What is your favorite Christmas tradition

[Mellifluous]

Time to start gearing up for the holidays.

What do you and/or your family do that is tradition?

One of my biggies is making Pepparkakor cookies and decorating them - we had fun last year with the gingerbread man shapes. :twisted:

I always have to listen to my Transiberian Orchestra CDs with some good old classics thrown in the mix.

Christmas movies are also a must. I have to watch "A Christmas Story" and "The Grinch."

Of course, the very best tradition is decorating my mother's tree. All of the ornaments are handmade or have a unique story behind them. It is not one of those pretty "themed" trees but we do enjoy reflecting on times that are long gone and some of our happiest Christmas memories.

Anyone else up for sharing?

[Linda Y]

Let's see...
We have to watch Miracle on 34th St. on Thanksgiving day.
We start putting up the decorations the day after Thanksgiving.
We watch every Christmas movie we own, which are a LOT!
We get one of those cheese and meat things from Sam's, and some Evan Williams egg nog and eat ourselves silly.

[ASB.Immortality]

Mel! I am bringing A Christmas Story with me on cookie day. ;-) Ken hates that movie.

[pnalley]

We don't really have a Christmas tradition. We have no children and no young family so we don't have to do the tree & shopping.

As a rule if we want something we buy it. So we don't need anything.

This year we intend to spend our Christmas money (not a lot) to do Secret Santa for the foster children. We will also do the same for the elderly.

We are blessed, some are not.

I am sick to death of the commercial side of Christmas and have been for years. Hopefully this will renew my personal "spirit of Christmas".

[Pam M]

We had a really bad hurricane a couple of years ago and I was sick of seeing dead trees. I refused to buy a cut tree for Christmas so we agreed to each get our own live tree. My husband chose an orange, I got a lemon and our son picked a cactus. Last year we got a magnolia. We've still got them all and now we're trying to decide what we want this year. We've decided to keep getting "different" trees so we can plant them and have them around for a while.

Another thing my family has done for years is to "adopt" a needy family and buy a meal and gifts for someone who really needs them. Usually my parents, sisters and I chip in on this. Some years we feel somewhat scammed but every few years we get a family that truly needs help and that makes it all worthwhile.

And of course we have a "dirty santa" gift exchange every year complete with tacky and completely inappropriate gifts - seriously, a 7 y.o. getting a set of shot glasses?! - yep, can't forget that tradition!!

[JennLM]

Transiberian Orchestra rocks..

Well when we used to spend all the holidays together, we would drink some spiked eggnog and decorate the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Mom's house look like Santa exploded. It's Christmas ceiling to floor, ever single inch inside and out. And next year she will have a new bigger house, I sit in fear. She is threatening to explode in our new place, eeeeeek!

Our extended family all draw names for xmas.

We get 2 presents xmas eve. One mom picks out (always night clothes) and one we get to pick out.

And the next morning we are expected to wear said jammies to open presents and take an obligatory pic in them.

We always have warm orange rolls Christmas morning while we open presents. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

I used to pick off every piece of tape on a present to try adn save the paper from being torn until everyone would scaream at me to hurry so they could get to the next set of presents to open. We all get a gift and open at same time then wait until all are done to move onto the next set. I have no clue why they would freak, sheesh!

[DebJ]

We have always put a small Chistmas stocking on each kids bedroom doorknob. Then Santa would bring a surprise gift that they did not ask for and know nothing about and would put it in the stocking. Then that was the first gift they were allowed to open Christmas morning. I did not give this much thought until 2 years ago, 2 days before Christmas, our daughter --then 22 yrs. old,-- asked "Where are the Christmas stockings??" I had thought them too old to really care for that "surprise" stocking. (ages 24, 22 and 18). But she informed me that it would NOT be Christmas unless Santa brought those gifts. Did we scramble for 3 presents that year :lol: And I have continued to put up the stockings every year since.
Another "tradition" is that the Christmas tree lights have to be on and Christmas music is playing before anyone is allowed to open anything. Dad does the honors on this.
It is nice to have certain things that you do every year.

[Minouri]

When I was a kid my parents fully understood the magic of Christmas. I was the youngest of 11 children. By the time I was 5 I had nephews and neices already. We lived in a huge house with three floors of bedrooms. On Christmas Eve we would all gather downstairs in the living room. All of the children would sit on the couch and wait for the sound of bells in the attic. You could have heard a pin drop. All the kids would shush the adults while we waited. Then you'd hear the sounds of hoofs up the roof and talking in the attic and Santa would come down the stairs with a huge sack of gifts for all of the children. We all tried to stay up late enough to go to midnight mass. As a child that was a real treat.

As I got older I was booted off the couch (it was full of littler ones) and stuffed into a bright green elf outfit with tights and curlie shoes. Then it was my job to help make all of the noise up in the attic with my brothers.
I think I liked the elf outfit till I was about 10....then there were a couple of years of forced servitude.....then Santa was solo again.

Now that my family is on great grand children.....we're at about a hundred people. We gather for Christmas but everyone comes and goes from my parents' house....running off to see their inlaws and friends. We buy gifts for those under 18. Once you're 18 you're out of luck...lol And my parents. We always treat my parents to something special.

My dad has organized Caroling for Christmas Eve. I wonder what he'll do for this year. In general, we all humor him with whatever idea he comes up with.

This is my first year with Tony and his kids as a real family. It's exciting to think that we can start our own traditions now.

Before the holiday season gets really nuts, I usually have my chocolate house making party. I gather friends and family (usually all women) to laugh and build together. It's always a night full of wonderful memories for me. I didn't have one for the past two years....one year I was broke because I bought investment property....last year we were saving up for our new house.......so I'm thrilled to be having it this year. I'm also excited that people who came a few years ago are dying to come and do it again. It should be a hoot.

And I feel really lucky that some new friends from this board will be joining me this year. Those are the kind of Christmas gifts I love.

[Blameitonbrio]

I love Christmas!

We are Moravian; so are a lot of our traditions: making and eating Moravian Chicken Pie, Moravian sugar cake, Moravian Christmas cookies, and of course our Moravian Christmas Eve Lovefeast complete with beeswax candles that the entire congregration holds lit and aloft while singing the last verse of Joy to the World. The ushers hover anxiously with blankets to put out any wayward flames. Both of my girls have insisted on learning by experience that we don't touch fire when they were younger at Christmas Eve Lovefeasts; we have some seriously stubborn genes in my family!

We also love "woods walking." The girls and I (and my mom -- sometimes we let Tony go :D ) go out in the woods to collect greenery several weeks before Christmas to decorate our house. We have to go on Sunday so hunters won't mistake us for deer! This tradition reminds me of going out in the woods to find greenery and a Christmas tree when I was a kid. We buy a tree now, but then we searched the local woods for jus thte right cedar tree.

Decorating the Christmas tree. Our family always had an annual Christmas Tree Light Fight where my parents would get into an argument over how to put the lights on the tree. To avoid that, I usually put the lights on our tree while everyone is at work and school. Then I hide the ornaments I don't like and just put out the ones I like for everyone to decorate with (This is fair since I am the one who wrestles the lights!). We put on Christmas music, drink eggnog and try to convince Bailey not to put all her ornaments on one branch!

Taking the girls to see Santa. I love to watch their faces when they see him. Grayson is older and believes in Santa the way we do now, but Bailey is still very literal about it. I told her yesterday that we needed to ask around and see if anyone knew which mall the real Santa was at this year (as opposed to all his look-alike helpers). She informed me that it would probably be too hard to find out which mall around us has the "real" Santa, but she is fine with talking to one of his helpers. It was funny because she said it to me like I was simple and might not understand -- she might be right! :lol:

On Christmas Day, everyone usually comes to our house, and Tony fixes prime rib roast. We usually serve it with my oyster-rice dish and a few other side dishes and a good Merlot. Lately, I have made an Italian Creme cake that is becoming a requested tradition.

In Raleigh, it is a tradition to see the Little Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol, and we have been to that several times. This year, I want to go to the TranSiberian Orchestra Concert. My favorite Christmas CD's that I HAVE to listen to are John Denver's, Alabama's, and Alan Jackson's. Favorite movies -- It's a Wonderful Life and I also like The Santa Clause.

Fun thread Mel -- thanks!

[CarolU]

My favorite tradition must be tree decoration. I put it up regardless of if anyone is coming....and then redecorate it 2-3 times daily, depending on the cats and dogs. The dogs quit helping (wagging tails) once the presents form a good perimeter at the base. But the cats! All those dangly things are teatherballs, until they hit the carpet, and then its time for golf.

Our family is scatered far and wide. We do a family dinner, but not on Christmas day. Too many grandkids now who don't want to leave their presents.

[Thomasj]

a christmas story is a great movie. lol poor kid. no child should have to be forced to wear a pink bunny suit.

actually, jus gettin together w/ family is nice. as far as traditions go.. well, on xmas eve we always open up presents my lil granny got for us.