Does your family have any?
Here are a few of ours
1. I have to have a box of chocolate covered cherries and a few candied figs in the fridge during the holidays because both my mother and her mother before her did this...and I love the candy and figs!
2. Starting on the 15th., my honey and I count down the days til the 25th. with a different flavor of coffee each morning. We started this when we were first married and have continued each year since. We either buy these when we visit up North or have friends send them to us from a little coffee shop in Old Town St. Charles, Mo. called Figaro's.
3. Although we are both grown (my dd is 33) we still get one set each of matching Christmas jammies each year. Silly but we get such a kick out of doing this.
4. On Christmas Eve we leave all the outside lights on all night long. Up until then, they go off between 9 and 9:30pm
And you?
Tiki Bar Mgr
WAS a TIKI BAR GIRL AND ALWAYS WILL BE
Sweet Cherry Pie
Everyone in the family(there are 11 of us) gets underwear and socks in their stockings(except me that is:-)
WOW, I am sure we do some but I just can't think of anything else.
THis will be fun to read everyones!
WOW, I am sure we do some but I just can't think of anything else.
THis will be fun to read everyones!
Kathy, who likes to think about scrapbooking
Wild Cherry
We also buy "matching" pajamas...this is getting harder, as Evan approaches the teenage years. I actually broke down this year and just got coordinating flannel bottoms.
We also have a strict routine on Christmas...open stockings in our jammies, then get dressed for 7:30 Mass, then come home and put our jammies back on (except Kiley, who likes to stay dressed up). We then open our presents with glasses of champagne and Bloody Marys (the adults, that is
) and have brunch at our house with both sets of grandparents, and whichever friends and family members are in town. 
We are kind of an eclectic group every year....
Oh...and there are 3 dishes we serve every year, and but change the main dish and a few of the sides. There is also one appetizer that my grandma always made that I always make. I think Andy and my parents and I are the only ones that eat it, though
We also have a strict routine on Christmas...open stockings in our jammies, then get dressed for 7:30 Mass, then come home and put our jammies back on (except Kiley, who likes to stay dressed up). We then open our presents with glasses of champagne and Bloody Marys (the adults, that is
) and have brunch at our house with both sets of grandparents, and whichever friends and family members are in town. We are kind of an eclectic group every year....Oh...and there are 3 dishes we serve every year, and but change the main dish and a few of the sides. There is also one appetizer that my grandma always made that I always make. I think Andy and my parents and I are the only ones that eat it, though
~pam~
Wild Cherry
oh...(lol)
I also have one tree that is decorated only in homemade gingerbread stars and star ornaments. I love the ginger/cinnamon/pine smell of my living room
I also have one tree that is decorated only in homemade gingerbread stars and star ornaments. I love the ginger/cinnamon/pine smell of my living room
~pam~
Cherry Addict
I like having fruit cake.
Just one fruit cake. The more stuff in it the better.
And dried figs
Just one fruit cake. The more stuff in it the better.
And dried figs
Queen Mum - Grammy to Princess Bump (Lisa Giann) and Princess Bean (Gia Bella)
Cherry Picker
The only thing that we do really every year is watch National Lampoon Christmas Vacation on Christmas Eve after dinner.
Our lights stay on all night too. Before Christmas the lights go out at 11pm.
Our lights stay on all night too. Before Christmas the lights go out at 11pm.
-Carla
Cherry Jubilee
At my mom's house we do Big Christmas at night. Somewhere along the way we got too busy with the extended/mixed families and houses we needed to visit and ended up saving our main celebration till the evening. We ended up *loving* it! We don't have to get up eary to rush, can spend all day anticipating the fun, and when we do open it is dark and twinkly and the fire looks beautiful. My mom always makes tradtional french tourtier and corn chowder ::drool:: Our youngest immediate family member is 27 so it works really well for us.
Tiki Bar Mgr
Oh My...how could I have left out the quirkiest tradition of all.
Every Christmas eve before we can open presents, the newest member to our family must read the Cajun Night Before Christmas in accent. I am not sure how this got started but we have been doing it for at least ten years now!
We are starting a new tradition this year. An elementary school in our little town decorates luminary bags called Lambathy Bags and places them around the main bayou here. Families buy bags and then, on Christmas Eve, take the stroll on the walkway around the bayou looking for their bag. Bought ours the other day!
Every Christmas eve before we can open presents, the newest member to our family must read the Cajun Night Before Christmas in accent. I am not sure how this got started but we have been doing it for at least ten years now!
We are starting a new tradition this year. An elementary school in our little town decorates luminary bags called Lambathy Bags and places them around the main bayou here. Families buy bags and then, on Christmas Eve, take the stroll on the walkway around the bayou looking for their bag. Bought ours the other day!
WAS a TIKI BAR GIRL AND ALWAYS WILL BE
Sweet Cherry Pie
Every Christmas Eve we watch A Christmas Story while eating Chinese food for dinner. Afterwards, we each open one present and then read "Twas the Night Before Christmas."
- Jody -
Cherry Jubilee
I too forgot the best one!
For my entire life until a few years ago we would go to my grandmother's house to be with that side of the family, which is quite large. Before I was even born some relative twelve times removed (or whatever) gave someone else a gift. It was a pot. The ugliest, gaudiest, tackiest pot you've ever seen in your life. Ceramic with a lid. It was supposed to be a legit gift but they thought it was the funniest and fugliest thing EVER. So it became a thing to pass down on special occasions. But sometimes it stays dormant for so long that people forget who has it and then it gets given again and is hilarious all over again. Christmas is a prime time to get The Pot (especially if you are new to the family... then you know you're "in") but it also comes out at weddings and baby showers and birthdays. And at some point a second ugly pot (Son of Pot) was added. In fact... I have no idea who has them right now... guess I had better watch what I open this year!!
For my entire life until a few years ago we would go to my grandmother's house to be with that side of the family, which is quite large. Before I was even born some relative twelve times removed (or whatever) gave someone else a gift. It was a pot. The ugliest, gaudiest, tackiest pot you've ever seen in your life. Ceramic with a lid. It was supposed to be a legit gift but they thought it was the funniest and fugliest thing EVER. So it became a thing to pass down on special occasions. But sometimes it stays dormant for so long that people forget who has it and then it gets given again and is hilarious all over again. Christmas is a prime time to get The Pot (especially if you are new to the family... then you know you're "in") but it also comes out at weddings and baby showers and birthdays. And at some point a second ugly pot (Son of Pot) was added. In fact... I have no idea who has them right now... guess I had better watch what I open this year!!
Sweet Cherry Pie
Our tradition is to celebrate Advent with candles the whole month of December, and then before opening any thing on Christmas Day, the kids know we light the Christ Child Candle on the wreath. THey love this a lot! We are starting some new traditions slowly, as this will be only the second year ever without family for CHristmas. We have just moved to far for people to travel. I wm reading everyones traditions in the hopes of finding some to add to ours:)
wife of one, mother of FOUR!
http://socksscrapsandotherthings.blogspot.com/
Sweet Cherry Pie
My DH and I put a small gift in our kids' stockings everyday to count down the 10 days before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, after dinner, we go and look at all the homes that have lots, lots of lights. (Can't image their light bill). On Christmas we get up and we have breakfast, then the kids start looking for the gifts. DH and I do a treasurer hunt with them. We leave clues that will take them to the presents. We hide them all over the house.
Dani 
Cherry Delight
According to all the kids, we have a quirky tradition. My sister and I (only one sister, the other one is siding with the kids, explaining why they don't know this tradition, lol, since they are her kids) love it, and my parents started it. It's to open gifts one person at a time, one gift at a time. First we all sit in a circle. Then my sister passes out all the gifts, so everyone has a pile of gifts sitting next to them. We pick a person to start, usually a child, and they get to open one gift while everyone watches. Then we go around the circle, each person opening a gift. As people run out of gifts they drop out of the rotation. Usually it's the kids left at the end. We like it because it makes Christmas last longer, and because then we get to see what everyone got and from whom. Apparantly the kids are used to a free-for-all. This is the first Christmas ever since all the kids were born that my entire family was together, so it's the first time they were subjected to the tradition.
Cherry Cropper
At my mil's house, we play Dirty Santa Bingo after all of the eating and gift opening is done. Everyone brings a $5 gift and we play bingo to see who gets to open....then the next person that gets bingo can either take the other person's gift or open another one. It's always so much fun to play. We've got a pretty silly family on that side so it makes it that much better. We also try to wrap the bingo gifts so noone will know what in the world is in them.
My dh and I (since that's all that's here at this house - for now) open 1 present on Christmas Eve. It's matching pjs. We look sooo cute (ahem....) while we sit and watch our favorite movies.
I'm sure there are more quirky ones, but I just can't think of them....
My dh and I (since that's all that's here at this house - for now) open 1 present on Christmas Eve. It's matching pjs. We look sooo cute (ahem....) while we sit and watch our favorite movies.
I'm sure there are more quirky ones, but I just can't think of them....
Rebecca
Sweet Cherry Pie
We grew up celebrating Solstice instead of Christmas. It's on the 21st and is the first day of Winter. We read a story that my aunt wrote before bed and then while we are sleeping the Good Fairy comes and hides presents all over the house. In the morning the kids have to hunt out their gifts. Sooo fun!! We usually have fruit and chocolate to snack on throughout the morning and maybe make muffins or something, and us adults like some Bailey's in our coffee too! Now we do that with my family and Christmas with dh's family. Really saves on Christmas scheduling conflicts!
Cherry Jubilee
We celebrate Solstice here too!DaisyLou wrote: We grew up celebrating Solstice instead of Christmas. It's on the 21st and is the first day of Winter. We read a story that my aunt wrote before bed and then while we are sleeping the Good Fairy comes and hides presents all over the house. In the morning the kids have to hunt out their gifts. Sooo fun!! We usually have fruit and chocolate to snack on throughout the morning and maybe make muffins or something, and us adults like some Bailey's in our coffee too! Now we do that with my family and Christmas with dh's family. Really saves on Christmas scheduling conflicts!
Sweet Cherry Pie
Yay!! It is so rare to find another Solstice celebrator! Most people dont' even seem to know what it is!ScrapGoo wrote:We celebrate Solstice here too!DaisyLou wrote: We grew up celebrating Solstice instead of Christmas. It's on the 21st and is the first day of Winter. We read a story that my aunt wrote before bed and then while we are sleeping the Good Fairy comes and hides presents all over the house. In the morning the kids have to hunt out their gifts. Sooo fun!! We usually have fruit and chocolate to snack on throughout the morning and maybe make muffins or something, and us adults like some Bailey's in our coffee too! Now we do that with my family and Christmas with dh's family. Really saves on Christmas scheduling conflicts!
Cherry Cola
Alot of our traditions have faded because the family is all over the place but one tradition that my son and his family, my daughter and her family and my dh and I do follow is the breakfast casserole for Christmas morning. We all make the same casserole.
It's made with a crescent roll mix spread out for a crust in a 9 x 12 pan, followed by a pound of pork sausage browned, followed by hash browns fried with onion and then 7 eggs mixed with a little milk poured over this. Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. The great thing about this is that it can be assembled the day before and popped in the oven Christmas morning. Served with tropical fruit and coffee.
We also keep our outdoor lights and our xmas tree lights on all night Christmas eve. All gifts are open Christmas morning.
This year we will spend Christmas eve at my son's with a small dinner and then go out driving looking at lights with our granddaughter and reading the Night Before Christmas before bed. We'll have the infamous casserole for breakfast Christmas morning.
It's made with a crescent roll mix spread out for a crust in a 9 x 12 pan, followed by a pound of pork sausage browned, followed by hash browns fried with onion and then 7 eggs mixed with a little milk poured over this. Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. The great thing about this is that it can be assembled the day before and popped in the oven Christmas morning. Served with tropical fruit and coffee.
We also keep our outdoor lights and our xmas tree lights on all night Christmas eve. All gifts are open Christmas morning.
This year we will spend Christmas eve at my son's with a small dinner and then go out driving looking at lights with our granddaughter and reading the Night Before Christmas before bed. We'll have the infamous casserole for breakfast Christmas morning.
Jan - trying to find my way
Chocolate Covered Cherry
My dad's famous turkey omletes for breakfast then stockings are opened . Next the presents.
Have a coke and a smile!
Cherry Cola
I'm really enjoying these, seeing how everyone celebrates.
This is the first year for us things will be different because Dad died this year. AND because both ds's (whose father I divorced) are dating women who come from divorced families, so it's getting crazy for them. Same in my sister's family. One ds will come out here for the usual Christmas Eve celebration. At noon on Christmas, we're all at Mom's. Mom & Ann tell me this is the last year for that, which is too much for me to bear right now. Ann's family will celebrate at her house and our family will celebrate at my house and Mom will go to one place one year and the other the next year. Mom is 86 and we've been trying for years to get her to let us do ALL the cooking, but she insists on doing the turkey & stuffing and potatoes. So we need to do something different - but I hate this as an answer. My other ds will be coming out Christmas afternoon this year. So already Christmas has changed. Oh and dh's dd's never come here. One is in Saginaw and the other is in Valpariso and have families there, too. Looks like this year neither will be coming up afterwards. Cheryl is too big to ski at almost 8 mo. pregnant
, so for some reason, she sleeps a lot!! I really love the idea of celebrating the solstice - maybe we'll do that in the future.
This is the first year for us things will be different because Dad died this year. AND because both ds's (whose father I divorced) are dating women who come from divorced families, so it's getting crazy for them. Same in my sister's family. One ds will come out here for the usual Christmas Eve celebration. At noon on Christmas, we're all at Mom's. Mom & Ann tell me this is the last year for that, which is too much for me to bear right now. Ann's family will celebrate at her house and our family will celebrate at my house and Mom will go to one place one year and the other the next year. Mom is 86 and we've been trying for years to get her to let us do ALL the cooking, but she insists on doing the turkey & stuffing and potatoes. So we need to do something different - but I hate this as an answer. My other ds will be coming out Christmas afternoon this year. So already Christmas has changed. Oh and dh's dd's never come here. One is in Saginaw and the other is in Valpariso and have families there, too. Looks like this year neither will be coming up afterwards. Cheryl is too big to ski at almost 8 mo. pregnant
, so for some reason, she sleeps a lot!! I really love the idea of celebrating the solstice - maybe we'll do that in the future.I wonder, sometimes, if we ever give God a headache.
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