31 replies to this topic

[Snowneo]

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other holiday this season, most people have some sort of traditions that they do each year. This does not matter if you feel it is silly or not. Holidays are a time together.
What are your holiday traditions?


For me we live in a small town of 6,000 people. Each year there is a small christmas parade. During the parade we always go to the same little Chinese restaurant and eat while watching the parade. This actually started when we got cold and went inside, and from then on that is what we do.
Also each year the day that we wrap our first gifts, we order pizza and ice cream for when we are done. (This includes wrapping our pictures on the wall and putting them up)

[ShinaDutchAD]

The Saturday after thanksgiving here, there is a holiday parade. I always pick out the same spot downtown to watch. That night, the town puts lights on all the trees downtown...which looks really beautiful at night.

My mom and I watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (THE ORIGINAL, NOT THE LIVE CRUD) at least ONCE together.

And I always work on Christmas Eve to avoid family members that I dislike

[Map]

My family tradition is to get together, cook for "dinner" from morning to night, sit down, eat, food coma for about 5 hours and that's it.

Other times we sit around and play some games, or watch a movie from redbox.

Edited by annabeth, 14 December 2009 - 01:21 PM.

[unworthy]

My family was never that big on christmas. We usually just had gifts and then went out. Since I've been with my gf we have dinner the night before and watch movies then the next day give gifts and then make breakfast. Then go out for food at dinner with a lot more family involved.

When I was younger we used to go watch the floats because I lived in a smaller town as well. Such a nice time. I wish that we had snow so far this christmas. It might snow tonight but no guarantees.

[Elindoril]

Christmas? I keep to myself most of the time, see the extended family on the Eve, open some presents on the Day, then keep to myself until New Years.

Hasn't been the same since my Grandmother died, so I don't do much anymore.

[outsidedream86]

Growing up we opened one present Christmas Eve, then the rest in the morning. Our stockings were usually filled with chocolate and candy, which became our breakfast/lunch. Then we'd spend the next few hours playing with presents and feeling sick from the candy. Then around 3:00 we'd have Christmas dinner.

Now it's a bit more complicated because some years I fly home, some I spend just with my boyfriend, and some we try to do a bit of alone time plus time at each family's house. This year I'm flying home to my family, but apparently nobody is getting along or speaking to each other, so it's gonna be a tense and awkward holiday.

[unworthy]

yay for family problems! half my family is in one province and half in another wait i mean

[Georgina]

I LOVE Christmas!! Hehe

Right, Xmas shopping firstly, lots of it, main presents and stocking stuffs, but instead of stockings we use pillow cases coz you get more in hehe.

Any cards we get before my mum blue tacks to the walls

Xmas eve - its usually me wrapping everyone else's presents for people, because my wrapping rocks tbh, and then I usually get drunk round my mum and dads house and we each open one prezzie at midnight

Xmas day I go round to my parents house in the morning and we open all presents together and then we start to get ready, dressed up hair etc, always make an effort at Xmas.

Xmas dinners usually around 4pm and then we usually get drunk again XD

Boxing day my mum puts on a buffet party and guess what? we have a few drinks

It was similar when i was a child, except for the drinking and the fact that i was already at home with my parents


P.S. Thanks for this thread, its really got me feeling xmasy

Edited by Georgina, 14 December 2009 - 02:42 PM.

[Snowneo]

I LOVE Christmas!! Hehe

Right, Xmas shopping firstly, lots of it, main presents and stocking stuffs, but instead of stockings we use pillow cases coz you get more in hehe.

Any cards we get before my mum blue tacks to the walls

Xmas eve - its usually me wrapping everyone else's presents for people, because my wrapping rocks tbh, and then I usually get drunk round my mum and dads house and we each open one prezzie at midnight

Xmas day I go round to my parents house in the morning and we open all presents together and then we start to get ready, dressed up hair etc, always make an effort at Xmas.

Xmas dinners usually around 4pm and then we usually get drunk again XD

Boxing day my mum puts on a buffet party and guess what? we have a few drinks

It was similar when i was a child, except for the drinking and the fact that i was already at home with my parents


P.S. Thanks for this thread, its really got me feeling xmasy

Wow, I am surprised even at the stockings at dollarama. some of them are freaking 4-6ft. Jeeze, I make sure my family only gets average size ones... less to fill them. HeHe. Gotta love christmas, and all the drinks galore, though the following days are like hell...lol..

No problem, I was wondering what people do other then myself on the holidays.

It is so amazing the variety and common things each does during the holiday. I would be very interested to hear from someone who celebrates a different holiday then christmas, kind of get background information on other culture.

[mustbenargles]

Mine is to go to New Mexico and eat tamales YUM!

[phalkon]

every year for the past 3 years we've watched Team America: World Police at my house

[luvsmyncis]

Hasn't been the same since my Grandmother died, so I don't do much anymore.

I know exactly what you mean. I lost both my grandmas in 2001, one of them right after Christmas. Used to go spend breakfast time with one, and then dinner with the other. They were always cooking and in charge of decorating. Not anymore. That's a big part of, well, every holiday really... gone.

Now that our family is smaller, we just give gifts, watch a lot of Christmas movies, and eat ham. Ham is a really big part of Christmas for us. It's delicious. Also, my sister bought me Billy Idol's holiday cd for my birthday, so we'll probably listen to that and mock it. We mostly stay inside the house and try to avoid the general public.

[Elindoril]

I know exactly what you mean. I lost both my grandmas in 2001, one of them right after Christmas. Used to go spend breakfast time with one, and then dinner with the other. They were always cooking and in charge of decorating. Not anymore. That's a big part of, well, every holiday really... gone.

Now that our family is smaller, we just give gifts, watch a lot of Christmas movies, and eat ham. Ham is a really big part of Christmas for us. It's delicious. Also, my sister bought me Billy Idol's holiday cd for my birthday, so we'll probably listen to that and mock it. We mostly stay inside the house and try to avoid the general public.

You know what I mean and at the same time you don't, Christmas was completely BASED around my Grandmother, she was the one to do almost everything, get everything set up, do a bunch of the shopping, and much more. Christmas itself was even at her house, my immediate family would stay at her place for a few days, and the rest of the family would come over for dinner and a nice long visit, but now that she is gone, the main link that chains the family together is gone, and I hardly see the rest of my family anymore.

[plookle]

Cincinnati Chili after church on Christmas eve, then me and my sister go and freeze to death sleeping in her old room in the attic. In the morning my mom makes this super-artery-clogging breakfast quiche and mini sausages and i wake everyone up at six (even tho none of them get out of bed until eight). God, I love Christmas

[Anisi]

Our family normally migrates to our place for a BBQ lunch. Then if it's warm enough we'll head down to the beach for a swim.

[Georgina]

Our family normally migrates to our place for a BBQ lunch. Then if it's warm enough we'll head down to the beach for a swim.

Haha another australian member im guessing?

Or a freak from the uk ....one or the other o.O

Edited by Georgina, 17 December 2009 - 07:21 AM.

[crimsonsmile]

Cincinnati Chili after church on Christmas eve, then me and my sister go and freeze to death sleeping in her old room in the attic. In the morning my mom makes this super-artery-clogging breakfast quiche and mini sausages and i wake everyone up at six (even tho none of them get out of bed until eight). God, I love Christmas

Omg, Skyline ftw?

I'm in Cincinnati too.

Why don't you have goetta for breakfast?!

[chobitz]

When I lived at home still it was we would cook crab legs and shrimp and pig out on christmas eve and open 1 gift at midnite. Oh and new pajamas when we went to bed.

After I got married and moved down to lousiana my husband and I started a few traditions. We go out on Black Friday morning for the sales. We buy one of those huge Swiss Colony box of goodies (especially Petit Fours) and christmas eve we go to our favorite chinese restaurant for Peking Duck (fra lala lala) and pig out on the swiss colony goodies while we watch A Christmas Story. The 26th we go with out best friends to the movies and pizza. This year it will be to see Sherlock Holmes.

[Vexage]

Nothing too spectacular. Xmas morning consists of pancakes, always pancakes. Then we check stockings and then presents. Dinner at granny's and then thats it. Its not the greatest but hey, its christmas.

[Ali]

We don't really have any. The Boy and I will be going to my brother and his wife's due to a lack of other family. Probably stay there on Christmas night so that neither of us has to not drink, then drive back to London on Boxing Day. More of a New Year fan tbh.

[vendetta.inc]

More of a New Year fan tbh.

+1

[Elindoril]

+1

Stop doing this, it's pointless spam.

[BellaBleu]

eggnog+whip cream+cookie dough...

[MrUnknownGuy]

Family over, and a turkey.

[Black Flame]

Well every year, my family celebrates christmas some days earlier than the 25th. This is because each year we're away with extended family on the 25th celebrating christmas with them, so we have an immediate family christmas some days earlier.

I guess another "tradition" is that I somehow watch A Christmas Story every year. I've actually been trying to avoid it the last few years, but I've yet to avoid it successfully.