ohio_gal1959 Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 My family always meet christmas eve early for a nice dinner somewhere. Each year, everyone takes a turn to pick where they want to go, and then we meet at that persons house to exchange gifts. We all go dutch with our families, and its been a nice Christmas Eve for years. Whoever's turn it is to pick the place to eat, always tries to pick a place that has everyone's likes on the menu. Its worked out Great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abram87 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 We always have a dinner with my mom's side of the family either at my mom's house or my aunt's house, and we do our gift exchange with them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimp67 Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 We usually don't do much on Christmas Eve. Sometimes we'll go to an Aunt's for dinner, but mostly just hang out. This year I'll be working a double at work,,,,,,,traded that day so I could have BF OFF!!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneytati Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Christmas Eve is the day when we celebrate Christmas here, Dec 25th already has that after Christmas feeling... So, we have everything: Xmas supper, gift exchanges (usually at midnight), we try to visit relatives too. Only Santa gifts are open the following morning. (in some houses, Santa comes on Christmas Eve, while the children are doing something else, or visiting relatives and friends) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all4linkae Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 We celebrate at hubby's parents on Christmas Eve with dinner and presents. Then we come home and the girls open thier "christmas eve" gift, which is always jammies. We leave out milk and cookies for santa and a treat for Rudolph then off to bed the kids go. We do the "Santa" thing and head to bed ourselves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosegarden Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 Always go to SILs house to drop off gifts and the kiddos get to open one gift, which is ALWAYS their Christmas jammies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneytati Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 Always go to SILs house to drop off gifts and the kiddos get to open one gift, which is ALWAYS their Christmas jammiesSorry, but the foreigner is confused.... What's "jammies"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavenlysshine Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 We read "The Night Before Christmas." ~H~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavenlysshine Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 Pajamas. ~H~ Sorry, but the foreigner is confused.... What's "jammies"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest all2tired Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 We always went to my brother's house and passed out the gifts to neices and nephews. Santa always showed up to hand out candy canes and to remind all the kids he wouldn't come unless they were in bed fast asleep. This year, i think we are staying home, so I'll send all the gifts over with my father Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 no real traditions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoXmom Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without my mother in law reminding us that this could very well be her last christmas. She has made this statement every Christmas eve for the last 18 years! OMGosh this is too funny! DH has an Aunt that has had one foot in the Grave for about 15 yrs already. She keeps telling us how lucky we are that she made it another year but for sure won't be here next year. Each year it's the exact same speech! So now we just nod our heads in agreement and try not to smile! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brynnfromtheblock Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 We have a big open house on Christmas Eve, lots of family and neighbors come over and everyone brings their favorite dish and we have a big buffet style feast. We have games for the kids which they love, and a few for the adults... then the kids karaoke Christmas songs and we have a mass present opening for people you aren't going to see the next day (I buy a ton of small things and monitor the present opening to make sure everyone gets at least 2 things). Then the girls get to open one present (usually PJ's) and they put out milk and cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer. Then while we're waiting for them to fall asleep DH and I clean up the house and finally put out the presents... we're dead tired when they wake us up in the morning but its fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erh12275 Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 Christmas Eve ?? Good question. Will probably have the girls open one gift and watch the news to see Santa. Probably watch a few Christmas movies also. Hubby will no doubt have to work...so I am not sure what time the girls will get to bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted November 6, 2005 Share Posted November 6, 2005 well i guess we did usually open one gift an x-mas eve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wf2afcop Posted November 7, 2005 Share Posted November 7, 2005 We don't have any traditions per say, we are military so we move around ALOT and we aren't living close to any family, so it is usually just us. I wish we could be closer to our families during Christmas so we could do the "family traditional things" astleast this year we are back in the States!! Feels better being in the States for Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalidust Posted November 7, 2005 Share Posted November 7, 2005 Christmas Eve gumbo at my parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shopping mom Posted November 7, 2005 Share Posted November 7, 2005 My kids know that I do all the Christmas shopping, except for 1 gift. On Christmas Eve they get a gift from their dad. He goes shopping (which he hates) and even wraps it himself . The kids always look forward to that gift. Our oldest is 21 and asked me the other day if dad was still going to get him a Christmas Eve gift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted November 7, 2005 Share Posted November 7, 2005 My kids know that I do all the Christmas shopping, except for 1 gift. On Christmas Eve they get a gift from their dad. He goes shopping (which he hates) and even wraps it himself . The kids always look forward to that gift. Our oldest is 21 and asked me the other day if dad was still going to get him a Christmas Eve gift.that's great that they have that tradition and memories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berry Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 Church and then open house with the neighbors- punch and homemade cookies with a plate of homemade cookies for the neighbors to take home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneytati Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 Pajamas. ~H~lol Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plockh Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 Our kids are grown now with kiddos of their own but thru the years we had lots of traditions. One important one to them..was I made a banner about 38" long by 28" wide of quilted Christmas fabric, sewed on a 20" felt tree with 3-4 branches & a base. Then below made 25 pockets big enough to hold a 1" ornament...an advent tree that every day they got to take out an ornament & we pinned it on the tree..I have now made them for my grandbabies..it increases their anticipation and glee. We let them open 1 gift Christmas eve, left milk, cookies, carrots..my husband would soot up the fireplace in the shape of a boot. Then we woke up early so we could capture on film their faces as they raced to the Santa toys (unwrapped) plus all the other gifts. While our grandchildren are little..5 mos-4 1/2 we adults open our presents Christmas eve so the whole focus is on them Christmas morning. We are great friends with our kids inlaws so we all have Christmas together...not wanting the kids to be shuttled to & fro...lots of nog, munchies Christmas eve then the big traditional dinner Christmas...I love Christmas!! Bless you and yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjedda03 Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 We always go to Christmas Eve mass as a family ..and then when we get home my younger brother and I each get to open 1 present which is always our matching christmas pajamas. I'll be 25 this year and we still do it and I still look forward to it. My parents have even included my boyfriend in it and buy him christmas pajamas too. It wouldnt be christmas without the traditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neice0510 Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 This year will be different from before as we will be at my inlaws over Christmas but we usually play Christmas music and leave out food for Santa and his reindeer and they get to open two presents one is a toy and the other one is new pjs to wear that night. So they look good in nice new pjs for the morning pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandyJervas Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 We all open 1 gift.... the special christmas morning pjs gift so we all have something special to wear to bed for when we wake up to open presents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisellerol Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 WE STAY HOME AND I COOK ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND MY MOTHER AND SISTER WILL COME OVER AND THEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY I COOK AGAIN AND ALL OUR FRIENDS COMEOVER AND WE OPEN PRESENTS WITH 3 KIDS I PREFER TO STAY HOME AND NOT TRAVEL ALL OVER WITH ALOT OF GIFTS!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misshayley Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 We typically have a gift exchange with different branches of our family tree, every Saturday of Decemeber, and even a few Sundays. Then on Christmas Eve we go to my MIL's for christmas with her and my husband's family. Then on Christmas Day we will go to my parents in the morning, and then to my Aunt's house in the afternoon. I don't know how this will work when we have children. I guess we'll just have to figure that out when the time comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treasures4me Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 we have a big dinner, go out and look at lights, read christmas stories and set out cookies and milk.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLV Posted November 12, 2005 Share Posted November 12, 2005 My family is Polish, so we have the Polish dinner on Christmas eve and do midnight mass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cami_reardon Posted November 12, 2005 Share Posted November 12, 2005 We spend Christmas Eve with my family and open gifts with them and eat pizza, then spend Christmas Day with hubby's family adn open gifts there with Turkey and trimmings. For our presents between all of us, we open on Christmas Eve for the kids that are home and our oldest daughter/grandkids, we do the weekend after new years because they never get home until then. Besides, I get to do a little extra shopping for the grandkids that way :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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