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Question of the Day: Tues. Dec.21, 2010

post #1 of 11
12/21/10 at 5:54am
Thread Starter 
G'morning folks.

I was wondering, do you have any Christmas/Holiday traditions? Do you do anything on Christmas eve, or ....................
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post #2 of 11
12/21/10 at 6:06am
We used to spend Christmas Eve with my parents, but stopped doing that a few years ago after they downsized. The last couple of years, we've been going to my sister's family.....we cook and spend the time together and that's been a lot of fun for all of us. Sometimes DH will go to Christmas Eve services with his mother.

DH and I open one small gift on Christmas Eve.

Our Christmas Day dinner has become pretty much of a tradition in itself. The menu has remained the same now for several years and I'm not allowed to deviate that much from it anymore.....those are the dishes that my family loves for Christmas and they all expect them.

We used to go to DH's parents for Christmas Day dinner, but it's too much for his mom to do a big meal. They love coming here, though, and I love doing for her what she's done for us for so many years. This year, it will just be my in-laws and maybe my mother. Our son's family will be here on Sunday as this is the year they spend Christmas Day with our DIL's family.

That's pretty much it.
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post #3 of 11
12/21/10 at 7:30am
Thread Starter 
When I was younger, my stepmom's tradition was that gifts were opened at midnight on the 25th.


Now the only tradition we have is that if my oldest daughter is with her father for Christmas day (we alternate years) then we open some gifts early, before she leaves.

We do stockings every year, I class that as our tradition because DH never really did em, well only as a child, and we do em as a family.
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post #4 of 11
12/21/10 at 7:43am
Every Christmas Eve is spent at my sisters house. She makes the traditional meal that she has made for many years, the same as my mother before her. I really enjoy it.

Christmas day is usually spent at my sisters also but now I spend it with Russ' family first and then later in the day we go to my family. It's a packed full day and I'm looking forward to it. I just hope snow doesn't come and not allow us to travel.

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post #5 of 11
12/21/10 at 8:58am
The one tradition that I'm a stickler for every single year is a stocking exchange. My mom and I have exchanged stocking since I was a baby, and we still do to this day at Christmas! Last year Jack got in on the fun too, and we will continue to exchange stockings this year! Even the furbabies get one

We also started a new tradition two years ago when my Nannie was still with us and that was a cookie bake/gingerbread house day before Christmas. Last year Nannie passed in Feburary, and my entire family talked about what a good time we all had making cookies/gingerbread houses with her, so this year, we did it again in her honor! We had a huge gingerbead house assembling event at my sister Monica's house and it was a lot of fun!

Other than that, all of the people in my family put up their Christmas trees on Black Friday (I got mine up on that day this year, but not decorated until a few days later).

Jack's family traditions include going to the Christmas Eve service at chuch with his family then dinner & presents at his grandparent's house afterwards. On Christmas day, they do brunch and open presents at his mom's house. I'll be going to both again this year. It's fun to see how different families have different traditions!
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post #6 of 11
12/21/10 at 9:08am
We'd take turns having different sets of grandparents out each year, and opposite years going to see them in turn. We didn't have a fireplace or mantle or anything, so never did stalkings. But we'd always go caroling on Christmas eve, go to mass at midnight, and then open presents in the morning, take a break for breakfast, then finish - and just laze around the day, reading our new books or playing with new toys or whatever.

As adults... we were always different places in the world, and since my grandparents passed, I think the family's only gotten together once in the last 10 years. We share very small, funny gifts with each other now, and when times are tough, like for Gary and I this year, we just send cards, and have a call on Christmas.

Our new tradition is to get the kitties a couple of boxes and fill them with packing paper. I don't think we can afford new toys for them this year, but my sister usually sends a few.
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post #7 of 11
12/21/10 at 10:38am
Since 2005, we've alternated houses for Christmas - one year is in SC, one year is at my parent's in NC. This year is a NC year (which, the forecast is snow for Sat & Sun, so I think I can handle the drama and aggravation for a weekend )

No other real traditions. Open gifts on Christmas Day.

Would like to make the tradition be Christmas at our house every year, but my family would have an issue with it because they live 3 hours away and Rob's parents live a few hundred feet away.
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post #8 of 11
12/21/10 at 11:38am
Christmas Eve we have a special dinner all different kinds of spaghetti, and some fish. At midnight on Christmas morning we open gifts. The cats always get catnip, and they get to unwrap it themselves Christmas day is spent watching A Christmas Story over and over, on that channel that plays it back it back.
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post #9 of 11
12/21/10 at 11:44am
Not really at christmas but every New Year my dh's friend comes, he has done for years and he cooks New Years Day dinner and he is an absolutely fantastic cook. x
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post #10 of 11
12/21/10 at 11:57am
We go over to my parents' house on Christmas Eve at around 4pm. Its my parents, my sister, her husband and step daughter, and my grandmother. We eat dinner, then open gifts, then my husband takes my grandmother home and comes back, then we sit around and play a game like Farkle or something. We usually stay until 11 or midnight.

Christmas morning we wake up and open our gifts. Then at 9:30-10 we go over to my mother and father in laws house. It's them, plus my sister in law with her husband and 3 kids, and my brother in law with his wife and two kids. We eat cinnamon rolls and then open gifts. I like going over here much more than my own family's house. lol
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post #11 of 11
12/21/10 at 12:51pm
No real traditions anymore. I live too far from my parents to do the holidays, and there isn't much use to it anymore with my sister and I barely speaking and my mom with her illness. The last few years, my friends on the south end of town invite me over for a gift exchange and dinner. Dave LOVES to cook, but since he works in a grocery store (and his wife, Sue, works retail), he has funky hours, so Christmas is one of those few days he gets to go all out. So, I go there. Last year, I got up early and bundled up for a walk around my neighborhood with my camera. I may do that again this year. It's very peaceful, even in an urban setting.
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