Your Family's Christmas Tradition

[Sweety-Sama]

What is your families Christmas tradition? Every family does their own thing.

When I lived with my parents and sisters, we had several traditions.
One thing would be the 13th December, the day of St. Lucia. It's a Swedish feast day, on which the children will clad themselves in white nightgowns and have a candle in their hand and will wake their parents up with singing. In Sweden there are several parade on that day with children in white and candles and at the front is one of the oldest girls, having a crown of candles on her head, representing Lucia, the queen of light.
Since we lived in Germany, we woke our parents with songs. As long as my sisters and me visited the Swedish school, we even participated in several events around that time. We sung at the Swedish embassy in Bonn and retires home and sometimes on private parties of Swedish born people. On of my sister was the Lucia in one year. She was so proud of that! Everyone wanted to be the Lucia!
On the day of Lucia we baked Lucekatter. Sweet saffron yeast pastry.
On Christmas itself (24th to us) we made a cozy day at home. The tree was in full light and everything was decorated. At afternoon we would have a Christmas buffet, sometimes with Julskinka (special beacon roast). After we finished eating, my sisters and me waited for Santa (Tomten) to come. My father would put on a reddish robe and a mask and would come in to the living room and giving out presents.
years Later we just put the gifts under the tree at the beginning of the day and would give them out after Christmas dinner.

Since RT and I live together, Christmas got to be less traditional. It's because we are mostly busy getting somewhere (to his parents or my sisters). We still need to figure our own traditions out.


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Using a future communicator stolen from the NCC-1701

[kirk13]

The closest thing to a tradition we have at Blamington Hall is the last shop before Christmas. It ends up being late at night, after work,at the massive 24hr Tesco at Raynes Park.

I hate it,and have vigorously tried to end it the last couple of years to no avail. Depending on whether I can get a melon on or about the 21st,I'll suceed this year!

[jerseydevil]

We do Christmas as a family on Christmas Eve at my mother's house.  That's something that goes back 23 years now since my parents separated.  We've just never changed it.  Get there early, dinner is almost always shrimp parmigiana and stuffed clams with scallops (Italians.....  ), and of course we have to watch A Christmas Story.  Never mind that we can all pretty much quote the entire movie from beginning to end, it's required.  After that, presents!  There's also the traditional "circling of the $50 bills" between my brothers and I.  Hand out two $50's, get two back.  As long as you don't end up with the same serial #'s in your hand, we each gave each other $50 for Christmas!    That started years ago when we all told each other, "Um, I didn't get you anything, here's $50".  It's become a joke and the centerpiece of the evening around the tree.

[eddie1115]

Every Christmas Eve, after the church service, we go to my grandparents house.  My mom grew up in Manila, and her whole family(she's the oldest of 10!) has lived here in the US since the 80s.  And since the 80's, there's been a Christmas Eve party at my grandparents house that goes until the wee hours Christmas morning (sunrise on a few occasions).  With grandkids and great grandkids now, the small house usually holds 60-70 people these days.  Four uncles, a few cousins, and I all play some type of guitar or drums to bring the some live music to the festivities.  Around 9 or 10pm, the younger kids all crowd into a room and the adults have pre-labeled envelopes with a little bit of cash to hand out to them (usually put together about 30 envelopes).  Oh, and tons of food being cooked all through the night  

Now, having toddlers, my wife and I don't stay out quite as late as we used to.  Those of us with little kids usually leave after the cash distribution   After a few hours of sleep, we have Christmas morning at home just the 4 of us, with breakfast and presents, and then pack everyone up to visit two other sets of family later that day.

[Pacu]

Disneyworld for Christmas again here 

Place is awesome during the holidays. They really know how to do Christmas.

[derekmac]

We usually have a big feast at our place on the 24th as I only work until noon that day, and my wife gets it off.  Before the kids go to bed, we read "The Night Before Christmas", and put the Santa key on the front door.

On the 25th, we get up early to see what Santa has brought.  We then have a pretty good feast for breakfast, and relax until supper time.  At supper time, we go to the in-laws for another feed of turkey, visit there for a while, then go back home. 

So nothing too exciting, but we try and make sure the kids have as much fun as possible.  Christmas to us is all about the kids.  If the magic works for them, then we are happy!!


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[ironraven]

So, everyone in my family shoots, particularly me, my brother and our mom. And christmas eve is when we host my mother's side of the family, who are very stressful. So that morning, we go to the range, with a dueling post (series of steel targets that flip side to side when hit), and shoot against eachother and the clock. Loser does dishes that evening. My dad is exempt- he's not very fast with a pistol, and he has volunteered for the duty of keeping my uncle lubricated with beer and out of everyone's way.

Christmas morning, apple pie, pork pie, oranges, chocolate and usually left overs from the night before.

[ToolJoe]

Christmas eve is with my family and Christmas day is with Mrs. TJ's family.