by t w.
Member since:
September 23, 2008

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR....

November 03, 2008 08:16 AM EST
views: 100 | rating: 10/10 (26 votes) | comments: 48
With Christmas around the corner, I was wondering if any of you have a family tradition that has been passed down over the years? One of ours that has been going for as long as I can remember is the santa hat! Every year someone has to be santa on Christmas morning. The person wearing the santa hat passes out the gifts, last year it was my son. Another one is the same as most I think, the kids write santa a thank you note on Christmas eve before they go to bed and leave it next to the cookies for santa. My son is always the one now that he is older, who eats the cookies and writes a little note back to the kids from santa. So, what are some things in your family that you do every year? thanks for sharing them with me!
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Comments: 48

mary bryant Nov 3, 2008, 8:23am EST
We watch It's a Wonderful Life!
Rob Appell Nov 3, 2008, 8:23am EST
I have no family traditions I carry on seeing how I have no family. I started my own tradition years ago, which I still do every year...and a few others have adopted my tradition to carry out in their households. At midnight as Christmas Eve turns into Christmas Day, I turn out all the lights in my house and light one, single candle in a front window to welcome 'the wayfaring stranger' while playing Mahaliah Jackson's 'Sweet Little Jesus Boy' and reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. Most years, I continue playing other Jackson selections or various inspirational songs until I'm ready to retire to bed for the night.
Mary Bee Nov 3, 2008, 8:23am EST
Great tradition....
Mary Bee Nov 3, 2008, 8:24am EST
We keep a candle lit in the honor of my Dad's passing and thinking of him during the day
☀ Aunt Shanny Nov 3, 2008, 8:28am EST
Ours is simple: Eat drink and be merry at my parents' house.
Robert M Nov 3, 2008, 8:30am EST
We play the Australian Game every year. It basically a game where everyone buys a present, and you pick numbers, and the first person can pick from the pile, the next person can take the first person's gift or chose one from the pile, if he takes the gift from the first person they can go back to the pile. The third person can take from anyone or choose from the pile, if they take from somone else that person can take from someone else (but not the person who just took from them) or the pile. It gets pretty competitive and is fun.
j - Frugal Mom - r. Nov 3, 2008, 8:31am EST
We celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. First we have our Christmas dinner, then we have ris a' la mande for dessert. The person who gets the almond gets a present. Then we dance around the Christmas tree before opening presents, and finally we serve a tray with Christmas candy and sweets.
Ali C. Nov 3, 2008, 8:32am EST
We always hang stockings and get to open one gift on Christmas Eve.
DIANE D. Nov 3, 2008, 8:37am EST
Yes, we sure do! The day after Christmas , we all start untangeling the Christmas lights.
One tradition we have is letting the kids get into their stockings on Christmas morning before we wake up. The kids can get into that, and play with the items in it, but are not allowed to open presents until we're all up.

We always open 1 or 2 gifts on Christmas Eve- one is always PJ's for the kids, so they have brand new warm PJ's to wear to bed that night.
Stacey *Mamasaid* D. Nov 3, 2008, 9:01am EST
Baking cookies, wrapping presents on the eve of Christmas eve and me cooking for days with the kids helping. The love the smell of sauce simmering for hours on the stove and cookies baking in the oven. We also take a ride during their week off to see all the local light displays and certain houses that really do it up.
Sandy (back in Ohio...blah!) Nov 3, 2008, 9:09am EST
besides havinga duinner. We sit around and discuss why we celebrate Christmas. Thus discussing out beloved Jesus.
Aimee "I Love Points" K. Nov 3, 2008, 9:30am EST
My family visits a shut in from the church and brings them cookies each year. We try to visit a person who does not have family around.
Dagmara H. Nov 3, 2008, 9:38am EST
I would put a a coin under each plate. We had much more tradition wehn I was back home, but here they are hard to keep them
Cheryl W. Nov 3, 2008, 9:46am EST
My kids always want me to make sausage balls for Christmas morning. So as we open gifts they snack on those and drink hot chocolate. We also buy one new ornament each year for our tree...and try and find a needy person or cause to help.
.* Sandi * Nov 3, 2008, 9:58am EST
we deliver food to the sick and cookies to the fire stations, we have been doing this way before 9/11 too.
~♥~ Kim ~♥~ Nov 3, 2008, 11:26am EST
Thank you for posting at ~Holiday Trimmings~! Holiday Trimmings
~♥~ Kim ~♥~ Nov 3, 2008, 11:27am EST
We've never had any set traditions...we're probably on the lines of Shannon's family...to eat drink and be merry at whose ever house has decided that year to do the big dinner. ;)
Rae M. Nov 3, 2008, 11:52am EST
We always do Christmas Eve at my mom's house, and Christmas at my Sister In Laws, so we spend time with both families.
Ellie * Nov 3, 2008, 12:42pm EST
My parents are gone now, but we used to all sit and watch White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. I still watch it though and think of them.
t w. Nov 3, 2008, 1:45pm EST
wow, you all have nice traditions!
Jennifer G. Nov 3, 2008, 1:48pm EST
We open presents in a circle- the youngest first, then the second youngest, all the way to the oldest, and start over again. We also usually open one gift (pajamas) the night before Christmas.
Bridget ♥ Nov 3, 2008, 1:50pm EST
I buy my kids new jammies every year and they wear them on Christmas Eve! Makes for great Christmas morning pictures!
Misty Reynolds Nov 3, 2008, 2:43pm EST
GO TO MOM'S HOUSE CHRISTMAS EVE
Misty Reynolds Nov 3, 2008, 2:43pm EST
HAVE CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST BEFORE GIFTS
Misty Reynolds Nov 3, 2008, 2:43pm EST
THEN GO BACK TO MOM'S FOR DINNER
Misty Reynolds Nov 3, 2008, 2:44pm EST
10 FROM ME
strongthrufight E. Nov 3, 2008, 3:03pm EST
We don't have any..We're making things up as we go :) It seems likely that watching "A Christmas Story" over and over for 24hrs will most likely be occurring this year even without a T.V..I'm already getting that "itch" to go buy the DVD
.* Sandi * Nov 3, 2008, 4:42pm EST
Thank you for posting to commentsneeded.gather.com
Make sure you return comments to others in the group
thanks
Nora Davenport Nov 3, 2008, 4:47pm EST
I am an only child, and both my parents are gone. My husband's parents are also gone, so it's just us. I always attend Christmas Eve services at my small Lutheran Church (it's always a beautiful candlelight ceremony). I used to make Kringla, a Norwegian cookie, but haven't in years.
eric r. Nov 3, 2008, 6:33pm EST
i buy my wife a new ornament every year
JoAnn C. Nov 3, 2008, 8:23pm EST
On Christmas Eve we have dinner with my dad's family (aunts, uncles, cousins) and celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or as we like to call Fish Fest. My grandma Frances used to all the cooking and we would go to her house. Once she was unable to prepare the meal and has since passed away, we kept the tradition going.

Last year was the first year we didn't get together. Hopefully we do it this year again.
Sharla H. Nov 3, 2008, 8:58pm EST
We always leave cookies & milk for Santa on Christmas Eve.
The Red Headed Witch of Gather G. Nov 3, 2008, 10:58pm EST
making Christmas cookies the day after Thanksgiving :)
Tiffany W. Nov 4, 2008, 8:09pm EST
One for My faimly when i still lived at home was that on christmas eve. we all got to open one present and then we would go over to our grandma and granpas house and open up presents from them.
sarah g. Nov 4, 2008, 8:11pm EST
Every Christmas Eve, our kids get a new pair of Christmas pjs to wear. We also wear Santa hats when we go get our Christmas tree.
Lesli B. Nov 4, 2008, 9:18pm EST
Every year I buy the kids an ornament. When they have their own tree they can take their ornaments that have been collected over the years.
Lisa K. Nov 4, 2008, 9:24pm EST
We don't really have any unusual traditions. Just spending Christmas with my parents, and if I don't make cinnamon bread, my youngest brother would be very upset with me!
Sandra L. Nov 5, 2008, 12:22am EST
I can't think of any that sound really impressive. We are pretty boring folk. LOL
Robin"Buffy's Stunt Double" D. Nov 5, 2008, 12:30pm EST
We have always drawn numbers at my grandmothers on Christmas Eve so we take our time opening any gifts.
Erika S. Nov 5, 2008, 11:36pm EST
We sing "happy birthday to you" to Baby Jesus.
Andrea (Ms. Conservative) L. Nov 6, 2008, 7:17pm EST
Leaving a 10 as my comment!
jackie c. Nov 6, 2008, 8:23pm EST
looking at the lights
Carol V. Nov 9, 2008, 6:07pm EST
In Hubby's family - On Christmas Eve, you MUST watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and order pizza from Domino's
Carol V. Nov 14, 2008, 11:10pm EST
Paying it forward
Megan R. Nov 15, 2008, 12:09pm EST
Nice topic!
My kids always open up 1 gift- new pajamas- on Christmas Eve.
paying it forward.
Lisa C. Nov 15, 2008, 11:32pm EST
Ours is crazy. Every Christmas Eve, my mother, sister and I have our annual "Tacky Christmas Present Contest". The rules are that you can't spend more than $10 on each person. Tackiest, ugliest, funniest thing wins this hideous paper mache statue that the winner proudly displays in their home all year. It's so much fun!
~~Paying it Forward!~~

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