Christmas Traditions

[MissBrattified]

I love creating traditions that my kids look forward to...what are the things that your family does the same every year?

Several of ours:

*We open stockings on Christmas Eve.

*Jeff rolls out the big smoker, and we have BBQ for Christmas dinner. (Ribs, Wicked Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Garlic Bread, Sweet Tea, Pies & Cookies!)

*Jeff reads scriptures pertaining to Jesus' birth over breakfast Christmas morning.

What do you do that makes this time of year special? Do your kids remind you to keep the tradition going?

[MissBrattified]

My sister sent me the coolest gift this year--it was Christmas morning breakfast in a bag:

*Pancake mix
*Real maple syrup
*Canned ham
*Coffee
*A packet of Tang

[ILG]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

My sister sent me the coolest gift this year--it was Christmas morning breakfast in a bag:

*Pancake mix
*Real maple syrup
*Canned ham
*Coffee
*A packet of Tang

But how do you *know*??!! Did you peek??

[rgcraig]

This is silly, but I have this ceramic reindeer head (looks like it's quilted patchwork) and his nose has a red fuzzy ball and when you push that it plays, of course, "Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer". I got it my son's first Christmas from a lady that made them. Each year I hang it in different spots and both my kids will look until they find where it is and then every time they walk by they hit the nose.

I really didn't have a place to hang it this year so I just stuck him on the coat rack by my back door. My son asked where it was - - then went to hit the nose. I hope it never breaks!

[Margies3]

Oh, we have lots of Christmas traditions:

1) We have the Hosler family gathering early in the month. That's my mom's siblings and all my cousins, etc. from that side of the family. That's a big potluck. Santa comes and hands out to the kids and we adults play a game for gifts. Usually 70-90 people at this one.

2) We have Christmas Eve with my side of the family (my siblings, nieces, nephews and my mom). Again a potluck. The kids exchange names with each other at Thanksgiving. And then Mom gets for the grandkids. We've finally convinced her not to buy for the adults. Hooray! After the family gathering, we all go to church together for the Christmas Eve service.

3) On Christmas Day whoever of Walt's family who happens to be in the area come to our house. We open gifts together and I fix a nice Christmas dinner. This year my boys have asked for steaks, so that's what we're having. Most of the time, it's ham.

4) We always take time during the season to read "Christmas at the Little Zoo" several times. My grandpa bought that book for me when I was 3 years old and we've read it every Christmas since then.

5) Puppy Chow is required food for Christmas Eve. If I didn't bring that, my nieces and nephews would boycott Christmas! (by the way, I make it without peanut butter)

There are other small traditions, but these are probably the most major.

[Traci]

Puppy Chow !?!?

I make either chocolate/peanut butter balls or squares and my husbands fav-pumpkin roll

The last few years we have been decorating christmas cookies on christmas eve if we are not in KY with my husbands family--that was something I always thought I wanted to do when I was a little girl but we never did.

I thought maybe we might do BBQ this year also but my husband just wrinkled his nose at it--it's TURKEY again....

We pick one gift to open tomorrow and open the rest tonight.

My 14 year old expects me to make the Candy, I don't think he cares about decorating the cookies but he likes to eat them. My 4 year old (special needs child) knows something is up because I put the tree with lights on it right in the middle of her play area--she did notice it and kinda danced around it. Mason (the 10 mo old) is just picking stuff off the tree. I do want to keep or make new traditions--I want my kids to have the memories when they are older.

[Blubayou]

We get together with my mother's side of the family the Sat. before Christmas- We have been doing this for at least forty years.
We get together with my family on Christmas eve- We draw names and exchange gifts and have shrimp gumbo- It does not have to be cold to have gumbo!
On Christmas day- we gather at my brother's house to see what Santa brought the kids- some of the kids are in their thirties! Then to my sisters house for lunch and my step sons house for dinner- OK we eat a lot!!!!
I started several years ago giving all of my nieces and nephews an ornament for Christmas which I sign and date- I try to look for something special each year- It has been a nice tradition that they look forward to.

[RandyWayne]

We're starting our very own Christmas traditions this year. It looks like we are starting out by cooking some nasty looking (in a good way!) steaks on the old Weber grill. Even though it is a bit chilly here (about 60 right now) we will be wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts for the sole purpose of taking some pictures and emailing them to friends and family in Wisconsin.

Disclaimer: This is December 25th for all those who refuse to celebrate.

[Ron]

One Christmas tradition is this, everyone at AFF sends us cash at Christmas!
That what you mean?



Seriously, one tradition is I read the Christmas story out of the book of Luke chapter 1 & 2 before we pray and then open presents.
Another one, either before Church or after, we all go for Breakfast at a local restaurant.

We have Christmas crackers with the Christmas dinner.

[HeavenlyOne]

I'm having non-traditional Christmas this year.

I've had to work, and with my adopted mom having health problems that I've been dealing with on my days off, I hardly bought any gifts. I told the kids last night that I'm not wrapping them, just giving them what I got, and this weekend we will finish and they can pick out what they want.

I'm also making non-traditional supper. I'm having pot roast, potatoes, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, corn, deviled eggs, cheesecake (the kind you bake!) and pumpkin pie.

I did get the sparkling juice that I usually get, but that's the only thing, besides pumpkin pie....LOL!

Zak got his gift for me, but I forgot to give Becca her money before I went to work the other day (I owe her more than I make!), so she didn't get to shop, so she said she'd do that this weekend too.

Usually, I work holidays anyway, so they are used to not having Christmas on Christmas Day. We have fun no matter what.

Tonight, we watch movies. Not Christmas ones either...LOL!