What is your Christmas tradition?

[Just Gina]

So, I always wonder what everyone else does at Christmas. I absolutely LOVE Christmas and a huge part of the fun for me is decorating for Christmas and baking!

On Christmas Eve, we watch Scrooge. The musical with Albert Finney as Scrooge. Then we watch It's a Wonderful Life.
On Christmas morning, we open presents and I make breakfast and then start Christmas dinner.

I typically do not watch television, or like to have it on. However, Christmas would not be Christmas for me if the classics were not on in the background or being watched while baking: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the old cartoon Dr. Seuss version), Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

We celebrate Christmas with family well before Christmas because everyone is so spread out. I am fortunate that the entirety of Christmas is spent with just @ActionBob and I at home. Just the two of us.

Bob will however get to have Christmas cookies, Banana bread, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, and whatever else I decide to bake "whilst I am at it".

So, what say you? What do you do?

 

[Newboomer]

So, I always wonder what everyone else does at Christmas. I absolutely LOVE Christmas and a huge part of the fun for me is decorating for Christmas and baking!

On Christmas Eve, we watch Scrooge. The musical with Albert Finney as Scrooge. Then we watch It's a Wonderful Life.
On Christmas morning, we open presents and I make breakfast and then start Christmas dinner.

I typically do not watch television, or like to have it on. However, Christmas would not be Christmas for me if the classics were not on in the background or being watched while baking: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the old cartoon Dr. Seuss version), Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

We celebrate Christmas with family well before Christmas because everyone is so spread out. I am fortunate that the entirety of Christmas is spent with just @ActionBob and I at home. Just the two of us.

Bob will however get to have Christmas cookies, Banana bread, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, and whatever else I decide to bake "whilst I am at it".

So, what say you? What do you do?

Family get together at my daughter's in the afternoon, presents, watching the 2 ring circus (18 month old twin boys). After the wreckage (paper, boxes, etc) is cleaned up and things calm down it's dinner and more circus until they get tired and have to go home. Very enjoyable and thankful I don't have to go through young kids any more. Being a great granddad is much moe fun.

 

[Just Gina]

Family get together at my daughter's in the afternoon, presents, watching the 2 ring circus (18 month old twin boys). After the wreckage (paper, boxes, etc) is cleaned up and things calm down it's dinner and more circus until they get tired and have to go home. Very enjoyable and thankful I don't have to go through young kids any more. Being a great granddad is much moe fun.

This sounds like a wonderful time! Goodness...18 month old twin boys! I would be wore out just watching them!
Grandkids are great. Spoil them and send them home!

 

[Inline6]

Christmas starts with elf on the shelf day after Thanksgiving. Our 9 year old still believes so we are taking it as far as we can, innocence only lasts so long.

 

[perttime]

- Christmas tree. We've had ours in for a week already. Decorating it on Christmas Eve was a thing when I was a kid. When we had a cat, we used to tie the top to something high up, with some string.
- Visit a cemetery and leave a candle. If there is no family members buried nearby, any cemetery will do.
- Dinner. What is traditional here is probably different from what is traditional for you.
- Presents. Especially if there's children present, the tradition here is that Santa actually visits on Christmas Eve. Sometimes it happens while dad is taking out the trash, or something. Sometimes the presents appear while you are out for a walk after dinner.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Always have a real tree, douglas fir or balsam and have to watch The Christmas Story. Then it's open food bar for anyone that wants to stop over.

 

[Pondoro]

- Christmas tree. We've had ours in for a week already. Decorating it on Christmas Eve was a thing when I was a kid. When we had a cat, we used to tie the top to something high up, with some string.
- Visit a cemetery and leave a candle. If there is no family members buried nearby, any cemetery will do.
- Dinner. What is traditional here is probably different from what is traditional for you.
- Presents. Especially if there's children present, the tradition here is that Santa actually visits on Christmas Eve. Sometimes it happens while dad is taking out the trash, or something. Sometimes the presents appear while you are out for a walk after dinner.

Basically what perttime said...typical scandinavian celebration..

 

[Just Gina]

Christmas starts with elf on the shelf day after Thanksgiving. Our 9 year old still believes so we are taking it as far as we can, innocence only lasts so long.

I honestly do not know what the elf on the shelf is exactly, or how it works. It was not a thing when my kids were little. Our little granddaughter, Lilly, is 8 and she still believes as well so I totally get it and love it! I know they do elf on the shelf at her mom's. Bob and I were talking about gifts from Santa the other day. Santa brought his kids the really cool stuff. With mine, all their cool gifts came from me and Santa brought the stuff they needed. I raised Lilly the first 4 years of her life. She is my 3rd child in my heart and mind and always will be! This year her Gigi and Grandpa Bob brought her the big stuff and Santa brought her power cords and batteries for the cool stuff we got her!

 

[RTG]

So, I always wonder what everyone else does at Christmas. I absolutely LOVE Christmas and a huge part of the fun for me is decorating for Christmas and baking!

On Christmas Eve, we watch Scrooge. The musical with Albert Finney as Scrooge. Then we watch It's a Wonderful Life.
On Christmas morning, we open presents and I make breakfast and then start Christmas dinner.

I typically do not watch television, or like to have it on. However, Christmas would not be Christmas for me if the classics were not on in the background or being watched while baking: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the old cartoon Dr. Seuss version), Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

We celebrate Christmas with family well before Christmas because everyone is so spread out. I am fortunate that the entirety of Christmas is spent with just @ActionBob and I at home. Just the two of us.

Bob will however get to have Christmas cookies, Banana bread, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, and whatever else I decide to bake "whilst I am at it".

So, what say you? What do you do?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Our family Christmas is wonderful, but pretty typical I think. Nothing too exciting.

Christmas tree, decorations and outdoor lights go up Thanksgiving weekend.
Lots of Christmas music (and wine) helps with the gift buying and wrapping stress.
The Elf arrives December 1 with advent calendars and Christmas PJ’s for the kids. He gets into all sorts of trouble while monitoring the kids behavior for Santa.
Big feast Christmas Eve. This year it’s Ham and Lamb, after much debate.
Cookies, milk and carrots left out for Santa. Some idiot told my kids Santa shouldn’t drink beer and drive.
Kids destroy the house Christmas day. I clean up Christmas afternoon
A Christmas Story, Elf, Die Hard, each get watched in December. That’s pretty much the only TV watching I do all year. I watched A Christmas Story last weekend with the kids. Today feels like Die Hard. It’s cold outside. Ohh yeah, since idiots wanted to ban the song Baby It’s Cold Outside, that played a loop most of last December. We’re back to a Christmas mix this year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[Just Gina]

- Christmas tree. We've had ours in for a week already. Decorating it on Christmas Eve was a thing when I was a kid. When we had a cat, we used to tie the top to something high up, with some string.
- Visit a cemetery and leave a candle. If there is no family members buried nearby, any cemetery will do.
- Dinner. What is traditional here is probably different from what is traditional for you.
- Presents. Especially if there's children present, the tradition here is that Santa actually visits on Christmas Eve. Sometimes it happens while dad is taking out the trash, or something. Sometimes the presents appear while you are out for a walk after dinner.

@perttime
I travel SO MUCH that I have to start decorating for Christmas in October. Bob says that I knock the witch off her broom and run the turkey off the road and Christmas takes over. (I do what I can) By Thanksgiving I manage to have at least my main tree done and the Mantle to the fireplace is fall decorated and all the rest is Christmas already. I actually did not do our mantle this year. Once I got thanksgiving and fall decorations put away off the mantle, I was done.
Bob's parents (mom and stepdad) are Catholic. We were going to go to Christmas Eve mass with them and listen to the choir this year because it is something I have not ever experienced. Being I have been sick for weeks and we have negative temps, we are doing our regular above mentioned tradition.
What do you have for dinner?
We do similar to Thanksgiving here. Ham, Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, etc.

 

[Just Gina]

Always have a real tree, douglas fir or balsam and have to watch The Christmas Story. Then it's open food bar for anyone that wants to stop over.

I bet your tree is beautiful! I cannot have a real tree. I am allergic to everything. My sister-in-law wanted me to decorate her tree last year. I sneezed the entire time and my eyes were red and swollen like I had been crying for days. We had a real tree twice when I was a kid. Mom decided she would go with a fake one once she was told the real tree was the problem.
I see some trees and tell Bob "if we could have a real tree...." there are really beautiful ones. I guess I could find my 2-story tree easier if I could have a real one!

 

[Just Gina]

Basically what perttime said...typical scandinavian celebration..

It sounds lovely. I love hearing how Christmas is celebrated everywhere! What is your traditional meal?

 

[Just Gina]

Merry Christmas everyone!

Our family Christmas is wonderful, but pretty typical I think. Nothing too exciting.

Christmas tree, decorations and outdoor lights go up Thanksgiving weekend.
Lots of Christmas music (and wine) helps with the gift buying and wrapping stress.
The Elf arrives December 1 with advent calendars and Christmas PJ’s for the kids. He gets into all sorts of trouble while monitoring the kids behavior for Santa.
Big feast Christmas Eve. This year it’s Ham and Lamb, after much debate.
Cookies, milk and carrots left out for Santa. Some idiot told my kids Santa shouldn’t drink beer and drive.
Kids destroy the house Christmas day. I clean up Christmas afternoon
A Christmas Story, Elf, Die Hard, each get watched in December. That’s pretty much the only TV watching I do all year. I watched A Christmas Story last weekend with the kids. Today feels like Die Hard. It’s cold outside. Ohh yeah, since idiots wanted to ban the song Baby It’s Cold Outside, that played a loop most of last December. We’re back to a Christmas mix this year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I love it!
I love that song too! I also love Christmas music and anything else Christmas related, actually. This year Santa will get lots of sweets so he can take his pick on what to snack on I was laughing about the beer comment!

 

[perttime]

@perttime
What do you have for dinner?
We do similar to Thanksgiving here. Ham, Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, etc.

For Finnish Christmas, ham is probably the traditional center piece but many prefer turkey. Various kinds of fish, like "gravlax" (salmon cured in salt and a little pepper, etc. No heating, just leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of days with the salt. Cut into paper thin slices.). Potatoes (not mashed! just peeled before cooking with some salt in the water). Casseroles, salads. Some sort of cake, sweet pastries, chocolates.

There's lots of different things, so you might want to be careful not to get overstuffed.

 

[RTG]

Tree from Christmas past

 

[Just Gina]

Tree from Christmas past
View attachment 507310

LOVE the guns! I like to do themes each year at Christmas. Next year, I am having different themes on different trees and one is going to have guns (along with some other surprises!!) ! It is going to be a fun tree to do! Well, they all will be, but I have been planning all of them, especially this one for a couple of years!

 

[Just Gina]

For Finnish Christmas, ham is probably the traditional center piece but many prefer turkey. Various kinds of fish, like "gravlax" (salmon cured in salt and a little pepper, etc. No heating, just leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of days with the salt. Cut into paper thin slices.). Potatoes (not mashed! just peeled before cooking with some salt in the water). Casseroles, salads. Some sort of cake, sweet pastries, chocolates.

There's lots of different things, so you might want to be careful not to get overstuffed.

I have a friend that lives in MN and she used to tell me about the Lutefisk they had every year at Christmas. I asked Bob if that was a thing for him because I had never made such a thing.
He said it was not in his family. We will have a lot of left overs! And that is AFTER being overstuffed Your feast sounds quite tasty!

 

[RTG]

LOVE the guns! I like to do themes each year at Christmas. Next year, I am having different themes on different trees and one is going to have guns (along with some other surprises!!) ! It is going to be a fun tree to do! Well, they all will be, but I have been planning all of them, especially this one for a couple of years!

Please post some pictures next year. You may inspire a few of us.

 

[Just Gina]

Please post some pictures next year. You may inspire a few of us.

Will do for sure!

 

[Andrew62]

My tradition is that I have no tradition! Merry Christmas to you Gina!!