mrn8 Posted October 26, 2005 Posted October 26, 2005 When do you get together with family? If you're married, how do you decide who's family to get together with? When do you open gifts? What's for dinner? Christmas has been my favorite holiday for a long time. It's the only time that my family gets back together, and we all have a great time. It's great to be able to find the right gift for someone and to see them open it. The her side / my side thing works out nicely, because it's tradition for her side to make home-made pizza and open gifts on Christmas Eve. My family gets together on Christmas day. My immediate family opens gifts together in the morning and then we get the extended family all together for a huge dinner. One of my uncles is a chef, so he usually makes Prime Rib. The rest of us chip in by bringing a dish for everyone and then we all clean up afterwards.
outnumbered Posted October 26, 2005 Posted October 26, 2005 I am still working out what things are going to be tradition around here. This is going to be our fourth Christmas out here, so our fourth Christmas with no family around to visit. Back home when dh and I were still dating, Christmas got spread out over several days. On Christmas Eve morning, we'd drive up to Santa Barbara to have Christmas Eve dinner with his grandparents (and extended family that all went up there to visit). Christmas morning we'd open gifts there, then drive to his aunt's house (nearby) for a big breakfast. Sometime around noon we'd leave and drive back down to our area and see my family at my parents' house, then drive over to my aunt's place for Christmas dinner. It was very busy, kinda stressful, but great to be around everyone. Out here it's nice to just stay put and do Christmas morning exactly how I want to...but it's lonely. I will cook either a turkey or a ham...whichever I feel like doing...and then we eat leftovers for a week straight because, well, it takes that long for 4 people to eat a big holiday meal. Back home I grew up having my mom, grandma, aunt and I all make Christmas cookies together. I really miss doing that. The cookies we made took like 10 lbs of flour so it was really a 2-person job stirring all that in. I can't make those out here myself. I've made spritz and sour cream cookies with the boys before, which are also cookies my mom and I used to make...but it's just not the same. "Tradition" says I put my tree up after Thanksgiving or by Dec 1, but with the kids attacking the tree and knocking the ornaments off, the last 2 years I waited till much closer to Christmas. I like to have the house decorated but I don't have many decorations LOL, and can't afford them...hopefully this year after Christmas I can stock up for next year. We definitely do the cookies & milk for Santa and the kids have a great Christmas morning with stockings, presents, and candy for breakfast LOL in spite of my efforts to make them wait. I like to make a special breakfast; last year I did an egg casserole and I think some kind of coffee cake. This year I think it's going to be too hectic to do anything. I can't both watch the kids and cook all morning. So...we'll see.
dealluvr Posted October 26, 2005 Posted October 26, 2005 when we were growing up we would get up early and go to my aunts house for breakfaast and open presents.always left milk n cookies out also a carrot for rudolph.heres something cute for the kids...mix oatmeal and glitter and put in little baggies. give to the kids not to eat but to sprinkle outside so rudolph can find his way t your house! i didn't do it ever for my kids cause i just read about it last year. my mom always had the tv on so we could see santas sleigh on theweather part of the news.we always had our tree up a little past thanksgiving but in later years it got to be like the 2nd week of december forgot one important thing.we used to get to open one present christmas eve.usually ours were fancy pajamas for christmas. that is the only tradition i have kept to and the boys still love it even if the christmas eve gift is only socks!
Tracy72 Posted October 26, 2005 Posted October 26, 2005 we have Christmas here at my home for my immediate family...mom.brother &family and sister &family...my girls only open up there gifts that day....I use to make a big meal...nope not anymore...got tired of cooking all it and them plans falling thru...so just a little snack and open gifts....then Christmas morning we open gifts up here from us to the kids and each other....clean mess up and cook what ever I am taking to the inlaws....then we meet at mil and fils by noon and have a feast...lol...about 50 people are there...so a lot of food..then clean up really fast because the kids are soooo anxious..we leave the food on the tables and cover them up with a tablecloth...so much snacking allday....lol...here the men eat first...then us ladies...just what this family does and have for many many many yrs...we feed the kids with the men so us ladies can ,hopefully, sit down and enjoy the meal...well try to...lol...the kids make us feel guilty because as soon as they are done the gather around the tree and just look miserable....lol....then those that live farther away take supper home but us that are here in the door come back later and eat supper...lol..so it is a long day...lol..then get ready for the next day...early day shopping....hehehehe
gigit65 Posted November 4, 2005 Posted November 4, 2005 My family is easy christmas eve. My DH's family has it christmas morning and we as a family do christmas dinner together.
nellyhill Posted November 4, 2005 Posted November 4, 2005 We buy a tree the first tuesday of Dec. (I only have tuesdays off). Then deecorate the house and drink hot chocolate. The tuesday before Christmas wse have dinner at my house with friends, my mom, sister, brothers, MIL and, BIL. Christmas eve we open our family gifts. Christmas morning is Santa gifts then off to FILs housefor early dinner then off to work for me. DH usually stays overnight at FILs house and they stay up playing X-box. A few days after Christmas we head off to DHs Grandmas house for Christmas with that side of the family. I do not like my family so we do not see them for Christmas.
dorkydiva Posted November 5, 2005 Posted November 5, 2005 We've moved farther away from family this year, so rather than spending a day with family we will be spending a couple days with my family then a couple of days with the in-laws. As far as traditions, I have several Christmas-themed books. I wrap each one and place in a basket. Each night leading up to Christmas the kids get to pick a book and unwrap it then I read it to them.
tootsieroll23 Posted November 5, 2005 Posted November 5, 2005 We start off with our Advent wreath. At night when we do our Advent wreath we read scripture from the Bible. That is also when we start reading a Christmas story every night until Christmas. We make cookies for Santa and magic reindeer food. Put out the food and carrots for the reindeer. Cookies and milk for Santa. Go to mass on Christmas Eve. Then to my mother's. Christmas morning when the kids get up, we each do our stockings first. The cat opens his presents and since DD is older she let's her little brother open all his presents first. Then every Christmas morning we fix cinnamon twist. Then the kids will play with what that got and then go to in-laws that night for a big dinner.
msomnipotent Posted November 5, 2005 Posted November 5, 2005 My husband's family has always celebrated on Christmas Eve and my family celebrates Christmas Day, so it works out. My family takes turns having the holidays but Christmas is usually at my house. The only traditions that have lasted through the years are: someone shows up as soon as all the food has been put away so we have to unwrap everything, one person gets sloppy drunk, another person pees in their pants (it's never me), and my father starts barking at my dog or cats. Or both. He usually isn't the drunk one, either. It's just the way he is.
all4linkae Posted November 5, 2005 Posted November 5, 2005 We usually do Christmas Eve with my hubby's family. Then when we get home, my girls get to open thier "christmas eve" gift, which is always new jammies, LOL! Gotta have nice new jammies for those Christmas morning photos!! Christmas morning is my girls, my hubby and I...then we go to my mom's house for breakfast then to my grandma's house for the extended family thing with the big meal and more opening presents. Makes for a long day but we love it!
erh12275 Posted November 5, 2005 Posted November 5, 2005 When do you get together with family? If you're married, how do you decide who's family to get together with? When do you open gifts? What's for dinner?After the kids open their presents and everyone has had showers and gotten dressed we will head over to his grandparents. My parents are deceased and sis lives in another state so that makes it easy. We open our gifts to the girls that morning and then the other familys later that day. We will be having Tamales this year. Kinda weird to me but that is what they have.
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