Christmas Traditions?

[LadyGrey]

I was just curious as to what if any Christmas traditions we all have.
My family has a tradition that we started when the boys were very very small. We always have a cedar wood fire in the fireplace on Christmas eve and we read a couple of chapters from the Bible that to us describes the true meaning of Christmas and then we read the Christmas Poem from a very old Children's book that belonged to me when I was little. We sit and talk about the year gone by and why we are so thankful for what we have and why we really have Christmas. It was a way to keep the real meaning of Christmas alive for the kids. We always told them that Christmas was for giving not for getting.
Anyone else have anything special that they do??
LG;)

[pentachris]

Waffles with strawberries for Christmas breakfast. It's the only day of the year we allow ourselves to have it, and it's something we all look forward to. It's a tradition started by my grandmother. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! :) :D :)

We also read the Christmas story from the Bible before asking for blessing of our Christmas dinner.

[Abbadon]

on Christmasday one of the national radiostations in Belgium broadcasts a special program. Essentially, the listeners get to vote in the preceding weeks what they think were the best 100 songs ever, and then those 100 songs are played on christmasday. We (our bunch of friends) gathers in the local "youthhouse*" where we lounge troughout the list (the program lasts from 4pm till midnight), talk, have fun, remember the year that's past and the one that is to come,...

It may not sound like much, but the atmosphere is superb, the music is excellent (ranges from The Beatles to Faithless to whatever...), everyone is in a good mood, most people drop in after they have eaten their fill at family-festivities and are kinda drowsy, you see a lot of people you haven't seen in a while, ...,... I think those 8 hours are the most relaxed I've had each year for the past years and I'd be incredibly sad should I ever have to miss it.




(* "youthhouses" are, I think, a belgian thing, so I'll give some detials: They're places where the youngster gather, have a drink, have parties, organise trips to ski-resorts, musea, movie-theather,...,... Youthhouses are for youngster and BY youngsters. All the work is done by the youths themselves. They're great fun :) and often the first place they start going to when they're alowed to "go out" by their parents. A home away from home for those dificult years between 14 and 20 you might say ;) All this to say that they're not like a normal pub or bar at all)

[Steve]

On Christmas Day, I take off over the river and through the woods. ;) Then over the mountains and down the highway, to Boston, to be with family. Every year my brother and his wife have the family over for a fine dinner and exchange of presents. Last years Christmas snow storm caused me to cancel the trip for only the second time in thirty years.

:)

[LadyGrey]

This is so great! Keep em comin, it's so nice to hear about what every one else does. Keeps us all together somehow. Not only Christmas you know, any of the holidays that others celebrate during this time of year. This is a great time to share all of our ways. LG;)

[FrankSG]

We always make a sort of a cookie. They're called Pizzelles. The ingredients are: 1/2 cup butter,( softened to room temp.) 2/3 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 3/4 to 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. anise oil and a pinch of salt. But, you've got to have a regular Pizzelle iron. It's sort of like a small waffle iron. You put approx. 1 tsp. of the batter in the iron, close it up and in about a minute you have one finished. The are thin and crisp. One of our granddaughters and I were making some one year and she said to me, "Grandpa, these are so good that why don't we make them more often?" I told her because it was a Christmas tradition and if we made them to often, they wouldn't be as special. She agreed with that. My wife and I have been married for 49 years and have made them every year. I don't think that we have ever made them any other time except for Christmas. Now I'm getting hungry! I'm going to go and dig out our Pizzelle machine and get an early start.
~Frank~

[Mark Miller]

Our one great tradition is to make sure the whole family is together for the holidays, especially with our new one and half year old grandson [the one and only]
Mark:D

[PrntRhd]

Ours is the immediate family opening the presents about 9 AM, then going to Grandpa and Grandmothers' house to open presents and have a Christmas dinner with all the trimings, turkey or ham and stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, salads, and desserts. Brandy Alexander(s) afterwards.

Oh yeah, we are going to be doing it as a husband/wife now...I married again this Oct after being divorced for 20 years. Had a week in Maui for the honeymoon.

"God bless us every one"

[Bumpus]

Ever since I was young, our family had treated ourselves to fried oysters, shrimp and clams for Christmas breakfast. I am the youngest of three, having 2 older sisters. There’s just myself and one sister left now. While we don’t gather on Christmas Morning anymore, because of traveling constraints, we do celebrate New Year’s Eve and have moved our special breakfast to New Year’s Morning. I 45 now and I think I can count on one hand the number of Oyster Breakfasts our family have missed over the years.

About a month ago, I was “forced” into by-pass surgery! I’ve missed work and will be out until the first of the year. Sitting here this evening going over finances, I was thinking about how bad things are. So I took a break and decided to come check out the forums and found this thread.

I caused me a thinkin’! Things could have been a whole lot worse in many respects. Thanks for starting this thread, you folks have help “fix” a lot more than just my PCs.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and enjoy whatever the New Year brings!

[LadyGrey]

Ohhhh Frank those Pizzelles sound so good! Where can I get one of those machines that you need to make them? Kitchen Store?? Online maybe?? Just may end up incorporating a few new traditions.:D
This is just fascinating hearing about all the different things we all do. Bumpus I hope you get well real quick and yeah, this forum can at times fix lots and lots more than just computers! How in the world did I miss PrntRhd getting married?? Gosh, I can't leave for a minute and something neat happens that I miss! Congrats there and many blessings to you both!! LG;)

[FrankSG]

Ohhhh Frank those Pizzelles sound so good! Where can I get one of those machines that you need to make them? Kitchen Store?? Online maybe?? Just may end up incorporating a few new traditions.
We bought the last one at our local hardware store. But, if you do a goggle search it will bring up dozens of places where you can order one online. Just a few minutes ago I did a search on goggle. One of the links brought me to amazon.com and they showed one that will make four at a time! I think I'm going to order one since the one that we have now only makes one at a time. If you like the taste of anise, you'll love the pizzelles. The recipe that comes with them usually lists vanilla or anise extract for the flavoring. We never use the vanilla. One other point; if you use anise get the anise oil if you can. It is so much better than the extract. By the way, this tradition started on my wife's side. The first one that they ever used wasn't electric. They would put the batter in it and then put it on the stove to heat up.

[FrankSG]

Bumpus--Sure hope you start feeling better. Take care of yourself and do what the doctor says--I'm sure things will work out for you. I know what it is to be down and out. I'm 72 years old now, but when I was age 28 I was off of work for 20 months because of my health. We had three little kids at the time. When I first got sick, our youngest was 4 months old and the oldest 4 years old. At the time I thought that there was no way we can get through this. But, we did and things are fine now. I guess you've just got to have faith. Just do the best you can and leave the rest to a Higher Power. By the way, Bumpus, we're almost neighbors. I'm from Seneca County in the good ol' Buckeye state!
~Frank~

[Bumpus]

Thanks for the kind words Frank. This site has helped alot since I've been off. It sure helps to pass the day! And yes, practically neighbors!

[Mark Miller]

Bumpus,
Feel better!!!
Prntrhd,
Congrats, we seem to be on alot of the same threads, I feel like I know you along time already.
Lady Grey,
Great thread!!!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS everybody.
Mark:)

[Carl]

(Hope this post isn't too late)

On Christmas eve, we bake a small cake and frost it.

After the traditional Christmas Eve service we go home to open our gifts, but before we do, we decorate the cake with a small ceramic Nativity set and candles, then light them and sing "Happy Birthday"
to the Baby Jesus.

We here in MI wish you all the best of the holiday season

Carl

[FrankSG]

Welcome to the forum, Carl--You're tradition seem like a good one to carry on.
~Frank~

[LadyGrey]

Carl, welcome to the PCGuide! Sounds like you have a beautiful tradition there!
I wish everyone the Happiest Of Holidays! Stay Safe!
LG;)

[kenner]

Easy abswer NO SHOPPING Long tradition that you can't celebrate the Mass of Christ by buying things for yourself, people you know or people whose favor you hope to gain. No santa twerp in our houses. Each year either individually or collectively, one big donation is given to a charitable group. Lets hear it for summer childrens camps. Kids are allowed to wish for one gift in the name of LOVE and it is never an expensive item. And we always share slices of Strangers Bread (a better fruitcake-less fruit more cake) with strangers.

[steveo]

There are no X-mas traditions within my family that I'm aware of.

[Steve]

Maybe that, in itself, is a tradition. ;)

[PrntRhd]

Our new tradition is to bake Kaluah brownies.
:D :D :D :D

[pave_spectre]

We used to attend midnight mass on christmas eve, but we stopped going quite a few years ago.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

[pentachris]

I'll be travelling down to the metropolis that is Satsuma, AL ;) to spend the holidays with my wife's family. Won't be near a computer for a while, so..

Merry Christmas!

[Whyzman]

Throughout most of our 26+ years of marriage we have had the good fortune of different family traditions...

Please allow me to explain...

My family has always gathered Christmas Eve for the opening of gifts and my wife's Christmas Day...

This has saved us from any inter-family "conflicts of interest"....which I'm sure those of you with both sets of in-laws in close proximity can appreciate...;)

It used to be Christmas Day with my folks that the turkey and fixings were partaken...graciously, my folks adapted and moved the turkey dinner to Christmas Eve (Turkey & dressing, etc., being both my wife's and my favorite...)

Christmas Day we gather at my wife's folks for Brunch...consisting of a breakfast type casserole that has breakfast sausage and eggs, and I think some sort of bread built-in...(Mainly, it is tasty! :) )

My in-laws have a hill behind their place, so if there's snow, the afternoon consists of sliding... One year the lake froze smooth so one of my brother's-in-law set up some nets and we played broom ball... (Meanwhile...the ham is in the oven)

As evening approaches we gather around the fireplace and the fulfillment of prophecy is recounted as the Christmas account is read from the Bible by Great Grandma...

Then, the opening of gifts...

We've long ago dispensed with the adults exchanging gifts even on a lottery basis...and focused in on the kids...

We are richly blessed! When I hear of families with differences so profound or wounds so deep that they won't talk with each other my heart is saddened...

When we lived in Colorado we couldn't wait to head home for the holidays...which many there could not understand! Christmas for many was simply a time to head up the mountains for skiing...

A Brother and a Sister have "gone on" prematurely and their absence is always felt...

For me, it's about family and the ultimate reason we gather together at this time of year, to celebrate the birth of God's Son!

Did I forget to mention the cookies?? :p My Dad's turkey & cornbread dressing are "to die for," but...my Wife's side of the family are definitely "Sugar-holics!" ;)

KrumKaka (I think very much like the Pizelle)...and there's the Sun Bakkels (not sure the spelling, but I've helped press them into the little tins for baking)...

My Mother-in-law makes the "Glorified Rice" (the rice pudding like stuff with the whipped cream, cherries and pineapple)...for which she makes a slightly tart thickened grape sauce that you drizzle over...Yum Yum...

Merry Christmas Folks!

[deddard]

Making Glogg! - a scandinavian drink, like mulled wine but more alcoholic, and a whole heap better. funny how a dozen bottles never seems to last...:D

Oh, and I just got engaged!

[jabarnutcase]

Congrats deddard!!!!
Don't drink the whole dozen...Save one or two for your future spouse. :D

My "kids" are home from College....(Well, two of them. My oldest daughter, a High School art teacher, is here too)....
For me, it's about family and the ultimate reason we gather together at this time of year, to celebrate the birth of God's Son!

As a matter of fact, we're headed off to Church for an evening service. Then home to a nice dinner together. A nice Spiral Ham with all the fixins'.

It's a great time to be with family and count our blessings....I too pray and feel deeply for the less fortunate.
I could reminisce for hours about the Christmas eves of past....Wonderful memories of the whole family at "Granpas" house.....Fortunately for you, I don't have the time to make you suffer through all of it.
Don't want to be late for Church. ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL! :D

[david eaton]

A Happy Christmas to you all

And may your God go with you and those close to you throughout the year!

[jeeza]

Originally posted by david eaton
I didn't believe in reincarnation last time either! ;)
Are you implying that you are aware of having lived before this life but still don't believe it ?

Merry Christmas !