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Favorite holiday traditions

Elmck

By Elmck
in 2018

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Elmck

Elmck

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For Thanksgiving my favorite is the time we take to go around the room and tell what we are thankful for everyone participates and it is wonderful to hear. This year I'm thankful for my parents and the time we have have together. They are both in their seventy so every day is a gift. For Christmas I really enjoy the early morning breakfast. We have done this since I was a child. I'm not sure if the breakfast will be as large but I enjoy that time before we open presents.

 

So what are some of your favorite traditions?

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ilikefree

ilikefree

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My kids are older now (25 & 19 at Christmastime), but we still sit down and watch the Christmas shows and movies they watched when they were younger (and some from when I was a kid)...Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, A Christmas Story, Elf, To Grandmother's House We Go, A House Without a Christmas Tree, and even Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. There are a few others we watch too, but these are the main ones.

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wittenlover

wittenlover

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Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve. One of my best friends loves this movie, too. He doesn't live local to me, but we always watch it "together" whenever he's not stuck working Christmas Eve. We chat during the commercial breaks and just enjoy the time together, even if we're not in the same state, let alone the same room. Kind of bridges that physical gap in a way. 

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magickallight

magickallight

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Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve. One of my best friends loves this movie, too. He doesn't live local to me, but we always watch it "together" whenever he's not stuck working Christmas Eve. We chat during the commercial breaks and just enjoy the time together, even if we're not in the same state, let alone the same room. Kind of bridges that physical gap in a way. 

 

OMG - I love that movie! I try to watch it Christmas Eve as well - but am not always awake when it comes on - as we do major family entertaining that night and I usually pass out when they leave. ;)

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rlbarajas

rlbarajas

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Our Christmas Eve tradition has been going to my grandmother’s house and Santa comes for a visit and hands out gifts. Usually my dad or one of the uncles would dress up but some of the older kids started catching on. They would always look to see wasn’t there to guess who it was. 4-5 years ago I found a Santa (and. Mrs Claus if you wanted) that would come to your house and read a story with the kids and hand out gifts if you want him too. It was so funny the first time we got them, my niece was determined Santa was my Dad (her grandpa) so I told her when Santa came that night all she had to do was see who was there and of course my Dad was there and she didn’t know what to say. Her eyes just got so big in amazement. After the several visits our new Santa has learned all the kids names and remembers them on a personal level which makes the moment more memorable for them. I have a large family and he stays and takes pictures with everyone!!
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Elmck

Elmck

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My kids are older now (25 & 19 at Christmastime), but we still sit down and watch the Christmas shows and movies they watched when they were younger (and some from when I was a kid)...Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, A Christmas Story, Elf, To Grandmother's House We Go, A House Without a Christmas Tree, and even Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. There are a few others we watch too, but these are the main ones.

I don't think I have seen A House Without a Christmas Tree. Where can I find it?

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jesusluvu

jesusluvu

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My kids are older now (25 & 19 at Christmastime), but we still sit down and watch the Christmas shows and movies they watched when they were younger (and some from when I was a kid)...Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, A Christmas Story, Elf, To Grandmother's House We Go, A House Without a Christmas Tree, and even Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. There are a few others we watch too, but these are the main ones.

Yes we do Christmas movies - Elf, Home Alone trilogy, Santa Clause series, Charlie Brown, Christmas with the cranks, etc .... We also do the tree and all the trimmings around the house as a family. We bake cookies, gingerbread house or train, and we always did the Christmas light show in out town and it was a big thing. There is coco stands and smores kits for the fire pits that are out. Can you tell it is my favorite time of the year.....

Our Christmas Eve tradition has been going to my grandmother’s house and Santa comes for a visit and hands out gifts. Usually my dad or one of the uncles would dress up but some of the older kids started catching on. They would always look to see wasn’t there to guess who it was. 4-5 years ago I found a Santa (and. Mrs Claus if you wanted) that would come to your house and read a story with the kids and hand out gifts if you want him too. It was so funny the first time we got them, my niece was determined Santa was my Dad (her grandpa) so I told her when Santa came that night all she had to do was see who was there and of course my Dad was there and she didn’t know what to say. Her eyes just got so big in amazement. After the several visits our new Santa has learned all the kids names and remembers them on a personal level which makes the moment more memorable for them. I have a large family and he stays and takes pictures with everyone!!

OH...... I  love this. Got to do this. Calling my brother. 

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ilikefree

ilikefree

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Thank you for replying to Elmck. My copy of the movie is on VHS and I'd love to get it on DVD so I don't have to drag out the VCR. I've never see The Thanksgiving Treasure so I'd be interested in checking that out too.

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HanShotFirst

HanShotFirst

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Opening one gift (always PJ's) on Christmas Eve at the grandparents' house and all the cousings posing for a pic in front of the tree with out new PJ's on.  Never failed that one of us was crying (or angry the older we got) in the picture!  LOL

 

Making homemade sugar cookies and decorating them.  We still make the cookies but no longer decorate them.  We just ice them as we eat them straight from the tub of icing.  :)

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tracy0504

tracy0504

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Mine is making Thanksgiving dinner for home on Thanksgiving Eve (yup, that's what I call it), going to morning service at church on Thanksgiving and then to my Aunt's for potluck, and of course all the BF shopping...as for Christmas Eve, we are usually at my Aunt's again for potluck of finger/junk foods as well as games...I always sit and watch It's a Wonderful Life with my cousin before heading home...usually I'm still up wrapping presents, but it wasn't as bad last year as I had started early, and because I like waiting to put the majority of the gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve I'm always up until the last child has fallen asleep, yes, even thought they are grown now...we open one gift, always our new pajamas and my daughter surprised me last year by purchasing new pajamas for me to open (as I always purchase my own and wrap them for myself   :giggle: )...

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tracy0504

tracy0504

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tracy, I fixed my mom her very own stocking one year and her reaction was priceless! I should do that again.

Absolutely!!!! I usually don't receive many gifts from my kids...so it's so appreciated when one of them thinks of me, even something as "small" as pajamas (as usual I bought my jammies, but didnt wear them until after Christmas)...it's the little things with me...
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tyreejames

tyreejames

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My favorite family tradition is when we go around to look at the lights and decorations. We do this every Christmas Eve around 7, 7:30....we stay out about an hour or so and once we are home, the kids all head for their rooms. The youngest still leaves cookies out and thankfully the older ones don’t give her grief for it.

 

My favorite personal tradition: I am always the last person up in my house. I do t put presents out until around 11:30, midnight. Once everything is just right, I get a glass of wine and jump into A Christmas Story. I’ll watch for an hour or so and then head to bed. It’s my quiet time to reflect, enjoy the tree and other decorations and as I like to call it, “the calm before the storm”

Edited by tyreejames
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Kanyon71

Kanyon71

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My favorite family tradition is when we go around to look at the lights and decorations. We do this every Christmas Eve around 7, 7:30....we stay out about an hour or so and once we are home, the kids all head for their rooms. The youngest still leaves cookies out and thankfully the older ones don’t give her grief for it.

 

My favorite personal tradition: I am always the last person up in my house. I do t put presents out until around 11:30, midnight. Once everything is just right, I get a glass of wine and jump into A Christmas Story. I’ll watch for an hour or so and then head to bed. It’s my quiet time to reflect, enjoy the tree and other decorations and as I like to call it, “the calm before the storm”

We do the lights also. Usually make some hot cocoa to take with us, throw on our matching PJ's and head out once it's dark. We get back the little one put's out the cookies and milk and heads off to bed. :)

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vkozlowski0419

vkozlowski0419

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My kids are older now (25 & 19 at Christmastime), but we still sit down and watch the Christmas shows and movies they watched when they were younger (and some from when I was a kid)...Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, A Christmas Story, Elf, To Grandmother's House We Go, A House Without a Christmas Tree, and even Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. There are a few others we watch too, but these are the main ones.

I absolutely love To Grandmothers House we Go!!! Great movie :)
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jstluvem

jstluvem

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Besides our sock exchange one of my favorites is,

I have a large red tablecloth we put out and everyone signs it.

Each year is so fun and a bit sad as we see who's no longer present with us but to hear the giggles as everyone admires what amazing penmanship they had

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Love4Fashion

Love4Fashion

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On Christmas Eve we put on our matching onesie pajamas, bake cookies and watch Christmas movies until our eyes get heavy lol. We each open one present and without fail my youngest always manages to open one more. I just love the time to enjoy each other and create new memories and laugh at old memories
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jesusluvu

jesusluvu

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On Christmas eve we always have went over my DW grandmothers house. She is older now and not everyone comes over like they use to but I really enjoy the family aspect of being with her...well I do love her to death as well..she is my heart, but I would love to sit in matching PJ and watch movies and games all day with it just being us......but our families are so big and we split the days with them. One gets Christmas Eve and the other gets Christmas Day. We go to both houses on Thanksgiving and I usually leave one to go straight to the stores. 

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budgetsRsexy

budgetsRsexy

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With my husband’s family I think my favorite tradition is the making of the Christmas Eve pierogi and kielbasa. All the men make the kielbasa and all the women make an assembly line production for the pierogi. With my family I’ve always loved decorating cookies but my mom hated doing cutouts and the bright colored frosting that would stain your tongue (and her tablecloth). One year she refused to make them until I cried (I was probably 6-7 at the time). We compromised that she would still make frosting (I love her homemade frosting, and licking the beaters when she was done) but in pastel colors and we would just decorate slice and bake sugar cookies that came in a log from the store. Everyone got part of what they wanted and it turned out that we liked the taste of the compromise cookie better anyway. We still make them and take them with us when we drive around to look at lights to this day.
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the best mom

the best mom

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on christmas eve we go to my moms house and we do the saran wrap ball for everyone over 18. the little kids get so many toys they are content but I put this together for the adults to have some fun. Ive put so much into them that everyone gets excited. We look forward to playing every year now.

 

 What is the "Saran Wrap Ball"? 

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sunni0913

sunni0913

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My favorite traditions are when our family and friends get together to make Christmas candies and cookies. It is the only time of the year we make potato candy and I love it. My other favorite tradition is printing a Christmas light scavenger hunt paper for each kid and then driving around town looking at decorations.

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