What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

• What is your favorite Christmas tradition? by Mikekoz13 on 19 Dec, 2009 10:31
• It can be from when you were a kid or one you have started with your own kids.
  
  
  From when I was a kid:
  Our Family never had much money...... but at Christmas Mom would bake homemade Polish cookies and breads. They were a real treat because we didin't get them all year. The kitchen tables and counter tops would be covered with Polish nut breads, poppyseed breads, walnut cookies, bow ties (krus-chiki)..... oh man I loved the smell of the house on baking day. I since I was the oldest I was Mom's cookie and bread tester.
  
  Now with my own kids:
  
  WHen Kody was 1 year old I woke up on Christmas Eve morning, dressed him, and took him out for breakfast and to buy some gifts for Mommy. Cheryl stayed home and had the day off to rest up for Christmas day. It became a tradition and after my daughter was born she started joining us.
  We get up early, go to breakfast and then go get a few extra gifts for Mom. We also get our photo taken together with Santa.
  This is one of my favorite days of the year.
• #1 by D.A.L.U.I. on 19 Dec, 2009 12:29
• For the family, we all come home after Midnight Mass and "slide" the port with a huge piece of Stilton cheese and some toasted and spiced pecans.  This started about 20 years ago when we had our older daughter's godfather with us for Christmas, he'd brought some port, and I got the cheeses.  We talked about "old" times.  It has continued and our daughters and the son-in-law, now join us and we chat about all kinds of stuff.
  
  Earlier in the evening, we have friends that have Christmas Eve open houses, they prepare a huge buffets of food, venison, duck, oysters, you name it--and some Christmas cheer, my favorite Dewars on the rocks, and a cup of high test egg nog.  Lots of other friends show up and these places and it's really nice to see them, particularly thoses who relocated out of New Orleans after Katrina but return to town for the holidays.  It's a big reconnection party.  Then we head to Midnight Mass, it's a lovely service, then home. 
• #2 by tomgallagher on 19 Dec, 2009 13:37
• Christmas Eve open house, starts about 6pm and lasts till 3 or 4am. It has gotten huge but it is still a lot of fun for everyone.
• #3 by Sgt. Pate on 19 Dec, 2009 16:38
• We have always had a birthday cake for Jesus with the kids and sing happy birthday!  
• #4 by andrew on 19 Dec, 2009 17:29
• My favorite Christmas tradition is taking down the tree.      Partially true... bah humbug.
  
  I suppose one tradition is putting up the hand-sewn ornaments my grandmother made many years ago.  It always makes me think of her and brings back good memories.
• #5 by marty22 on 19 Dec, 2009 19:39
• Going to our fave Japanese restaurant for dinner at 4pm. Growing up jewish, we always went to the movies.
• #6 by wpruitt on 19 Dec, 2009 19:52
• Slipping down to the church and playing carols on the organ (when no one is listening)
• #7 by PBurke on 20 Dec, 2009 01:39
• none. this will be the first year i don't have my boys with me for christmas morning. so i will hopefully sleep late and relax. bummed out, but relaxing nonetheless