Christmas Traditions

[disneychrista]

With so many gift threads going on, I thought we should share the NON-GIFT traditions of the holidays. Things you did growing up, things you do now, things you want to start, etc.

 

[Kitty 34]

Playing Hearts with my Mom and Dad (89 and 87) on Christmas Eve since the mid 60's.

More recently; we (DH and I and many many family members and friends) have a Christmas Bonfire on the 23rd and have been doing so since '05.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

We always did a ride around on Christmas Eve, looking at lights. Brought hot chocolate and cookies with us, in our pjs. Then read Night Before Christmas, brush teeth, cookies and milk out for Santa, and bed.

 

[Disney_Alli]

All the kids get to open a pair of PJs on Xmas Eve and we'd always wear them that night and while we opened gifts Xmas morning.

 

[DuskKodesh]

Gonna sound weird and not exactly Xmas but hubs does solstice and every year we stay up the whole night together to watch the sunrise. Often have a breakfast after then sleep, sometimes I cook it and sometimes we end up in PJs at Waffle House.

 

[low-key]

always, always, always watch White Christmas

 

[ZZBane]

When I was younger and Santa was real, my brothers and I would have a ton of silly string in our stockings. My mom also saved all of the cardboard ‘swords’ from the gift wrap. After we opened all of our presents, the ‘fight’ would start. Silly string and busted cardboard was everywhere! I couldn’t tell you what gifts I opened on what Christmas, but I remember those fights. It was the best! We were also allowed to open one present on Xmas eve and it was always new Xmas pjs that we would wear the next morning.
We still get Xmas pjs and I have continued that particular tradition with my son. Except, I buy matching ones for us

 

[ncc1701]

Watch The Sound of Music & Charlie Brown Christmas whatever night they are broadcast.

 

[violina]

I miss my family's old traditions! When we were younger, all of the relatives would get together on the 24th, with a potluck for casual dining. We'd all stay up till 12 am and then open gifts. On Christmas day morning, my parents would save one special gift for my brother and I to open while we would sometimes have a traditional Caribbean breakfast.

We've mostly done my husband's family tradition which is a semi-formal dinner on the 24th followed immediately with gift opening and then everyone departs. The 25th is usually a day of rest for them.

This year we're doing Christmas with our friends, so we have a chance to incorporate both of our traditions together.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Things we do now (in addition to church activities):
Watch Candlelight Processional at Disneyland (this kicks off our Christmas season), Watch "It's a Wonderful Life" in a movie theater, Try to watch any other classic holiday movies (e.g. "White Christmas," "Holiday Inn,") that might be showing in local theaters, Do a holiday afternoon tea at least once, Attend a performance of "The Messiah" at Disney Hall, try to visit DLR during Holiday Time as many times as we can, etc. Still adding to our traditions list...

 

[L&Lfan]

For my partner and me Christmas is primarily a religious observance, so our only annual tradition is attending services either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and displaying a Nativity scene in our home. All else could happen, and usually does ( decorating trees and wreaths, gift giving, watching seasonal films, listening to carols, special food and drink, etc.), but won’t make or break the holy season if it doesn’t.

 

[Snowflakey]

We open our stocking Christmas night. I love this tradition. Started it when our girls were very young. They open all gifts Christmas morning but all day long have the excitement of knowing their stocking are still left. And me, thinking it was cute at the time, bought them the BIGGEST stocking ever.......I swear I spend hundreds filling them especially now that they are older. But it is still worth it!

 

[Snowflakey]

Thought of something else. I still buy a "toy" for everyone. For DH, son in law and other daughters boyfriend I get things like: remote helicopters, remote control cars, laser tag, nerf guns, hover boards, etc. To me Christmas is about being a kid so I always have a toy for everyone to enjoy - even if it is only for that day.

 

[Praying Colonel]

When the kids were little I'd get up early Christmas Eve and get the Christmas ham and last-minute grocery shopping, then be home by 10 or so. We'd all play what we called "Reindeer Games" (board/card games) until 5, then we'd go to Christmas Eve service at our church. After church we'd eat some soup we'd have cooking during the day, watch a movie then put them to bed. DW and I would read them the Christmas story from Luke 2. Even now when they're grown and we don't live under the same roof, I text them the Christmas story before I go to bed on Christmas Eve.

 

[easyas123]

As a child I vividly recall being able to watch Christmas shows on TV, such as Frosty & Rudolph - we were generally not allowed to watch TV so that was a big deal to us as little kids! We always put up and decorated the tree Christmas Eve as well.
As a adult, with now grown kids we usually put up our tree a week or 10 days before Christmas Eve. ALWAYS watch White Christmas while decorating it. Always watch A Christmas Story on Christmas Day. Plus we go into what we call Christmas Lockdown - home by mid-day Christmas Eve and we hunker down and don't leave the house again until the 26th. Often we will listed to religious services on radio or just have on Christmas music. No TV Christmas Eve evening usually.
This is the first year both of our kids are no longer living at home and won't be around to decorate the tree. They'll all be over on Christmas Day, which I'm thankful for. Last year we were out of town for Christmas, and this year we were supposed to be as well but plans fell thru. I can see us traveling at Christmas over the next several years as we enter our empty nest but no grandkids or grandogs phase of life!!!

 

[KPeterso]

I miss some of the ones my parents and I had when I was a kid, but they have made way for new ones. We have a lot of family around, but have decided Christmas is just us 3. We had 2 really bad Christmases in 2016 and 2017(2016 we rushed my Dad to the hospital on Christmas Day for the Flu and Pneumonia and 2017 due to my Mom having a knee replacement a week before Christmas and being on lockdown to prevent germs near her), so decided in 2018, we would be trying to start some new traditions. So we went to Benihana for dinner on Christmas Day and had the best time. So much so that we have reservations to go back this year and are excited to do so. I think Benihana is the new Christmas tradition for us, and does kind of go back to childhood when we always went out for Chinese on Christmas Eve after church.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Nope not really.
As a child we lived in another province from our relatives so each year was different depending where we spent it, what day we arrived, who else was there, etc.

Now with my own kids we change up who's hosting and what day so each year is different as to whether we are having 15 people for supper on Christmas Eve or going out somewhere. Sometimes husband works Christmas Eve, sometimes he doesn't.

When the kids were younger we always put out milk and cookies at bedtime and read the Night before Christmas and also the real Christmas story (child version later biblical passages).
But that's it really for traditions.

Christmas morning is gift opening with the us and our teens. Sometimes the ILs popped in during the morning.
Nothing set in stone. We both have big families so it's fluid and changes.

We are way too busy with family to watch movies on the evening of the 24th or the 25th.

 

[PollyannaMom]

When I was a kid:

Big family party on my Mom's side was always the Sunday before Christmas. Presents for little kids, but teens and adults would do a "small things" name draw way back in summer, so you had tons of time to bargain hunt - because you were only allowed to spend $5!

My grandmother on that side also always strung candy canes through her living room. The strings would go wall to wall, and taller folks had to duck under them, but you could just pluck one off whenever you visited her. She was always kind of the "stuffier" grandma from my kid point of view, but her whimsical side came out full force at Christmas!

At home, we were (like many others said) allowed to open one present Christmas Eve, and we always had homemade soup for dinner, and "shrimp stuff." (Spread cream cheese on a plate, mix tiny shrimp and cocktail sauce, and pour it on top. Serve with Triscuits or Town House crackers.)

On Christmas morning, we could only wake Mom & Dad up after we turned on the coffee pot! We could open our stockings while we waited for it to brew, then we all did presents together, and one at a time - none of the "feeding frenzy" you see on TV! We took turns and all watched each item get opened.

Dinner was at my grandmother's (on Dad's side) when I was really little, and then my Mom eventually took over at our house, and it became buffet style.

With my family now:

Have continued the one gift on Christmas Eve (see below) and the "shrimp stuff".

Some evening a few days before Christmas, we all drive around and look at lights. There used to be one of those walk-through displays in our town, and we would include that as well.

When DS was little, we'd go to the 4:00 Children's Mass on Christmas Eve, and then afterwards there used to be a big neighborhood party. We would all slip the hosts one of our kid's gifts ahead of time, and "Santa" would leave a big bag on the steps and make a bunch of noise (but of course never get caught) and they got to open that one early.

Cinnamon rolls for breakfast Christmas morning. Slow gift-opening, and then "A Christmas Story" on TV until it's time to leave for MIL's (only 20 minutes away.)

Early Christmas dinner there, with lots of family (frenzy gift-opening) rowdy board games after dinner, and sometimes karaoke on the TV.

The three of us started a tradition a few years ago of a movie on the day after Christmas. We've found it's really nice to have something to look forward to, because otherwise that day is such a let-down.

 

[easyas123]

On Christmas morning, we could only wake Mom & Dad up after we turned on the coffee pot! We could open our stockings while we waited for it to brew,

Oh man - thanks for that. I had forgotten all about it, but this was how it was for us when we were little as well!

Of course, I'm pretty sure we were up at 2AM, then 3AM, then 4AM and finally 5AM, and told repeatedly to go back to bed! My folks probably needed the coffee after listening to us all night getting up to see if Santa had shown up yet!

 

[AndreaDM]

I miss some of the ones my parents and I had when I was a kid, but they have made way for new ones. We have a lot of family around, but have decided Christmas is just us 3. We had 2 really bad Christmases in 2016 and 2017(2016 we rushed my Dad to the hospital on Christmas Day for the Flu and Pneumonia and 2017 due to my Mom having a knee replacement a week before Christmas and being on lockdown to prevent germs near her), so decided in 2018, we would be trying to start some new traditions. So we went to Benihana for dinner on Christmas Day and had the best time. So much so that we have reservations to go back this year and are excited to do so. I think Benihana is the new Christmas tradition for us, and does kind of go back to childhood when we always went out for Chinese on Christmas Eve after church.

We have our Christmas on the 24th because that is when my step-son is with us, he is with his mom on the 25th. So, a few years ago on Christmas day we (fiance, me, DD) were looking to see what was open Christmas day and our local hibachi place was, so we went and then to the movie theater! We have gone every year since, just the 3 of us and are really looking forward to it again this year. We will have a bigger family get together on the 22, then "Christmas" on the 24th with the 4 of us, so by the time the 25th rolls around we are ready to just chill out.

eta: yes, coffee before anything! We also have cinnamon rolls and mimosas on Christmas morning.