Jump to content

Favorite Family Holiday Traditions


shopping mom

Recommended Posts

Oh one thing we started that my mother in law had always done- the kids get new pajamas on Christmas Eve- they are wrapped so they get to open them and we usually attach a stuffed animal. They absolutely love getting their new pjs to wear to bed that night. (I even wash them before wrapping because the thought of wearing brand new pjs with the itchy starch like preserves just kills me inside)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As many years as possible DH and I go out the weekend of Thanksgiving and get our tree. Sometimes the following week if Thanksgiving is really early. Then when we are ready to decorate I always put on the same Kenny G Chrismas C.D. and we decorate the tree. We've only been married for 3yrs, but lived together longer. He didn't have Christmas really at all much as a child so I've started traditions. My Second favorite is for many years I made him a stocking -literally. I choose fabric and a pattern and make him one. I've done it since high school. He never had a stocking as a kid (seriously) so I made him one the first Chrismas I knew him and it stuck. Then the collection grew kind of large so now I choose a different one that I made and fill it for him. He depends on it every year although he pretends it's not a big deal.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I was little I always got a Hallmark ornament marking some event from the past year or just something I was into at the time and I have carried on that tradition with my DS3. At some point during the season, we all sit down and watch "It's A Wonderful Life". Also, our town puts on a lighted Christmas parade the weekend after Thanksgiving and it is always a treat!

 

A few years back, my Mom and Dad seemed to have a little fire in the house every year at Christmas and we were afriad that was going to become a tradition. We actually started calling it the "Annual Christmas Fire!" Luckily it hasn't happened for a while!

 

Stacy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My holiday baking begins in mid November. That's when it sinks in to everyone that Christmas is close. I usually do most of it but let the kids decorate the cut out cookies. The last couple of years my oldest daughter has been helping more. She's a teenager and all her friends love getting baked goods for presents. They start asking when "mom" is going to start baking around August..lol

We also put our tree up Thanksgiving weekend. The whole family gathers around, we play Christmas music and each put up our favorite ornaments. I started buying each of the kids a special ornament their first Christmas and they get a new one every year. Each set is completely different so they can tell them apart. My oldest gets a new brass ornament, my son gets a new glass ball and our youngest daughter gets a new precious moments. I plan to pack up their set to give to them when they are old enough to move out on their own. This way they still have a piece of their childhood for their new home. It's hard to believe this could be my oldest's last Christmas living at home :(. She turns 18 in April and will be heading off to college next fall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I know we have a thread about Christmas breakfast, but what are some of the things you do during the day on Christmas , do you go to relatives houses, stay at home. Travel out of town. Whatever it is feel free to share.

 

Here is my familys normal traditions:

 

Christmas Eve Night , we do my dads side of the family events with the ham ,turkey, and last year we had sliced pork. They live right behind us (we all live on a farm that my dads dad owns) Christmas Day, we get up normally we have to open our presents Christmas Eve night cause we goto my moms parents house Christmas Day which is 2 hours away. But..... this year we are having my moms family here , so we will do everything that we do at my grandmothers house here this year instead, because we have more space, its always cramped when all of us are at her house. My grandfather watches the 24 hour marathon of A Christmas Story all day long. But all in all, its a great day no matter where it is :holiday01:holiday08:holiday04:holiday07:holiday16

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On Christmas Eve, we go to my parents' house (1 1/2 hrs. away) and both sides of the family get together. It is such a great time! Mom cooks the main course and everyone else brings along a dish. We all just gather to talk and catch up with each other. We drive home that evening so we can open presents Christmas morning at our house. After all the presents have been opened, we eat a nice breakfast which will be a Denver Omelete Casserole this year and pop in a Christmas movie while we open all of DS's gifts so he can play with them. Afterwards, we pile back in the car to drive to DH's sister's house (2 hrs. away). Some years his parents come into town and some years they don't. We spend a couple hours there opening presents and eating lunch, then it's back to my parents' house to eat dinner and open presents there with just the immediate family, i.e. mom, dad, grandma, brother's family and us. Once everything is opened we try to jam everything into our car for the drive back home.

 

It is a very busy couple of days for us! Thankfully, everyone lives in the same direction or there's no way we could do all of it. Despite all of the traveling and the inevitable fight we have every year because we're just so darn tired, it's still the best time of the year!!!

 

Stacy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Christmas Day Traditions are changing very rapidly!

Our boys are now 14 and will be 17 for Christmas this year. :eek: For the past several years we have gone to DH's aunt's about 45 minutes away for Eve. But last year we did not go as (really do not recall why??, I think she may have been with her daughter out of town?) but before we go there or as in last year we just went to my mom's about 7 miles away. She has stockings for the boys we eat there. Some years it is a fancy one, others it is "hey, you know what sounds good"? Often times the "guys" pop in as well. They own 3 businesses. We open a few gifts. Mom always get DH and I something small. And they open what ever gifts they have. The "guys" usually get them a gift certificate to somewhere.

 

Then we come home and watch some TV, try to get the boys to bed so Santa can come :yup:and Mom and Dad can go to bed too :tired:

 

Christmas morning some years my father, un-dear SM, grandmother, my great aunt and S-grandmother come buy with their gifts. The like to see us open them. Dropped that tradtion last year though as after we open gifts we head to the movies.

 

The boys open their stockings, we eat something. Usually donuts just to tie us over for a half hour or so. (they do not get many gifts now, too $$$) We open gifts, may have something else to eat. Pick up the trash and take it to Mom's (they have a dumpster :D), eat some lunch and go see 2 movies. :cool:

 

Home by midnight and it is over :eyepoppin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the Christmas tree is put up and before the presents are put underneath it, DD and I lay underneath it. There's nothing more "Christmasy" than laying in the dark and watching the lights & fiber optics change colors w/ Christmas music in the background!

 

We go to Branson every year around the 2nd weekend of December to visit Silver Dollar City for their Christmas shows/displays and to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus at Branson Landing.

 

Baking Christmas cookies December 23rd

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Christmas starts on BF with a shoppin marathong w/ my sister in law.

 

Three days b4 xmas I start baking like a wild woman.

 

Dec 23rd we have our family xmas, me DH and DD. It was the day we got engaged, so we have our own xmas and a nice dinner just the three of us.

 

Xmas eve, we go to DH's mom's house for about seven hours of eating, presents, eating, white elephant, and a little drinking too ;)

 

We get home about 11pm-midnight, DD9 will attempt to sleep, and I will get things ready for Santa to come and go to bed about 2am.

 

Xmas day we open Santa gifts, eat breakfast and go to my mom's for the same silliness at DH's mom's house the night before.

 

Same every year and we always have a great time. I love xmas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...