boat parade. All the boats (well, yacht's and some actual ships) would be trimmed for the holidays. Fascinating to watch.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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| southernrain
Posted:
Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:11 pm |
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We do the one gift on Christmas Eve, but it is always new pajamas. Something my mother started and I carried on. She wanted us in new pj's for the pics I guess...lol The thing that I do with my child is "Santa" only brings three gifts and everything else comes from us. We haven't always done this but decided to start doing it about 5 years ago, when our son got so much from Santa that he was just overwhelmed and didn't know what to look at or play with first and had stuff there that he didn't even realize was there until that evening when taking stuff to his room. It's much more fun for all of us that he opens his gifts. He can get excited about each one and Santa doesn't get all the glory...
Plus, he's always been told that "santa" is the spirit of giving so when people (kids at his school) say Santa doesn't exist, he says sure it does, just in your heart.
We do three "santa" "spirit of giving" gifts because Jesus got three gifts when he was born.
He has a ball trying to guess what's in each box all the way until Christmas day and he knows it not just "clothes" like when I was growing up.
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Joined: 15 Sep 2006
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Location: On the coast of somewhere beautiful...
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