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Traditions w/o Children
DH & I don't have any kids yet. Even though both of our families are local, neither of us are close with them nor necessarily see them on the Holidays. I want to start traditions now for the 2 of us to make Holidays more special and then when we start to have children, we have those traditions to carry on with them.
I got a few recipes for breakfast casseroles & thought I could make one of those for Christmas morning. Cousins of mine have a "Christmas pj" tradition, so I thought I could "borrow" their idea and maybe buy matching pj's for DH & I to wear & be silly? I am really bad at thinking of things to do for holidays and birthdays.
DH's birthday is tomorrow and he already bought himself a video game & I got him a new electric razor. He said he didn't want to go to dinner or out anywhere to celebrate - he's very easy going & low key. I just want to do something special for him.
What are some birthday & Holiday traditions out there?
Re: Traditions w/o Children
I think breakfast casseroles are a good idea. My family always had cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I was just telling my H about the pj idea because I want to do that when we have kids so I say go for it.
A tradition my parents started when my sisters and I (all five of us) became adults was that they give us each $50 that we use to donate to any charity we want. We read the birth of Jesus story Christmas morning (we're Christians). Driving around to look at Christmas lights is always something I've enjoyed as a precursor to Christmas day.
I don't have any ideas for birthday traditions. Mine was yesterday and H's is 12 days after mine. We usually just do whatever the birthday person wants to do. I always want chocolate cake for my birthday and H tried hard but he's color blind so he grabbed a velvet cake instead of chocolate on accident. H likes angel food cake so I'll probably make him one for his birthday.
For birthdays we fill the room with balloons while the other person sleeps. It's almost a game to hide the balloons and get them set up without the other person finding them or waking.
We also do breakfast in bed.
For Christmas we do a big "decorating" day where we make hot chocolate, decorate the tree, watch Christmas movies, and make a gingerbread house.
My family just started one a couple years ago. We DO have children that participate, but it would work for a family with no children. We always have a gingerbread house competition. We just use grahm crackers and candy and the recipe for the icing is easy to find online.You could buy the kits also if you wanted to.
We take pictures of them and have people vote on them. This year we are going to post them online for the voting so our long distance relatives can vote
Then we usually make silly wagers like whoever loses has to do the dishes.
~ Kelsey Jean ~
Cooking with Crouton: A Food Blog
We always did "Monkey Bread," aka "Over Night Christmas bread" where Christmas Eve we'd put frozen rolls, butter, sugar, etc (I'm sure there's a recipe on allrecipes) in a bunt form and stick it in the (off) oven to rise overnight, then bake in the morning. Delicious, and easy to make with kids. On a grown-up note, we're both of German ancestry and I lived for a year in Germany where I collected numerous Gluehwein (German spiced hot wine) mugs that they use at Christmas Markets. We always go to World Market or Aldis and stock up on several bottles to heat and serve after I have carefully unpacked and washed the mugs, so we get a bit of the Old Country tradition.
We also always go to the same Choose-N-Cut Christmas tree farm I went to as a child - 3 hour each was drive up into Ashe County NC so that we can get a Fraiser Fir - they don't grow so well in the Piedmont where I live. It's always a bit of an excursion but I love doing it.
We did PJs as kids, though husband and I don't do that for us. We will for our kids when the time comes. Another more child-centric tradition was Reindeer food. Back when we still believed in Santa, we'd make "Reindeer food" - oatmeal and glitter mixed together, and then go sprinkle it on the yard so the reindeer could eat while Santa unloaded
. Of course there was the obligatory cookies for Santa as well.
We have children now, and this tradition only started recently, but we have a Christmas brunch at home before we head out to visit family.
Generally we do pancakes, croissants and bacon, Just easy stuff that doesn't take heaps of prep.
I also make a light and fizzy cocktail. This year I'm pregnant so it will be non-alcoholic, but just something a bit festive that I can put into a nice jug with fruit floating in it.
I also make the effort to do the "pretty" stuff just for me and DH. Our good crockery, flowers on the table, nice linens etc.
On Christmas Eve, we snuggle up on the couch with a glass of wine and mince tarts, Christmas lights on the tree, and Christmas carols.
We do Chinese dinner on Christmas Eve with the in-laws.
We also go to the Christmas store about an hour from our house and buy a bulb. We have done this each year since we've been together. We have our names and the year put on each one.