Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

**kashi** · 12-21-2005, 10:01 AM

Re: Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

I love Christmas at my parents' house. It's normally just my immediate family. We have homemade coffee cake for breakfast, then leisurely open gifts, and spend the rest of the day doing our thing - reading on the couch, puttering around the kitchen, etc. The smell of pine tree and sugar cookies wafts through the house, and soft Christmas music echoes from the stereo. Very nice.

I think I might miss it this Sunday, when I attend my SO's family gathering, involving 16 people, lots of screaming kids, and excessive gifts. I'm sure that be fun, too. Just different.

**PrincessPerky** · 12-22-2005, 06:29 AM

Re: Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

Make some! Traditions are wonderful!

We have lots of traditions, some from my childhood, some from DH's, some I just thought would be cool.. Some are a mix of both.

Decorating is a family event, I take out the ornaments, the kids 'hang them on the tree', DH 'fixes' (so they are not all on one branch!)

Fudge is the treat made for christmas, lots of fudge is given out and eaten. It is microwavable so the kids can help (the peanut butter is stovetop but I use a hand blender to mix, they get to push the button)

Christmas is stockings first thing in parents bed (ok the kids have to pee first, err me too!)
then cinnamon rolls for breakfast, then presents (one at a time, two for each kid, one for each parent, plenty of time to play with one before the next is opened) then lunch of pancakes (mommys traditional breakfast, but daddy doesn't like them so it moves to lunch)

Dinner used to be steaks at home, but this year.... in laws.

The first year we moved here we set the tradition of NOT visiting family, it was awesomely calm and quiet. (and steak was accompanied by wine, just the two of us

.) and we still celebrated with family earlier in the month, or later. This year the ILs have other opinions.....

**mjrube94** · 12-22-2005, 06:39 AM

Re: Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

Starting a few weeks before Christmas, we watch a different Christmas video each night. (We have a pretty extensive library with all the classics, but I notice that different TV stations run them pretty regularly, too). We always start with a Charlie Brown Christmas...Linus's speech on the meaning of Christmas brings tears to my eyes every time! Then, every Christmas Eve we watch Scrooge. It really gets the whole family into the season...

**PRICEPLUS** · 12-29-2005, 01:14 PM

Re: Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

Everyone goes to my sisters house on Christmas eve. We spend the next day at home. Not much of a tradition but there you have it!

**Ima saver** · 12-29-2005, 01:22 PM

Re: Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

I have no family, so my christmas is just spent with my husband. We have a big breakfast, then spend the morning opening presents. We have a big meal at night. We sit in the dining room by candle light and listen to music while we eat. Then we get up and dance in the living room.

**Jeanne** · 12-29-2005, 02:05 PM

Re: Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

Re: Family Holiday Traditions . . .

My family as far back as I can remember has always gone on New Year's eve to visit friends & family and offer a penny, a slice of bread, and a piece of coal which this symbolizes that your wishing them wealth,plenty of food and warmth the year long. I still carry this tradition on myself to to friends around me as my family lives on the other side of the country from me. May I wish each and everyone the best of 2006 and good health and safety as well.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!

**Marilla** · 12-29-2005, 04:56 PM

Re: Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

I grew up with lots of traditions, most of which we still keep when I go home for Christmas.

Dad, wearing a nifty Santa-hat or reindeer horns, distributes the gifts one at a time. Then for dinner we pop our Christmas crackers, don our paper crowns and make fun of the lame prizes and jokes as we eat our dinner. The dinner has changed over the years, but yorkshire puddings are almost always on the menu. After dinner, the jigsaw puzzle!

Can't say I really have any New Year's Eve traditions. These days I'm usually asleep way before midnight...

**lrjohnson** · 12-29-2005, 07:46 PM

Re: Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions

Thanksgiving: my boyfriend and I used to call it the long flannel weekend. We would get treat foods (were were low budget, so take-and-bake pizza, smoked almonds, liverwurst-really, deserts) and hunker down for the weekend. Flannel jammies. Cocoa, tea, blankets, videos, reading. No turkey, no shopping on the Friday, no fuss. And, hokily enough, a time to be grateful-for flannel jammies, for each other, me for my sobriety, for take-and-bake pizza, for having a home, for so many things. Now boyfriend's mother claims us, but we have the other three days.

New Years: I like to purge. Mentally, I like to think of what has been working for me and I'd like to keep doing, and what hasn't been working for me and I need to change. Kinda like resolutions but more touchy-feely, I guess. And in the house, I like to get rid of stuff, clutter, things. Do I use it or do I love it? If not, gifts to friends or given to charity. I like to start the new year fresh.

Tell Us, Family Holiday Traditions