What are some of your Christmas Traditions?

[Starbuck]

In response to David's thread it's gotten me thinking about Christmas Traditions. Or Holiday Traditions if you prefer. What are some of the things that maybe carry over from your childhood or things you started yourselves? mine is a Big Cabbage Roll dinner on Christmas Eve. All my friends ask me why I would go through so much work, but "It's Tradition" and is somthing my Mom always did, along with opening one gift (usually new jammies) On Christmas Eve.

[simescan]

My Mother used to cook something called "boeuf a la mode". Although I'm from a large family, none of my (surviving) siblings kept or remembers the recipe. Maybe some of the members from the eastern provinces (where mom was from) has this recipe????
Oh yeah,...almost all of us played music so the guitars, violins and mandolins would come out after xmas supper, and go on 'til the wee hours.....kinda miss that...

[ClintonHammond]

If I get MY way, I put up the tree X-mas eve.... while watching "It's A Wonderful Life" so that the tree is done before the last half hour of the movie.... Then I can sit, watch it and bawl my eyes out! LOL

[allthumbs56]

My family had their "Great Exchange" - always the Sunday before Christmas the whole family would gather for festivities and a gift exchange. It was fun when I was llittle because I got to see some cousins that I only saw once a year.

This get-together was started in 1951 and ran continuously with out skipping a beat until 2006, when my brother and I (and our 3 miserable teenagers) and our last cousin who now lived about 10 hours away just had to accept that it didn't work any longer.

It was really tough to pull the plug and I'm sure that my parents were frowning down upon me.

Things change though - my oldest is married now and has his first little one, my daughter is in BC and won't be home, and my brother is starting a new family (another kid at 54 - nuts I tell ya'). We're all getting together this year, and I suspect something new will emerge that can carry on for another 50 years.

[allthumbs56]

If I get MY way, I put up the tree X-mas eve.... while watching "It's A Wonderful Life" so that the tree is done before the last half hour of the movie.... Then I can sit, watch it and bawl my eyes out! LOL

Well my tree is always done by then but the three things I always do Christmas Eve are; wrap presents, sip Grand Marnier, and watch It's a Wonderful Life - been doing it for at least 20 years.

Great movie CH - glad we can agree on something :food-smiley-004:

Heee-haw!

[Paul]

I get very little choice. Th upside is I do little work...

The first friday in December in my company party. I work for my father, who is Dutch, so this is a St. Nickolas party. This includes Black Peter. Over the years it has gotten more difficult to find someone with enough cultural insensitivity to actually put on black face make up and play the part of Black Peter in the Dutch tradition. The last few years the son of an employee from India has taken on the job, without make-up. He is more of a Brown Peter than a true Black Peter, but at least we stand a chance of offending more people this way.

The Sunday before Xmas my friends and I gather to drink, eat, and tell lies about how the last year has gone. We've been doing this for well over 20 years, and some of us aren't 40 yet.

Xmas eve is at my in-laws house. They are from the Slovak Republic, and that's just how it is. We get the leftovers to take home.

Xmas day meal is usually at my parents home, so another free meal.

Boxing day is at my sisters, so yet another free meal.

The 27th we get into the left overs from the 24th.

I usually manage to go 6 days without cooking or doing dishes. Even a non-theist like me can find small "blessings" in the Xmas season.

[Michelle]

We are not a 'traditional' family but we do have a few Xmas traditions......

The season starts with the Santa Claus Parade but since the youngin' is 18, we didn't do that this year, I usually install Xmas lights in the vehicle for that, I did, but no parade.

Then comes the "Empty Stocking Fund" broadcast that raises $$ for the less-fortunate, that's on while we put up the tree and decorate. No Xmas lights outside but I put electric candelabras in just about every window, I think it looks nice and so do the neighbours.

Xmas eve we stay home, get everything wrapped but can't leave it alone until morning, used to be one gift only, now we wait for the kid to get home, and we open it all so we can sleep in. Xmas morning b-fast is usually pancakes & sausage and/or home-fries.

We always have Xmas dinner at home now, used to be tradition to gather with my ex-family on a rotation. We spend the day basting the turkey, peeling potatoes, keeping the fire going, and generally just taking it easy. Xmas dinner is alway on china with all the fixin's, sometimes with company.

A few traditional items like Icy Squares, rum, port, red/white wine, pretzels, peanuts, deli meats & cheeses, navel oranges, and a little chunk of.... :)

:wave:

[RIFF WRATH]

fire up the furnace in the shed, grab a few brewskies....this year I'm going to include playing with my new to me car hoist.....up/down...up/down....
last newyears we had a jam.....1 actual player showed (bass) and me and my other bud made guitar noises through the Line 6 on the insane channel.....I'm sure Jimi must have rolled over in his grave..LOL.....always spontanious, but I'm gonna try and reorganize and set up for a jam just in case....this year we'll have a POS drum kit...
cheers
RIFF

[david henman]

...well, first i get my girlfriend to dress up in that naughty santa costume, then....oh, you guys probably don't want to hear about this...

:eek:

-dh

[Tarl]

We have 4 girls aged 20 to 32. Each year (since their birth) we give them an Advent calendar. The things with the little windows and a chocolate in each to mark the coming of Xmas. They only cost 2 bucks each but the girls still love to get them every December. Our little tradition...

[Gilliangirl]

Even tho' it's just li'l ole me, I always bake REAL shortbread cookies (with REAL butter) and make a big roasting pan full of homemade nuts and bolts, with lots of garlic and butter! Yum! And then, because I can't eat it all myself, I give it away in little bags.

The cats get turkey catfood, and I make a Tofurkey (don't knock it 'til you've tried it) and maple sugar sweet potatoes. With REAL butter!