We usually have a light snack type meal on Christmas Eve, Cheese, crackers, veggies, etc. Mostly for visiting and welcoming any coming from out of town.

Christmas Morning, the kids (now 20-25) are allowed to open their stockings before breakfast.

We MUST have my Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast (and usually fruit and/or an egg based casserole).
Then we open gifts. One at a time. After a person opens their gift, they get one for someone else. It makes it last longer and everyone gets to watch! Fun!

Dinner is usually around 2pm which often leads to a big nap!

Game playing follows that (cards, dice, board games, etc.).
Around 6 or 7 we're ready for dessert!

Now that the kids are grown, some come and go throughout the day as their schedules permit.

We are in the "between" stage where our kids are young adults, but no grandkids yet. I'm waiting...........!!

Deanna

1. Egg souffle for breakfast.
2. Santas Helpers cookies.
3. The "Mom" (me) passes out the presents until she is too tired to do it, then she hands it off to her oldest child to do. (I did this 5 years ago)
4. One present is opened before anybody else can open one. (Otherwise it is a huge mess and you don't inow what anybody got for somebody else)and then the next person opens his/hers, until everybody has opened one. then you can start round two. LOL.
5. That's it. We have it on lots of different dates, whenever we can all get together at the same time. We have lots of different meals, from formal crown roast and standing rib roast, to soups. Last year we started going out to an Amish country all you can eat chicken and roast beef dinner. (The kids want us to do this from now on)
We have all learned to be flexible, and not too rigid with traditions for fear of causing stress if one of the traditions has to be broken.

Each year it's something new - with an 11 yr old....he always slept in until last year - when I think he got us up at 4??? But I have dinner for 14 or so later in the day....it always goes so fast....you'd think getting up that early, there'd be lots of down time, but by the time evening rolls around I am totally wiped out.

The past couple of years we have had a nice tenderloin - and everyone approves - so it's that again! I always make a birthday cake for Jesus - just in case by dinner time we have forgotten why we're celebrating...:-)

Sherry - I CANNOT believe I almost forgot about Santa's helpers....I have to make those!!!!

Deanna, sounds like what we did when I was a kid...I remember everyone scattered around the house finding a place to nap...LOL.

Lou, we do something similar - we call it dirty bingo...everyone picks a number out of a hat - and everyone brings a wrapped gift....you go in order and pick a gift - unwrap it - and then number 2 decides if they want to pick a new one or steal number 1's gift. But the trick is that each person can only be stolen from 3 times, then the one the end up with is theirs for keeps....:-)

Stacy

Stacy:
That's about the same way we do it, except the gift has to begin with the letter " R " this year.
And we keep it to a $10 value.

If I find something that costs $5 . I'll put in $5 of Lottery " rub " offs. That qualifies. LOL!
Lou

fun!

I am not usually a poster but I had to chime in on this one. My Grandchildren look forward to a treasure hunt in order to find their presents. Each year I try and do something a little different. Last year I numbered all of their presents and told them they had to open them in order. Of course, there was no #1 and they had to go on a hunt to find it. I had several clues around the house - like find Grandma's favorite color and you will find another clue. When they finally figure out all of the clues and find Present #1, they can open the rest of their presents. It's a fun way to make the opening of the presents last a little longer and even the younger ones can play with help from older siblings, parents, and friends. Now I have to come up with a hunt for this year's presents! Any ideas?

Julie

We've always celebrated on Christmas eve with Mom fixing a wonderful dinner and opening presents afterwards. This started long ago when both sets of grandparents were alive and we would spend Christmas day going between their homes. It just carried on over.

When my brothers 3 kids were little we added to the tradition of gathering at their house on Christmas morning for breakfast and to watch the kids with their Santa.

Those kids are now grown, but none are married yet so it'll be interesting to see where the tradition goes once they do marry and have the next generation of 'grandchildren'.

Thanks for the thread Lou, it's so nice to see what everyone is doing with their families.

Beth

Aw, Lou ... a lot of fun. You know my mom told me that the spirit of Santa/Christmas was real, and it took me a loooooong time to figure that one out.

One family tradition (among way too many) is that we play the left/right game. Usually small gifts (hershey kisses, notepads, etc.) with one clunker (tin of sardines.) We had to add the caveat that you can trade when the game ends. My daughter broke her heart one year when she opened her package and got the anchovies.

We also have "candlelight sandwiches." After eating our big meal earlier in the day, we have sandwiches, salads, etc. by candlelight. My mom laughed when I was young and requested "candlelight sandwich" for dinner.

Confession: A tradition I did not keep is that Santa brings the Christmas tree. Hats off to my parents!

Julie -- Bless your heart! I did something similar for my son's birthday and made paper mache "dinosaur eggs" in a nest for the end of the treasure hunt. I like your game as is cause it's now a tradition:)

Cathy in SWPA

The first weekend in Dec is always my annual cocktail party (yes its this Sat I have approx 40 guests coming)Christmas Eve is always at the In laws in Levittown NY they do the whole Italian Feast (and I mean FEAST!!) Christmas Day is with my side (The Irish) we eat drink and become merry LOL! All in all it doesnt get better than Christmas

Since my mom passed I really have to muster any spirit at all. I know that isn't right and she wouldn't want me to feel that way, but I do. My bah humbug stubborness is starting to wane a bit so there is hope. Boarding dogs at Christmas and being so busy with the pet sitting business takes my mind off of most of it. I just don't have time for much, but we do get together at my sister/dads house Christmas Eve for a nice dinner, usually ham, potato salad, shrimp cocktail and sandwich fixings. My dad loves sweets so he usually makes about 8 kinds of cookies etc. and it is still fun although a little bittersweet. Presents opened of course.

Christmas Day last year we had my dad over for dinner and more presents. Maybe the same this year.

I better get started doing some internet shopping!

Thanks for the thread Lou. Your games sound fun. We also open one present at a time. Otherwise the whole thing was done in 5 minutes and wrapping everywhere and nobody knew what anyone else got. That got nipped in the bud right away.

Duane

Dukerdawg, sorry to hear about your loss, I can't remember, when did she pass?

Thanks Jessy. It was Jan. 2006. Almost 4 years now....but still hard to get excited about the holidays. I've heard the father is the head of the household, but the mother is the heart. Very true.

Duane

Dukerdog, It's hard to be without our family members that have passed on. I'll be thinking of you.

We are in that in-between stage where oldest DD and her family live here, one DD is in another state and our son is overseas. But I will continue with one tradition forever. Christmas breakfast! Empanadas, gouda grits, fruit, juice, coffee (if you want I always have some Bailey's on hand)and Bloody Mary's. We have people show up just to have an Empanada with coffee and go on their merry way. I love it!

I also give a Christmas party for the staff, teachers, school board, and anyone else that wants to come from our little private school where we go to church. Really a fun night. Gotta get busy and finish decorating the house!

We started a new tradition a few years ago. It began as a way to wear out the kids so they would go to sleep on Christmas Eve. My husband has two brothers with wives and kids. We swich off who hosts each year and the host plans a decatholon. The families compete against each other for points, and the winning family gets to display the highly coveted travelling trophy in their home for the year. Not to mention major bragging rights. It's a big deal. The events switch up depending on who hosts. At my house we typically do ping pong, corn hole, Wii Bowling, pictionary, musical chairs (which is hilarious and sometimes very aggressive when you play with adults and teens), etc. The games are very loud and energetic and everyone gets into it. We all help with the food and drinks for the evening, so the host is not completely overwhelmed. Then around midnight (or later) we pack up our exhausted families and head our separate ways. Works like a charm. The kids go straight to bed!!

We have the Italian fish feed on Christmas Eve - extremely scaled down from when I was a kid, but we still do it. We start with escarole soup with cannelini beans, then alia oglio with homemade spaghetti, then all the various fish. Sometimes fried calamari, calamari in tomato sauce, fried shrimp and scallops, baked stuffed shrimp, shrimp scampi, smelts, quohogs, periwinkles, langostinos, etc. Every year it's different. I took over Christmas Even from my mom about 4 years ago but she still does Christmas Day - at age 90!! Christmas Day it's antipasti salad, stuffed artichokes and mushrooms, homemade ravioli with bracciola, sausages and meatballs, ricotta pie and Italian cookies and whatever anyone decides to bring for dessert.

We never were allowed to open presents Christmas Eve so we all do that Christmas Day, now with our own families. Other than the meal - which literally takes days to prepare, and then sitting and talking (and usually arguing, albiet good naturedly) about politics, there aren't many traditions we follow. The food is the "tradition".

Lisa

It's really nice to hear what yau'll are doing for Christmas.
It's funny though, all the Italian families sound similar.
All that good food !!! Really boring , LOL !!!

Nice to hear everyone plays some sort of games.
I though my family was the only one , who did these things.

Duane:
Your thread hit home.
I think this year would have been 56 years, being married.
My wife was the heart of many households.
My Daughters took it very hard also but they keep talking as if she was still here.
In fact they set a place at the Thanksgiving table and a
beautiful Photo of her, with a devilish smile.

Very hard to take but they say time heals all.

So keep the Christmas Traditions coming. I'm sure there are a lot more with stories to tell.
LOU

Lou, don't do that! The tears swell. My husband gets the results of a biopsy tomorrow. I can't cry now. Have to stay strong and tell him that nothing at all will be wrong.

Beachlily, hang in there. I'll be saying prayers and thinking good thoughts for your husband to get an all clear tomorrow.

Annie

All the kids, those who are married with kids and those who are still single, will be here. We'll have lots of good food and lots of good fun. It will be over far too soon.

This year, DH and I are considering something different -- perhaps even starting a new tradition. We've asked the singles who are still living (or based) at home if they would prefer getting gifts or going to the beach the week after Christmas -- provided we stay in a condo which has an indoor pool, of course. Every single one has voted to go to the beach. So now I'm in the process of not only planning Christmas, but also planning a vacation! I think maybe I need my head examined, LOL.

beachlily, my heart goes out to you. DH and I went through that 5 years ago. His diagnosis was positive, but he has been cancer-free for almost 4 1/2 years. We are extremely grateful.

Lou, your words mean a lot.It is so hard to go on, regular days are one thing..but the holidays are especially hard. I know how much you loved your wife and really appreciate how hard you carry on and try to make everyone else rise above the pain and loss and enjoy the holidays. You are a good man, and I appreciate you and your contributions on this forum.

Beachlily, I hope and pray for good results on that biopsy. Please keep a positive outlook and hope for the best. I know I will pray and hope for a postive result.

Duane

Our biggest tradition is Christmas morning breakfast at my house. All the family that lives locally (ten of us)comes about 8:30 in the morning. Our menu is always the same. Pork tenderloin that has been pounded very thin, tenderized, floured, fried and then steamed until you could cut it with a fork. My son always does the tenderloin. With that we have sausage gravy and biscuits, fried sweet potatoes and various jams, jellies and applesauce, orange juice and coffee. There's always a LOT of everything. Everyone agrees you don't mess with the menu. After breakfast the gifts are opened. I wish we could open one at a time but it would take forever and my granddaughter and her husband have to head out to his parents.

This is my favorite part of Christmas.

jude

Hope I didn't get anyone too upset. I surely appreciate the kind words.
Beachlady:
I'll make a Phone call tommorrow morning to my wifes
Bible Study group leader.
She will put your husband on the prayer list.
My wife made it for 13 years.
Not without pain or suffering
but had good times in between treatments.
Should have been only 3 or 4 months. So I think someone
was looking after her.
All that time she never complained but was always doing for someone.
LOU

Christmas Eve is the big celebration with my side of the family.

We always congregate at my parents' for drinks and appetizers around 6pm. We draw names at Thanksgiving for a gift exchange and we keep secret who we have drawn. The presents are opened one at a time and the most fun is guessing who bought the gift. There is a lot of joking during this stage. For instance, when someone gets something that appears too pricey to be within the limit, all eyes turn to my BIL who is known for going over.

We've developed a stealth plan for keeping it all secret, too. My sister buys multiple rolls of the same wrapping paper at the after-Christmas sales and distributes it to the various family members for the following year. The gift is to have no embellishment, save for the printed tag with the recipient's name you picked on Thanksgiving (my Mom's fancy wrapping style used to be a tip-off that it was from her). And, so we can't see the shape or size of the gifts when they're being brought in, we all have to bring them in white plastic garbage bags when we set them under the tree.

The neices & nephews have really gotten into it, and they developed these rules over the years. It's fun, but I can't tell you how many times I've "put away" the special wrapping paper and realized I can't find it when it's time to wrap the following Christmas.(and had to beg some off my mother)...or misplaced my little tag and have had to create a reasonable facsimile.

Anyway, when each person has opened their gift and everyone guesses who it came from we go around the room and people own up as to who they bought the gift for. Probably sounds corny, but it really is fun. Some years there are real surprises, like when my father chose a stunning sweater for my sister and stayed in the limit by using a sale coupon - No one guessed Dad!!

Afterward (around 10pm!) we enjoy my mother's famous meat pies (French Canadian toutierres) and have eggnog pie and pineapple frappe for dessert.

The kids crash (and some adults...) and the usual suspects are still doing dishes,dancing to Feliz Navidad, singing The Jingle Bell Rock and cleaning up till around 1:00 am when we finally head home.

I think my future DIL, who is from Turkey, thought she had landed on Mars the first time she spent Christmas with my family, LOL!

On a more serious note, Lou & Duane, your comments have touched my heart. Mom is a 2-time breast cancer survivor & Dad was touch-&-go in ICU for weeks after heart surgery a while ago. You have made me appreciate all the more that it appears we will be blessed with them again this year. I hope you find joy in the season and my thoughts are with you both.

Yes, wonderful comments. Even though some of us mourn those that we loved so much and it seems the holidays are diminished because of them being in heaven and not with us, we do have to take joy and comfort in enjoying the family and friends we have and appreciate them every one. Nobody is guaranteed anything beyond this very moment so let us all love, appreciate and enjoy each moment we have with our loved ones and friends. Throw off the meaningless trivial nonsense and feuds. Be of peace and be kind to everyone. Life is too short to fight and fuss over stupid stuff.

Happy holidays everyone!

Duane

I wish you all happy holidays !! I've enjoyed reading this thread so much, it's heartwarming to peek into your lives; I've pretty much abandoned xmas traditions since we've been spending xmas in florida for the last 3 years, but our kids and their SO's are with us.

This year we'll have our 5 year old grandson with us so we'll do the whole santa thing.

Duane, Dad is gone too, but I do my best to "keep Christmas" because he loved it. I just put an evergreen Christmas arrangement on his grave. Since he's my own personal "Ghost of Christmas" I'd better behave, he's scarier than Santa!

I posted one of my favorite traditions on the "Santa comes to White Cloud" thread, but it has a LOT of pictures.

Annie

Things are totally out of control in our family. We have five birthdays between the 20th and 29th, plus Christmas and Christmas Eve! My mom's, mother-in-law's, mine, my dtr's, and last Dec 26 our sixth grandchild was born! It's just plain nuts! But I love it!

Sherry

Sherry, I can just about guess what kept your family busy in the month of March LOL! Happy birthday to your crew!

This will be a different Christmas for me, though I will try to keep it much the same for our kids. I am just finishing up treatment after being diagnosed with cancer in July. I want to do what I can but my energy level is pretty unpredictable. I think I feel fine until I actually try to do something. I did a little Christmas shopping yesterday with my husband but 2 hours wore me out. The kids (who are actually adults, though itÂs hard to think of them that way) always want the house really decorated but are away at school and not here to help do it. I keep telling myself to only do a little at a timeÂ. but I donÂt always listen.

Our favorite traditionÂ

We love singing carols around the piano while waiting for Santa to come. We celebrate on Christmas Eve, one of the few Scandinavian traditions left in our family. We have dinner first, clean up a bit, then sing. My mom (gone since 1996) was a wonderful pianist. My Dad passed in 2004 but was a great singer, of professional quality. He was actually singing gigs until the week he died, at age 97. Both kids remember that Grandma and Grandpa always came to our house a few days ahead for Christmas. They lived in rural Wisconsin so getting snowed in for Christmas, as they got older, was one thing we were trying to avoid.

I have one book of half-memorized elementary level carols I can manage. But our son (now 22) and daughter (almost 19) both took a little piano, so now we take turns. Despite being adults, and that our renditions are not what we remember from years past, this is one tradition no one wants to let go.

After playing for a while, "someone" thinks they hear a footstep on the roof. It must be Santa and his reindeer landing! Quick, we all run upstairs to one of the bedrooms. We sing more carols, unaccompanied, but really loudly, to cover up the sound of Santa putting presents under the tree, which we mortals are not supposed to hear. Dad stays downstairs, to, umm, put SantaÂs cookies and milk out. Funny how slow he is. Then Santa rings a bell downstairs. The bell is a special one that belonged to my grandparents and has been in use for this purpose now for 3 generations. We run downstairs, but before turning to see the presents glittering under the tree, we run to the door, open it, and try to see the lights of SantaÂs sleigh disappearing over the neighborhood rooftops. Sometimes we can even hear him say, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a goodnight".

Oh my goodness, Sherry! I'm sure that is some fun chaos ... it made me smile.

To those of you who are missing loved ones, I'm wishing you comfort and peace. Duane said "Be of peace and be kind to everyone." True.

Linnea56 -- It's so difficult to not feel well, particularly during the holidays. It's funny, but we bring out the piano music at Christmas too ... Good grief, I don't know if anyone recognizes our Carol of the Bells duet!

Cathy in SWPA

My thoughts are with those who are feeling the loss of loved ones.

Christmas Eve is the time for my DH, DD and I to have our own celebration. On Christmas day we often have 20 - 30 here so we love our little Christmas Eve and have kept it throughout our time as a family.

On Christmas Eve we go to church and on the way home we drive past the homes that have extensive decorations. When DD was little "Santa" came while we were at church. Amazing how Mom or Dad always "forgot" something while we were in the car leaving for church. Anyway now when we get home we have a glass of wine and turn on Christmas music. We make dinner - always steak on the grill, twice baked potatoes and fresh vegies with apple pie for desert. We then one by one open our gifts. Each year my DD receives an angel ornament. It usually is from someplace we went or has some significance from the year. I also have a notebook where I always write about the angel and write about the year for our family. My hope is someday it has memories for her. Finally we watch White Christmas.

In my family Christmas Eve is about Jesus and Christmas Day is about Santa Clause. I'm a heathen Methodist like O. O. Annie. We have a candlelight service and then do the advent wreath at home with the little kids lighting the candles and singing us songs. Been doing that for about 45 years. Oh and the kids get to open one present that night. Chili or beans and cornbread or something easy for dinner. Christmas Day starts with an early telephone call to my mom and dad from the grandkids. We have a big breakfast and then open presents. Mom, bless her heart, still got up and filled our stockings in the middle of the night until I was way past college LOL. We have started a rib roast tradition for Christmas day and don't see that stopping any time soon. It's nice to read about all of your traditions.

Hey, cookebook, we heathen Methodists have to stick together. Where is Kframe when we need him? (grin)

The Christmas Eve candlelight service was always one of my favorite parts of Christmas. We stopped going after Amanda started having seizures, the flickering of the candles would cause one every time. Sigh.

Annie

Christmas gift-giving within our family is minimal so our first tradition starts a couple of days before Thanksgiving, when all of our family members go out and buy $20 worth of $1 holiday or winter themed scratch-off lottery tickets. Our gift to ourselves is seeing surprised and then mostly smiling faces when we give them away to a clerk at the supermarket, a woman with a whining child, or whenever the mood strikes us. We usually have refill our pocket as the month progresses and itÂs amazing to see the power that a dollar can still have.

On Christmas Eve, we usually have beef or cheese fondue or both and then attend a church service. Most years, DH was singing in the choir.

Starting when our children were young, Santa never put presents under the tree. Instead, theyÂd open their Christmas stockings and in the bottom was a clue to find the first gift. TheyÂd bring it into the living room and open it. On the back was another clue to find the next gift. As they got older, the clues got harder, sometimes involving going outside. It slowed down the pace of Christmas morning and seemed to make them stop and appreciate the gifts they received, instead of having a frenzy of unwrapping. This tradition continued when grandchildren came along and what they all remember and talk about most was the scavenger hunts themselves instead of the gifts. I think thatÂs why we just do small or handmade gifts now.

Another family tradition is NOT to cook a sit-down Christmas dinner. When I was growing up, my parents always had an extended Open House on Christmas Eve and added a few hot items to the buffet for Christmas Day. Most things were made ahead of time so it was always a relaxing day with people dropping in as their schedules permitted. Soon after we were married, DH and I began hosting a Christmas Day brunch from about 10 to 3 and a buffet of homemade soups, breads and cookies on Christmas evening. Chicken-rice-leek is the one that always has to be on the menu.

Both DH and my parents are now deceased, as are all of our aunts and uncles except for the two we visited at Thanksgiving. Our children and GCs are scattered about the country so sometimes even when they were at home, weÂve done different things on Christmas, like serving Christmas dinner trays to hospital patients so more of the food service workers could spend Christmas with their families or shuttling truckers who had to spend the holiday at a truck drop to a Christmas dinner. Last year, we went to FL and spent the holiday at SD & SILÂs, cooking a Dickensonian goose on Christmas Eve and learning salsa dancing at their South American neighborÂs holiday celebration next door.

This year, DD will be here for her last Christmas before reporting to the Army and her only requests were no gifts, saving a tree for her to decorate and chicken-rice-leek soup on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Ruthanna, I love that idea about giving away the lottery tickets, I'm going to borrow that, thank you!

Annie

This year we're doing for others more so than ourselves with charitable contributions and efforts, but will have the usual traditions Christmas morning. We will enjoy our Christmas buffet with biscuits, omelets, fruits and finnan hatti (can't spell it, but if you know what it is, I guess you know what I'm talking about -- dad was Scottish). Our plans are to head south for our local college bowl game right after Christmas -- looking forward to it!

Christmas Eve just DH, DS and DD. Tourtieres and various appetizers. We read Twas The Night Before Christmas and add the final touches to the tree. We used to go to Midnight Mass but the French church closed after Christmas last year and I can't bring myself to go to an English Midnight Mass this year. Midnight Mass was my mom's family thing. We always had Reveillon and my uncles sang in the church choir. The Mass, the carols and hyms were in French. Mom and all her brothers and sisters have passed on now and the cousins are spread far and wide so traditions have changed.

Christmas Day we sleep in and have a huge brunch then head to the in laws for the evening to get together with DH's sisters and families.

Somewhere in all of this DH thinks we should work in a rib roast but I think it might be postponed until New Years. :-)

Chinese restaurants!

For a couple of years I set up a Hannukah scavenger hunt type activity when the kids were little - I put stuff around the living room to 'purge' from the temple, like stuffed animal pigs, a few inexpensive plaster busts, and of course one jar of oil, and we all had to do a little dusting and vacuuming to clean up while we sang Hannukah songs. Kids are too old to do that now! Oh yeah we played dreidle, too. With gold chocolate coins, LOL.

Nice to hear all the Christmas Traditions.
I've been out of it for over a week and my PC is down.

Thought there would be many more nice stories ???
Lou

ok Lou; Do you want to learn about how I found out about Santa? Always, there was a bowl of oranges on the dining room table. One Christmas morning one year when I was still young enough to believe in Santa but astute enough to recognize that the dining room table bowl of oranges was down to ONE orange and every one of our stockings hanging over the fireplace had an orange in the toe! Finally, that's how I knew that dad and Santa were one and the same!
Annie'71