Christmas Family Traditions

[Wil87]

Hi Guys, So as I am sure most of us agree Christmas is a time for Family I thought it would be good to share the little traditions that we have that make our Christmases special! I just got the news that we have 17 family members to us for Christmas, so I am super excited.

My traditions are:
1. Christmas eve - Watch the Nightmare Before Christmas with my bro (we have done it for as long as I can remember)
2. My Dad always makes a MASSIVE breakfast, i'm talking full english for everyone
3. Once all the family have arrived, we all share gifts etc then we have a massive Christmas dinner and remember the good times we had with our Grandpa (he died a few years back, but he is still very much alive in our stories)
4. After Christmas dinner, the Grandparents, aunties, uncles and parents always watch "It's a wonderful life" but fall asleep before the titles have finished 

As you can tell, Christmas turns me into a big kid, but I am super excited to have the whole family coming and without these special things I am not sure it would be the same!!

Look forward to hearing the things you do to make your Christmas a Special one...oh and Merry Christmas dudes

[Mikekoz13]

Nice topic Wil!!

We started spreading Christmas out over a two day period a few years back because running to all the parents homes was too much for all of us.

1) So on Christmas Day we go to my Brother's home and spend the day with my Parents and my brother's family. We have dinner, talk about Christmases past, those who have left us and the funny things they did during past Christmases.

We then play what we all affectionately call "The Dollar Store Game". About ten years ago my wife and I went out and bought a 4 foot tall stocking. We then went to the dollar store and bought all these cheesy gifts, many of which had some humorous link to family members. We always buy one gift that we know many of the family will want. Then we wrap up all these gifts and stuff them into the giant stocking.

We start with the youngest family member and work around to the oldest. The first person takes a gift from the stocking and opens it...... and usually everyone laughs like crazy because it's something dumb. The next person can then choose to take a gift from the stocking OR steal a gift from any other person. If a gift is "stolen" then the person being "stolen" from gets to do the same...... "steal" or pick from the stocking. We continue taking turns around the room until the stocking is empty.

It's always a lot of fun.


2) Then the day after Christmas my Wife's Parents, my Parents and my Wife's Sister's family come to our house for Christmas. We have dinner and then open gifts. We usually spend a lot of time talking about past Christmases again.

3) Two or three days before Christmas Cheryl, the kids and I all watch "The Polar Express" before they go to bed. If you've never seen this movie it is a "must see". Great animation but most importantly a really great message. i never saw this movie in the theater and then a couple of years ago I bought it on a whim for the kids. One night after the kids were in bed Cheryl and i watched it. It was, to me, magical.

4) Probably my favorite tradition is the morning of Christmas Eve. I get the kids up early and get them dressed. I take them out to breakfast while Mom stays home and has a day to herself. After breakfast I take the kids to shop for some 'extras" for Mommy. I let them pick out some things they think she'll like (with some guidance). Then we pick out some pretty wrapping paper just for mommy and we go home and wrap mommy's last gifts. i started doing this with my son Kody on his second Christmas when he was one year old.
He had been so very sick his first Christmas and it was a terrible Christmas for all of us and our families. So that second Christmas I just wanted some daddy time with him. And it just continued... and then my daughter came along and joined in. I love Christmas Eve.

[champ007]

Here, being just myself and my son, I started a tradition for Christmas when he was a baby. Seeing here in the south we don't have snow, I have always had a live tree for christmas. It brings the smell in the house to give you the smell of the season.
Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving, we ride over to a tree farm in South Carolina and pick our tree out, put money down and tag it. Then a couple of weeks before Christmas we go and saw it down. It was really something the first time he was able to saw the whole tree down by himself 

A second thing we do is watch Christmas Vacation on Christmas eve. Its a movie we can relate to in this house, and we really enjoy comparing family members to the characters of the movie.   

[Papa Don]

My family is now all gone except for my son who lives so very far away.  We try to get together if he and his wife are not at her parent's house.  Christmas morning usually involves my going to the neighbor's house for coffee and pastries. Exchanging gift with their children (hence: Papa Don moniker). On Christmas Eve I go to the cemetery to place flowers on my late wife's grave.  and we have a long talk.  Seems to help. Then I usually go home and watch the Christmas shows on TV.  Those with family are so very lucky.  That is the greatest Christmas gift in itself.  So enjoy the season with your loved ones.

[Rob]

Hey Papa: that really touched me.  You're right: those of us with families should treasure the times together because you never know how long they will last.

[The Scottish Ambassador]

My family is now all gone except for my son who lives so very far away.  We try to get together if he and his wife are not at her parent's house.  Christmas morning usually involves my going to the neighbor's house for coffee and pastries. Exchanging gift with their children (hence: Papa Don moniker). On Christmas Eve I go to the cemetery to place flowers on my late wife's grave.  and we have a long talk.  Seems to help. Then I usually go home and watch the Christmas shows on TV.  Those with family are so very lucky.  That is the greatest Christmas gift in itself.  So enjoy the season with your loved ones.

Really touching Papa. Will think of you and remember you in my prayers theis Christmas

[The Scottish Ambassador]

I go to the midnight service every year. For the last few years I have led the carol singing. After midnight and the service has finished we all have coffee and mince pies.

Usually take the kids to the Christmas morning service. They can take a present with them to show everyone else.

Then its family, family, family.

Am I the only one who goes to church?

[Brkeatr]

We go to church every Christmas Eve and sometimes even on Christmas day.

We don't have much tradition anymore since my kids have other families and in-laws now. Last Christmas my wife and I were alone Christmas day, but this year we are suppose to go to my daughters.

[skiking]

My family doesn't have anything really set in stone, but it usually involves me going skiing, before or after opening gifts, depends on where I am living (last year I lived on the ski hill so we opened gifts after I went skiing, but other years I have stayed at my parent's for Christmas so gifts were opened first).  Then around 2 or 3 we have dinner, and then we usually shovel the driveway.

My Christmas tradition of skiing this year won't happen because I am having shoulder surgery on the 22nd, so I will have to figure out something to do.

[GASlick]

When I was growing up, we had Christmas Eve lunch and gifts at my paternal grandparents.  Then we went over and had Christmas Eve supper of Brunswick stew, cornbread and cherry cheese pie at my maternal grandparents. Of course, more gifts.  My Grandmother had a croquet set so we would all head out and play the back yard all afternoon until supper.

Christmas Day, my Grandmother would have Christmas Dinner for anyone and everyone who wanted to come over.  There would be maybe 50 people.  Good memories.  Both my Grandmothers are still alive and things are still pretty much that way.  Of course now all those kids, like me, are married with their own children and in-laws.  We haven't ALL been together for probably 10 years now.

If I had one Christmas wish it would be for one more Christmas 20 years ago.

[Wil87]

Great answers guys, its great to see all the little things that makes your Christmases special to you!

Papa Don, your reply was very touching, I wish you all the best at Christmas!!

[Mikekoz13]

I go to the midnight service every year. For the last few years I have led the carol singing. After midnight and the service has finished we all have coffee and mince pies.

Usually take the kids to the Christmas morning service. They can take a present with them to show everyone else.

Then its family, family, family.

Am I the only one who goes to church?

We're Church goers! I love the Christmas Eve service at our Church. When entering the Church every person gets a candle. At the end of the service, the Pastor lights his candle from the Advent candle. He then lights the candes of a few assisstants from his candle. Then the assisstants fan out among the pews and candles are lit, one after the other from the end of the pews. As the candles are lit, the lights are turned off.

When all candles are lit, the song "Silent Night" is sung very softly by the whole congregation. No accompanying instruments...... just the soft voices of all of us singing. Every year at that moment i really feel it......What Christmas is all about. I choke back tears every year.

[The Scottish Ambassador]

I go to the midnight service every year. For the last few years I have led the carol singing. After midnight and the service has finished we all have coffee and mince pies.

Usually take the kids to the Christmas morning service. They can take a present with them to show everyone else.

Then its family, family, family.

Am I the only one who goes to church?

We're Church goers! I love the Christmas Eve service at our Church. When entering the Church every person gets a candle. At the end of the service, the Pastor lights his candle from the Advent candle. He then lights the candes of a few assisstants from his candle. Then the assisstants fan out among the pews and candles are lit, one after the other from the end of the pews. As the candles are lit, the lights are turned off.

When all candles are lit, the song "Silent Night" is sung very softly by the whole congregation. No accompanying instruments...... just the soft voices of all of us singing. Every year at that moment i really feel it......What Christmas is all about. I choke back tears every year.

Now thats Christmas for me too. I am in tears every year at midnight when the church lights go off and we sing Silent Night. O Come All Ye Faithful really gets me too. Especially on the last verse when we sing "Ye Lord we greet thee, born this happy morning"

Sorry guys, I just love Christmas and my faith is very special to me

[GASlick]

Koz - you're a bigger man than me.  I can't seem to keep my tears choked back.
We have a similar service.

[SLYinKC]

We have the candlelight communion service at our church every Christmas eve, also.  Everyone says that it is their favorite.