Holidays
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
What are your favorite family Christmas traditions...
either from childhood, or traditions you've started with your family?
Re: What are your favorite family Christmas traditions...
My parents never put any presents under the tree until Christmas morning. As a kid the anticipation was hard, but so worth it. Taking my first look at the tree when I woke up on Christmas morning was always so exciting.
Christmas Eve we'd always pack in the car with hot cocoa and drive around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights.
We have a huge extended family dinner at my grandma's house on Christmas Eve. My DH, sister, brother-in-law, and I sing the Muppet's 12 Days of Christmas on the way home. We go to the candlelight service at 11 on Christmas Eve.
OOO...I can't wait!
Growing up we'd always decorate the tree as a family. Dad would put the lights on (and put it up). Mom and kids would put the lights on. We'd have Rudolph on the TV and dad would make Mexican hot chocolate. It's different being married as DH doesn't care to decorate it (he'll put it up). So I have him make me hot chocolate and watch some kind of Christmas movie with me.
A new tradition is that we've hosted Christmas Eve every year since being married. Sometimes it's a large gathering, and sometimes only a few people can make it, but it's always fun.
DH and I started this when we were dating... The weekend after Thanksgiving, we watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and decorate our Christmas tree! I can't wait!
Also, every year at Thanksgiving, my grandfather tells us all to remember how blessed we are and remember what humble beginnings we come from. He then tells the story of how at Thanksgiving, after he and my grandmother were first married and he was in medical school, all they had was a can of soup and 15 cents. He always has a can of soup and 15 cents to show us. He finally glued the money to the can and we use it every year. I still tear up, after hearing the same story for 27 years.
Christmas at home: Noche Buena at my grandfather's house. He roasts a huge big and my grandma makes rice and beans and yuca. Mom makes dessert. Everyone gets together and laughs and just enjoys each other's company. As well as eat - a lot! At midnight, we open gifts - I use to do this with my parents and now H and I do this.
We set up the Christmas tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving and watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
Christmas in St. Louis: Christmas Eve we have a huge dinner and exchange gifts while we sing Christmas Carols.
Growing up, every Christmas Eve we were allowed to open one gift from my mom. It was ALWAYS pajamas and new slippers, usually matching. Then each of us kids would exchange small gifts with each other.
We would also get to peek inside our stockings, but we didn't get to take anything out of them until that night. It was always fun, because we'd get treats at the end of the day instead of it all happening in the morning.
DH and I don't have any traditions yet. Our Christmases together have been a bit crazy. Our first one was normal, but the second one his grandma died a few weeks before and last year we went to see my family in Kansas a couple weeks before.
When we were kids, we used to love decorating 'paintbrush cookies' (sugar cookies decorated by painting them with a mixture of sugar, egg yolk and food coloring and by adding sprinkles and dragee. We used to have contest for the prettiest, funniest, ugliest, etc.
On Christmas Eve, we would drive around a development in town called Winterhaven, where all of the houses were decorated. We used to see the people inside the homes eating dinner and celebrating with their families, and wish that we lived there. Now my sister lives there, and when we are in town, we go there for dinner on Christmas Eve, then walk the development looking at the decorations, since it is closed to car traffic on that night.
My brother and I would take flashlights to bed with us, and we would make an agreement that whoever woke up first would wake up the other one. We would turn on the tree lights and look tosee what Santa brought us. We were allowed to see what was in our stockings (probably so that my parents could get some sleep-lol),and when we couldn't stand it any longer, we would wake up our parents and sister, so that we could open our presents.
With our own children, (and now our grandchildren), we all open one present on Christmas Eve, and it is always pajamas. If we are at our home, without extended family, we have a pajama day, and stay in them all day on Christmas. We watch movies, play games, and eat whatever we feel like eating. We get allof the elements of dinner, but we usually decide to just eat appetizers and desserts all day.
We all make a cookie that is a family recipe. My great grandmother used to make them, measuring theingredients by how they felt in her hand. My mother measured the ingredients one year, so we all have a good basic recipe to work off of. Sometimes we get it perfect, sometimes just close, but they are always good.
My husband and I started our own traditions as both our families are so far away. After Thanksgiving we watch Elf to kick of the holiday season.
Christmas Eve we make a lovely Christmas dinner to christmas decorations and candlelight. We have hot chocolate and watch Its a Wonderful Life.
Christmas morning: we open our stockings in bed with our hot chocolate/coffee. got to church and come back open presents and have Christmas dinner. We are have others over for dinner who are also far away from family. And then we watch the Queen's speech. She always gives an address on Christmas day.
We always went out and picked out a tree together and then put on Christmas music and decorated the tree together with hot chocolate.
We always watched Christmas Vacation as a family the weekend of Thanksgiving. It was our thing
For Christmas Eve we always eat with my Dad's side of the family. We eat, then clean, then open presents, then just hang out. I love it.
My mom and I always wrapped presents Christmas Eve night (there is an 8 year difference between me and my sister). We would come home from my Grandma's house and she would take my presents and I would take my sisters and we would heat up leftovers from Grandmas and wrap all night.
Christmas morning we always opened our stockings first then presents. Then a big breakfast with sausage, pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns. Then off to my mom's family.
We always opened 1 present on Christmas Eve and it was always new pajama's to wear that night. It's a tradition that I will continue with our children someday.
the day we decorate the house and tree, we make it a party with immediate family..did that as kids now h and i do it too..i make a bunch of apps and christmasy desserts and we decorate, listen to music and eat..
h and i watch polar express the day after thanksgiving--h and i started that about 5 yrs ago when it came out in theaters
on christmas day we have what we call night gift-one last gift is given late late on christmas night...i love that one..such fun
cookie and cocoa night with friends..i makea bunch of cocoas, desserts, and lots of cookies and have friends over to celebrate teh holiday season
christmas eve after mass before a late dinner we always (did as a kid and now with H) drive around and look at lights..
h and i watch a christmas movie every night in december... on christmas eve we (my whole family and I and H now) watch Nat'l lampoons christmas vacay toghter...OMG love that moviei think that is all of them
Lovestoeat Food Blog
My 2 older sisters and I would wake up really early and sneak downstairs to make breakfast in bed for our parents (not without checking out the presents from Santa first). We would make bacon, sausage, eggs,cinnimon rolls and coffee. Then grab 1 gift for everyone to open while eating breakfast.
I've always loved decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music. My brothers are both out of state now, so it's me, my hubby and my parents. It's a really nice night.
My family also watches holiday movies together Christmas afternoon. It's nice just spending an afternoon RELAXING...with all the stress in life right now, it's nice to have a fire roaring, some great movies, and your family.
Tamales!