Christmas Cheeseburgers?

[Dario]

i have a long standign traditoin for myself christmas day, i prepare cheeseburgres, homemaede fries and whtch horror/slasher films all day.

since i dont hve family i find my traditoin to be perfectyl accpetable, however non-convetional it may be.
just wondreing what traditoins everyone else has for holidaytime?

[MysticOceansFL]

On Christmas eve I read to children at the library the Chrismas Carol. and after that the next day I spend it with family and friends.

[OneOfAKind]

I do what most of my other jewish friends do, go to the movies and then go for dinner at a chinese restaurant. It's kind of like the rules j/k lmao

[princessbelle]

Oh what a nice thread. Will enjoy all of the stories.

My Christmas traditions have a lot to do with my Dad. When he was little, his family was very large and very poor and they could not afford presents and didn't really understand the whole Santa thing at all. Once, when he was around 8, he stayed with his aunt and uncle on Christmas Eve. They were much wealthier than his family and had cut up candy bars in little silver dishes. Dad said he wanted a bite so bad, due to never really getting candy at home. He was told no, not to touch them. The next morning when "Santa" came for his cousins, he didn't get anything. Of course at the time, he didn't feel too bad about it, but after he became an adult, it had a real meaning for him.

It was always a tradition, growing up, to go with my dad shopping for the "kids who didn't know Santa". We would buy tons of toys and clothes and take to the drop off spots for the Salvation Army. I passed this tradition on to my kids as well. It is a HUGE part of our Christmas.

My Father passed away some 12 years ago....but, I will guarentee you that every Christmas Eve there is ALWAYS cut up candy bars in little silver dishes at my house and if you come by, you will be offered to take as much as you want.

[Dario]

I do what most of my other jewish friends do, go to the movies and then go for dinner at a chinese restaurant. It's kind of like the rules j/k lmao

that made me lauhg right uot loud...horror films>?

[DapperButch]

Xmas Eve growing up
* Supper was steamed shrimp, french fries, and cole slaw. Somehow this got started b/c it was quick and easy and we then weren't late for...
*Evening Church service
Then:
*Sing Christmas Carols around the piano
* Reading of the Christmas Story (Bible version)
*Reading of the Night Before Christmas
*Put out milk and cookies
*Father turns on silent "Super 8" movie camera with that god awful bright light that blinds you.
*Children wave to movie camera while walking up steps to bed.

Christmas day growing up

*Wake up very early and watch clock until 7AM.
*Wake up parents
*Parents go down steps and father turns on movie camera that has no sound with that god awful bright light that blinds you
*Come down steps and wave at stupid movie camera while trying to not run into a wall b/c the light blinds you.
*Sister starts with stocking/I start with good stuff
*Mother, sister, and I get irritated with father making us look at the camera.
*Mother yells at father enough times that he stops making us hold up every freaking pair of socks we get for the camera
*Eat breakfast caserole and homemade sticky buns
*Drive up to grandparents.

Now:
Until last Xmas we all got together for the traditional Christmas dinner and then got together again on Christmas Day to do presents and the "traditional" Christmas breakfast.

Last year was the first year without my Dad, so we did something completely different. My mom came over to my g.f.'s house and we spent Christmas there (my sister didn't come home for Xmas).

Don't know about this year.

[BugsAndKisses]

poker, poker, and more poker! I always get my ass kicked by my lil old Italian grandfather though!

[ArkansasPiscesGrrl]

Christmas Eve when my kids were little was always family opening presents together, usually at our house. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, lots of cousins running around. (when the kids got a little older, they would needle and whine to get to open "just ONE present, PLEEEEZE?? before the big gathering). We would have a mountain of presents under the tree for them, but not lots of expensive stuff, though. I would do things like get a 6-pack of tube socks for each son, and wrap each individual pair of socks. Or get them each a candy lifesaver "book". things like that. I STILL get them the lifesaver book each year now, and they are in their 30s and 40s!

After everyone left, we would bundle everyone up to go to church for midnight Mass, either at the big Cathedral, or when y brother was still out at Boystown an in the Concert Choir, we would go to Boystown for their midnight Mass. Then back home, kids to bed, and THEN we would work on setting out Santa's presents. Everything had to be arranged for each child, all the stickers and decals on there, everything assembled, nothing wrapped. (Santa didn't WRAP, for heavens sake!)

Christmas morning the kids would come in to wake us up, then tear into the living room. We would grab big cups of coffee and sleepily watch them play. I would then head in to make a big breakfast for everyone.

Later that day, we would usually head over to the grandparents for dinner, which was usually a big ham with those pineapple slices and cloves.

[Incubus]

I've avoided family Christmases with my birth family since my early 20's. Long, sordid tale, too boring to post here. Since then I've either spent it on my own or with my chosen family.

I find it a hard time. It's the end of the year, it's dark and cold. I feel like a bear that should be hibernating. I miss my Ma so much during in December. It was her birthday on the 1st...it's mine on the 4th... and then we have the holiday season.

I've had some truly amazing Christmases but they tend to be the exception rather than the rule.

All in all, it's just another day. :whoop:

[Rockinonahigh]

When I was a kid my gramps and I would always go to the woods for a tree,he had a special place that had some of the best trees,grannie would pack up a lunch and off we would go.I usely fell asleep in the truck on the way home but If I woke up we would stop at the mom and pop store for an ice cream...when we got home we put up the tree.I remember draging out all the lights to untangle them,takeing out boxes of ornaments to hang,many we made from popcorn and cranberries,pine cones as well as some my mom and grannie crocheted.Mom would put a big sheet of felte under the tree to make it look like snow...one time I was a Wall Greens...back then the store was a 5 and dime,I went to the craft shop and bought several containers of glitter then sprinkled them all over the tree,by time christmas eve got hear there was gliter every where plus all kinds of decorations around the house.On christmass eve we dressed in our best and went to midnight mass,when we got home gramps cooked some home made italian sasuage while grannie fixed the rest of a very early meal.I could hardly sleep waiting to open the boxes under the tree....Memories,its been a long time.

[Dario]

poker, poker, and more poker! I always get my ass kicked by my lil old Italian grandfather though!

Us Wops sure loeve our poker....wht foods did the old Italians prepaere?

[dark_crystal]

we usually have the big turkey/dressing dinner the week before Christmas, with the extended family. Christmas day is just the immediate family, and for many years we had lasagna- because we eat a year's worth of turkey at the extended family gathering, although last year my sister decided to switch to tamales

which she served with red beans and rice. odd and starchy combo but also totally awesome in its way

[moxie]

I had a similar tradition for Christmas, as I have no family. I usually spent a good chunk of the day at the movie theater and would see at least two movies. Stopped at Walgreens (a drugstore) as it is one of the few things open on Christmas, and I always tell myself "Why did you do that, you don't need anything and the place is packed!" yet I do it every year. Would go for a long drive, depending on the weather. Then I would come home and make a fancy dinner for myself. I always adopt a family and buy the parents and the kids clothes and fun presents. This year I adopted two families of clients from work. It's the one time of year that I look in the Toy section and am always amazed.

When I didn't have company for Thanksgiving, I ended up volunteering to work in residential at my agency so that those who have family could spend the holiday with theirs. I'd always make some kind of turkey for myself and eat it for about a week. I would also shop on Black Friday but not until the evening. It usually dies down around dinnertime.

This year my traditions will change as far as what I do on Christmas and Thanksgiving since I am no longer in a metropolitan area and live in the middle of nowhere. And residential services here are different and not close geographically. I will make sure I rent a bunch of movies a few days before.

[Rockinonahigh]

There isnt much more than my son and me for th holidays,I have a couple of cousins but they live one on each coast and have family christmas with therie own families...we just send a nice card thrue the mail.I gess I will do about what we have been doing,cook a small dinner for the two of us + one fur kid who gets her own plate...silly I know but thats how it is.Im hopeing I can get my son out from in frunt of the big screan tv to go see some holliday lights before the croud hits.Shopeing for christmas isnt much,I dont really need anything nor dose he...

[Tawse]

Long long ago:


Christmas Eve we would travel to my moms parents house - dinner would be more like grazing on odd foods. Smoked oysters, Sardines, Crackers and Cheese... that kind of stuff. I don't remember what we did for entertainment - but i'm sure we didn't have TV on - and I know my grandmother and mother both played the organ - so I'm guessing they played Christmas songs.

At some point in time we were sent upstairs for the "if you don't go to sleep santa will never get here" Marathon. I still to this day am amazed any kid actually gets any sleep on Christmas eve. Actually I'm thinking they don't - they just blank out until it's time..

Time for us was at o'dark thirty. No it wasn't morning yet - I'm convinced it was typically only an hour or so after we went upstairs.. but when we came downstairs it was amazing. All of the assembly required toys were spread out - unwrapped for us to oogle and run screaming at... other toys were wrapped and yes there were the required underwear and other assorted clothes boxes as well. Which you avoided because you knew the shape of those boxes.

So we unwrapped presents and played for a bit and then we packed everything up and my parents drove to my fathers parents house (about 2 hours away). Yep the families hated each other - so separate holidays were mandatory.

Anyway - we'd fall asleep in the car and wake up in the morning at Nana's house.. surrounded by even more presents. Nana would fix breakfast (while dad and mom slept) and we'd play with the toys from GrandMa's house - saving the new presents until the parental units were up to witness the opening.

For dinner we'd have the traditional southern - which means turkey etc with TONS of gravy to go around...

Pretty freakin fantastic really...

Modern day?

Gillian and I have the family come over to our house on Xmas eve - and we do the smorgasbord - capped off by an evening of Guitar hero or something similar. The people that drive a good bit stay at my house over night and then we fix a huge Christmas breakfast (Gillian's tradition) in the morning before heading over to my older brothers house for presents and dinner...

[ArkansasPiscesGrrl]

Yeah, I know I posted before, but....

I remember on Christmas Eve as a kid, maybe around 7 yrs old? I shared a bedroom with my younger sister and brother. We had been sent upstairs to go to sleep (yeah right!). Right before I drifted off (little brother already had!), the door opened and SANTA walked in!!! He was tall and way too skinny, and his red suit looked suspiciously like the suits on the Santas in the dept stores. So I definately had my doubts, but there was that ONE little chance, yanno? He said that we all needed to fall asleep, so he could finish his work downstairs before going on to all the other kids' houses, but that since we had been so very good that year, he was sure we would be happy when we woke up. Sure enough, the doll I had been wanting to so long was waiting for me when I went downstairs the next morning.

Now, years later, of course I can see how creepy that could have been... I mean, some stranger walking into my bedroom in the middle of the night...*shaking head*.

I moved up to AR in March, mainly to be closer to my kids and grandkids. This is going to be a bittersweet Christmas for my family this year, as it will be the first XMas for my kids without their dad, who passed away on Dec 28th. RIP Papa Doug.

[Apocalipstic]

I love the cheeseburger idea! Maybe I will borrow it! We plan to have a bunch of food and watch Beavis and Butthead and bad Christmas movies all day in our PJs...I am going to suggest at least one slasher flix!

Christmas is always hard for me.

[Dario]

I love the cheeseburger idea! Maybe I will borrow it! We plan to have a bunch of food and watch Beavis and Butthead and bad Christmas movies all day in our PJs...I am going to suggest at least one slasher flix!

Christmas is always hard for me.

i am tellign to you...NOTHING better than really bda slasher/horro flicks adn sloppy southren style cheeseburgers....puts life in perspectieve!

[LaneyDoll]

When I started my family, we developed Christmas traditions and they are still there-as much as possible since "the family" is split now.

Christmas Eve
*They get to open one gift and it is something of my choosing.
*We set out milk & cookies for Santa.
*The little ones go to bed and the oldest and I set gifts out.
*Gifts from me are number coded to reduce the "he got more than me" drama; that night, I swap the numbers for names. Santa does not wrap gifts.

That morning
*My ex mother-in-law comes over to open gifts. I divorced her child, not her and I will NOT have her alone on Christmas.
*The kids open gifts while we watch the madness.
*We attempt breakfast but that never happens.
*The kids play while I relax on the couch.

Lunchtime
*Their father gets them and I clean up.
*Then depression hits me and someone (sister or friends) come drag me out so I won't wallow in it :)

When the family was intact, we would take the kids to look ath Christmas lights. But, that went to the wayside last year since their father gets them Christmas Eve. (I refused to budge on my having them Christmas morning) Last year, losing the Christmas Eve lights tradition was hard. Luckily I was with someone who knew how hard it was and she and I were on IM and she kept sending me Youtube links for holiday light shows.

This year, I am going to do the light tour earlier in the season.

:sparklyheart:

[claybaby]

Growing up traditions were awesome..and the 15 years I had my wife, we had our own traditions..since she passed away.....I am now alone for the holidays.....we had begun to go to Cracker Barrel on T'Giving Day.....I still do that.....and on C'Mas I can usually find a Chinese Buffet...:).
It is all good...I find joy in being alive..being able to make choices..and being fairly healthy!!! For those reasons, it is a joyful Holiday Season...:)

[MsTinkerbelly]

My childhood Holidays were the stuff dreams are made of...

Letters to Santa, cookies and milk (carrots for the reindeers), gazillions of presents, family dinners, over the river and through the woods....is it any wonder we believed in Santa long past the age of believing?

When I finally got it that there was no Santa I was 12! My Dad and Grandfather got drunk on eggnog while putting together our new Christmas bikes, and made so much noise we snuck out to watch. When the bikes were from Santa, we knew the truth!

After my folks divorced when I was 15 things changed in many ways, but I had enough of the really good times to want to pass them along to my own daughter, and a few new ones of giving back as well.

Last year was the first year after my Mom passed, and I just wanted it all over with and done....but this year I am looking forward to all of the lovely, homey, corny things that go along with our Holiday traditions.

[1QuirkyKiwi]

Christmas was mostly spent with the Maori side of the family - every other year the French/Italian/Norwegian side of the family would visit us. Christmas Eve I when the Norwegian family were over we'd celebrate it the Scandinavian way with presents opened - it left Christmas Day a bit flat.

In my mid 20s I'd lost my immediate family - I've gone home for Christmas a few times with the Maori side, but, it's not the same feeling any more. Since my late 20s I've spent Christmas with Scottish/English/European family - it's mostly just a handful of us getting together to celebrate - each meal I cook is one from around the world - it's the same at New Year, lol!

A family traditional was to donate money to various charities and take food to those who maybe without.