Do You Have Any Holiday Traditons?

[NJFemmie]

Mare and I have a holiday-kick off tradition (right after T-day). We set up a date, and when we wake up, we put on Christmas music, make a special breakfast, and put up our Christmas tree.

Growing up, Christmas Eve (Wigilia) was a more important day in the Polish tradition. It was the one night where all (or most) of the family got together, (of course, with our own slight variations to the custom).

We would have a mix of American and Polish foods - and would engage in the custom of breaking oplatki, which was usually sent to us from family in Poland. After dinner, we would open Christmas presents and was later followed by midnight Mass (usually Polish or Latin).

Mare enjoys "spreading out" Her Christmas presents throughout the day... so, we might open a couple of them on C-Eve, but the rest are spread out during C-Day. I have (obviously) adopted this tradition, as painful as it can be at times. *smirk* (It really isn't that painful, I just make it sound as if it is... lol). This way, the entire day has that Christmas-present feel, as opposed to opening everything at once and *gasp* it's over.




Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia!

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Dean Thoreau

My favorite tradition is before Christmas we go and get a bunch of those Christmas wish tags...that some banks and stores have so you can get presents for little kids whose parents are going thru a difficult financial time. It is so much fun to buy for kids....even with all the kids we have... and now granchild.....
It always makes the holdiay time special, wife and I set aside a day without any of our kids or work and go present shopping for our wish kids....then come home and wrap them all up as fancy as we can, and slip in lots of extra's and then take them to the bank or store and drop them off. We feel like Santa and Mrs Claus...and have been doing it for 28 years now.

I love the Tree Angels!!! I grab a couple of the tags whenever I am able to, although the stores that I've found to do this won't accept wrapped gifts. That would be even more fun!

Originally Posted by Medusa

Jack and I usually open all of our presents before Christmas so that we have nothing left to open on Christmas morning.
It usually starts off like this:
Me: "Babe, can we open just ONE???? PWEEEAASSEEE?"
Her: "Ok, just one! But only if I can open one of mine!"
And this goes on at random times until nothing is left.


Oh, and during my family get together, there is usually at least ONE loud argument over who ate the last deviled egg, one drunk cousin crying in the corner, and nothing would be complete without my mom telling me at least twice that I am "showing too much cleavage"

One present each on Christmas Eve or your stocking. Those are the early opening options in my household. No more!

I get a little sadistic with making my giftees wait because I am usually a rather good gift-giver and they know it.

[Jet]

Midnight Mass

But I don't think i'll make it this year

[Lynn]

I'm Jewish and my partner is Christian, so we celebrate some of both, and mush them together in a "Chanumas" celebration. We have a tradition of putting up a tree right after Thanksgiving, too, but this year we've decided to leave the tree down. The kittens are just too curious and wild! We've been lighting Chanukah candles and giving small gifts to the kids, leading up to the bigger ones at Christmas. We'll join my partner's family in PA for the actual Christmas celebration, and then I'll take my kids to my own family in another part of PA for a New Year's Eve celebration with my parents, brothers, and their families. It's kind of busy and tiring, and a bit too costly, but we love the season--especially sharing it together.

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah, everyone!

[Andrew, Jr.]

We usually put up a tree. It's decorated the day after of course while watching and

Last year was the year of Hell. It was such a horrible loss of my sister, so I this year is important to try to get back into the swing of things. The hard part was coming across ornaments that she made, or had come across to add to the collection. Not one of us decorated inside or out. It just wasn't in us. We were all so heartbroken.

We didn't even cook alot. We ended up buying store made cookies, and buying a box of a ready made meal. Yep. It was bad.

I didn't volunteer. I don't think we did much of anything really. We all were so devistated.

This year I am hoping to go volunteer again. I just depends on how I am doing, and how my health is. I really enjoy feeding the homeless and the poor. The children really get to me. They make the holidays.