Holiday traditions

17 years ago

What are your special holiday traditions such as: tree and decorations, outside decorations, food, etc? We would love to hear what is special to everyone. Linda

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Comments (14)

butterflygardener
17 years ago
I used to have an "adopted family" that I spent most holiday dinners with. They always set the table in red and green dishes with name tags at each plate. Attached to each name was a curling ribbon which lead to a tiny wrapped gift in a sleigh in the center of the table. After dinner we all couldn't wait to see what our gift was. My "Mom" would look all year for the perfect sleigh gift for each one of us. There were usually 12 or more at the table!
scents_from_heaven
Original Author
17 years ago
Oh butterflygardener, that sounds so special. My traditions have changed over the years, but the one my husband and I have started our first year continues to thrive. We eat at Disney at the World Pavilion on Christmas Eve and then attend the candlelight processional. We watch the fireworks and take pictures of the lights. We then drive around the parks looking at the Christmas decorations off and on the week of Christmas. That is the most special time we have together. Linda
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My kids spend every other Xmas with their dad, and the SO and I spend those years alone together on the farm. We do the tree, a must, and special nibblies and good wine. OK I rarely drink, he does the good wine, I do ginger ale. Stockings, stuffed to the brim, a must. I do a platter of cheeses, meats, fruit, to nibble on while we open our gifts. I do this too, on the years the kids are with me, and when I do Xmas with them before they leave. Don't have to worry about cooking breakfast for them that way. They don't want to eat before they open their gifts, and they don't want to eat much after they open their gifts. We sometimes go out to visit, sometimes have a few people over, or we spend time by ourselves. We have chores to do, cows need to be fed. If the weather is nice, not blizzarding, we will take the dog and go for a walk thru the bush along the river. We play alot of cards, crib especially, or a good board game. Sometimes we put on the stereo and dance. Good music, good books, good conversation. It is a time when the isolation of the country and the mood of the year reconnect us after a really busy fall. Rarely does TV come into the picture. We do a small turkey and all the trimings, just have to scale down the proportions for two. I think a lot of the holiday things should still be done, kids or no kids. Those things are part of the magic of Christmas, and aren't we all kids at heart then? Rose
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Our traditions when I was a child were fairly simple and mostly revolved around gathering family (grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins and honorary family) at a table for the meal and not a lot of other fanfare. Foods were specific to the holiday and pretty consistent over the years although my mom did love to try new things. Unfortunately the response more often than not, was to stick with the tried and true - kids can be so mean!! We didn't make big productions out of many of the holidays that are big events now. Halloween involved carving a pumpkin for/with each child then shoo-ing us out the door to trick or treat in whatever homemade costumes we came up with from the dress-up closet. My parents would never decorate our house and it never felt like anything was missing in our lives. Fourth of July was our village parade (with our decorated bikes) and speeches, then that night the fireworks. Memorial Day was more somber but also a village event. Being Jewish, I loved being invited to decorate trees with friends, but we had 8 nights of Hanukkah and the last night was the big family event with games, the traditional meal and presents. But other than the menorah and candles, no decorations. Passover was a huge production (I understand now how much work it entails), the High Holidays meant new outfits for temple, eating, fasting, lots of family in and out for the various services. My DH is not Jewish and came from a whole different set of (religious) traditions. Oddly, he didn't like many of them, even as a child and stopped participating as an adult. Of course, I get the blame for that! We forged new traditions with our sons, celebrating Hanumas or Christmakah. We topped our tree with a Jewish star for many years, until I realized no one else cared about the tree but me and when I stopped buying one they all said 'what took you so long?!' Last year we went to Washington for Thanksgiving. Our older son lives there in a tiny apartment in a national park. Tiny as in you can sit on the foot of the bed and open the refrigerator! Our younger son came from his college in CO, and the 5 of us (including DS1's girlfriend) stood shoulder to shoulder preparing the big meal. Nothing traditional, no turkey no stuffing no mashed potatoes - we had oysters, Dungeness crab, roast brisket..... and Mexican flan for dessert. Close quarters, limited equipment, borrowed dishes, no fancy table settings or decor but we laughed and felt so TOGETHER - it was probably the best Thanksgiving we've ever had! I love traditions but have come to appreciate the wonder of shaking things up now and then. In the end, though, it's all about the people I share the events with and have found simplifying things allows me to enjoy them much more.
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Maryliz, Way back when my kids and nieces and nephews were little, our whole family would gather at my mom and dad's on Christmas Eve.....Mom always made Chop Suey. We would all gather hands and sing Silent Night and then Jingle Bells before dad handed out presents. Dad passed away in 1979 and mom couldn't handle the big house anymore, families got bigger and kids moved here and there.....it just isn't the same. Anyone who can, still gets together in the hometown of Battle Creek MI at a time when it's more convenient for all concerned. This year, it's the 29th. A lot of the family still gathers, my sister makes the chop suey and mom is the taster and tells her what is needed. The gifts are now put in individual sacks for each child and of course, mom. Every year we think this will probably be the last Christmas she'll be with us, but she prevails! GO MOM! They still sing Silent Night and Jingle Bells and usually call me so I can join in with them. Now I'm all misty eyed...... SharonG/FL
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Crystal, what a blessing for you to have your son home safely. I hope that is it for him. It's 3 times and you're out, isn't it? : ) Tel him we are grateful for his service. NT, sorry you don't have good memories of the holidays. I had WONDERFUL family get togethers. And Ronnie we all liked each other too UNTIL one day - long story will save you. I'm really in the transition state of learning to adjust to the holidays because for 30+ years, we would have Thanksgiving at my mom's and Christmas at mine with probably 20+ family members. Life presents us with all kinds of challenges but cookie making sounds good, NT. I might take that up next time. I'll have to be careful not to eat all of them myself. Sunshine, by all means adopt our idea. We had these funky red tupperware plates that we used for our Christmas tree picnic. Hardly used them any other time of the year. Thanks for the fudge recipe! My mom used to make the best fudge and I don't have her recipe so I'm anxious to try yours.
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treefrog_fl
17 years ago
Wow Kat,
I love that!
solstice98
17 years ago
Kat,
I love that idea! My family is gathering the week before Christmas and we've agreed not to buy big gifts for each other this year. But I think the sleigh idea is a great one and I plan to do it at our early Christmas dinner! Just something small and fun to enjoy together.
Kate
julieyankfan
17 years ago
Our most enduring Christmas tradition is watching "A Christmas Story" on Christmas Eve. The boys and I watch it together every year. My husband thinks the movie is terrible!lol This year, with one son in S. Korea and the other has his own apartment, I may be watching it alone, unless the younger one comes over. You have to watch Ralphie get his Red Rider BB gun, or it's just not Christmas!

I like to watch Rudolph to start off the season and White Christmas, too.

Julie
jupiterplants
17 years ago
Boy things do change..holiday traditions change......... kids grow up / jobs take people to other states. I too love the idea of Kats sleigh of little gifts. And I know if I lived near Disney, I would BE in Disney.Turkey day has always been a day to stuff our faces and watch football. My mother just returned from the hospital after suffering a mild stroke. She can walk, talk, feed herself.........all a blessing when you think what could of happened. My mom wants to be left alone to recover. As we all know ,you cant get any sleep in the hospital unless you are on morphine LOL ! . So this thanksgiving Steve and I are going over to a neighbors house. And I am sure she will be better for Christmas. WHEW !
solstice98
17 years ago
Every year I make the family and any friends who are around watch White Christmas sometime during Thanksgiving weekend. They all protest and kid me about it, but they always join in and sing all the songs. I love it.

All together now:
"Sisters... sisters... never were there such devoted sisters..."
cindeea
17 years ago
WOW What nice memories. Kat, that is an Ingenious idea! Many of my traditions have fallen by the wayside since most of my family is gone, but one we hold true is the Italian/Catholic 7 fishes Christmas eve where we eat nothing but seafood. When my Dad was still alive it was white fish and parsley and olive oil cold salad, anchovie-garlic vermiccelli pasta, baked breaded smelt with raisins (YUK), fried and steamed shrimp, calamari, crab legs, and scallops or whatever else the fresh fishmarket had on Christmas eve. Now with just the three of us it's shrimp, lobster and crab! I love it, we eat so much and enjoy every minute!

KAT-one year my aunt tied everyone's fork to a curled ribbon and looped all the ribbons over the chandelier. Before dinner we had to find the connecting ribbon and give the person at the other end a kiss! it was a riot to see all these people leaning over the table, untangling all the ribbons and find their recipient. I think we ate about an hour later than intended that year we were laughing so hard.

Traditions are always fun, and it's great if you have kids to start your own that they will remember!
butterflygardener
17 years ago
Thanks all for such nice comments! I love to hear what you all do for the holidays also. I don't think I have seen "A Christmas Story" or even heard of it. Thanksgiving Day we watched the sequel to it called "It Runs In The Family". My family all were talking about the original movie! Gee, they never shared it with me! Now I will HAVE to see it. If I lived close to you Kate, I would be there watching it with you!

Love the "fish story" hee hee! And I can just see the chaos with the forks and ribbons and kisses! Love it!
Kat
hopeful_in_Brevard
17 years ago
Freash pumpkin pie and Chocolate peanut butter pie. Now my youngest daughter started making them and I lost the job. However I need to share the pumpkin pie receipt. She was shy on spices. Out new tradition is Chinise gift exchange. We have done this for a couple of years now and it's a lot of fun. We had a cookie exchange one year and judged the favorite one. Winner got a gingerbread magnet to put on the fridge until the next year. But we were all so sick of tasting cookies, no one want's to repeat it. So now were going to have a homemade ornament contest this year.
julieyankfan
17 years ago
Wow, what fun traditions! Solstice, my friend bought me the dvd of White Christmas last year, yet I was still watching it on tv! Just how small was Vera Ellen's waist!!!??? I love those gowns they wear at the end of the movie.

Anyway, this year we're throwing tradition out the window. I'm putting up a Florida tree. I have a lighted dolphin for the top and I got the coolest ornaments at Oriental Trading Company and ABC Distributing. I got santas at the beach, tiki drinks, and glass palm trees and flip flops. I painted some shells and starfish and sand dollars with a light coat of glitter and glued hangers on them. I got 4 red and white hibiscus design bandannas and my neighbor is sewing them together for me to make a tree skirt.

I also got that cute flamingo from ABC, the one with the santa hat and a wreath around his neck. Kohl's had Florida themed placemats and I put a glass dish of Christmas balls and sea shells with glitter on the table.

Outside, we stayed traditional, with Santa, snowmen and a big Nativity scene. We made a manger a few years ago and it came out pretty well for our first project ever.

I'm just really into Christmas this year. Last year I wasn't. I think some years all your problems get you down and you just can't be merry. I have a much better handle on everything this year, so maybe that's why I'm decorating like a nut!

Julie
scents_from_heaven
Original Author
17 years ago
All of your traditions sound so nice. I love the Florida themed tree and decorations there Julie. I used to dislike the Mickey head ornaments and things, but guess what - our tree is going to be Disney themed and the other one train themes and yet another one will be done with all the memory ornaments. We always set a place for Jesus at our dinner and Christmas Day and sever a birthday cake for our Lord and King.
Tomorrow Lee and I wil be doing our traditional visit to Downtown Disney to select the one special ornament for the year. Usually we end up with more than one, but one is always the special symbol of our love and these special ornaments go on a small tree that we have in our bedroom. When we go camping at Christmas it goes with us in the camper so that we are reminded of our love one for another and all the special Christmas memories we have to share.

We are in the process of buying toys for the Toys for Tots campaign and will be assisting at Give Kids the World on Christmas morning.

Chrostmas eve we will be having lunch at the China paviliion and then attending the Candlelight Processional after we attend the special Christmas service at church.

This year we will give special thanks to God for allowing Lee to improve and for giving us this Christmas together. He has been so good to us.

There are more special traditions, but I am leaving space for others to share theirs. May God bless each of you and Lee and I send best wishes from our home to yours for the Merriest Christmas ever. Linda
julieyankfan
17 years ago
Linda, God bless you and Lee, too and Merry Christmas to you both!

Julie
cindeea
17 years ago
OH oh oh, was just telling a young co-worker today about the 7 fishes tradition, and he asked what the 7 represented...ya know, I had no idea! It represents the in Catholicism, the 7 sacraments (PLEASE-don't ask me to name them!!) Sometimes they do 10 or 13 fishes in larger Italian/Catholic families, 10 being the 10 commandments and 13 meaning the 12 Apostles plus Jesus Christ. Never knew that! Dennis just came home from the fish market and he brought 3 fishes, stone crab, shrimp and scallops....hmmm maybe representing the 3 sins I made this year? LOL Christmas Blessings all!

Holiday traditions

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butterflygardener

scents_from_heaven
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Holiday traditions

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scents_from_heavenOriginal Author

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