what's your favorite - xmas tradtion??
sparkys2boys wrote: Just wondering if any of you have a family tradtion that you do every year at xmas?? One that I have is that every xmas eve,me, DH, and the boys make trays of snacks and then all sit on the livingroom floor and talk, eat and look at the tree all light up. And then I always read the night before christmas to them!!!! I have been doing that ever since my first son was born eight years ago. They love and it's nice to have the quiet time togeher before xmas day and all the excitiment!! I find it also helps them settle down before bed!!!!
Donna027 replied: Since Patricia was about 5 years old, every year on christmas eve we would make and decorate up to 40 cookies for family members. We would have a blast getting the kitchen all dirty and just having fun eating the cookies that came out "wrong" 
boyohboyohboy replied: we decorate the tree together each yr and we talk about the special ordiments that we have, and each yr we get a new one that has something special to do with what happened that year, and we add one each yr...
luvmykids replied: I have a few favorites...one is making tamales, posole, and chili for Christmas Eve dinner. Another is baking, I make a trays for anywhere from 5 to 20 people with all kinds of cookies, fudge, candy, etc.
But my big favorite is the ornament tradition....as a kid, every year my mom bought me a new ornament and then gave them to me when I moved out on my own so I would have ornaments with "memories". So I love seeing all my own ornaments collected through the years, and now do the same with the kids.
Putting up the tree is an all night event complete with a fire, Christmas music, hot chocolate, roasted marshmallows, etc.
CantWait replied:
Ummmmm Tamales. I made these with Ron's family one year, it was the first time I had ever had them. Thanks for the memory, that Christmas was awesome, the first one and only one I ever felt part of HIS family.
We don't really have any traditions here. Ron isn't much of a traditional guy. We just do Christmas dinner on the Eve usually that way Christmas isn't so hectic and we can actually enjoy opening gifts, and playing.
We've also done Christmas on the Eve when Robbie was little since that is a latin tradition. We may do that this year since Robbie doesn't really believe in Santa, and Anthony is still young enough not to know any different.
Our Lil' Family replied: Since I can remember we always listened to Brenda Lee's Christmas record and drank egg nog while putting up the tree. One year recently my mom gave me the CD to continue the tradition with my own family and we have. DH knows to expect some Brenda the night we put up our tree!!
sparkys2boys replied: awww u guys, nice!!!!! Isn't it nice to have memories like these!!!
hawkshoe replied: We drive around looking at Christmas lights while listening to Christmas music.
luvbug00 replied: we decorate our tree x-mas eve and listen to german carols.
MyLuvBugs replied: My moms side has ALWAYS had a soup supper with the whole family on Christmas Eve. 3-4 different soups and the whole family sitting around chatting and laughing......that's my fave. 
TheOaf66 replied: we really don't have any now but when I was growing up the tradition was making christmas cookies one day while listning to Elvis singing Christmas on a record (I know what is that?) and my mom just singin away
grapfruit replied: My family is a little crazy, so thus Christmas day can be hectic. So since my boyfriend and I've been together we've opened our (just me and his) presents on Christmas Eve. It's great b/c it's just the two of us and it's quiet and intimate. I think part of why we started it, is we want the other to open their presents so bad that we can wait until morning! But it's good that we do, b/c his family opens presents at the crack of dawn!!!
Boo&BugsMom replied: We don't have any set in stone yet, but we do have some unofficial ones. Every year I sing at church for our Christmas Eve service or our Christmas concert night. This year a good friend of mine of 13 years and I will be arranging a song hopefully so I am excited about that.
We always put up our decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving and we all help decorate the tree.
Every year since I was a little girl my mom and dad have always bought me and my brother an ornament for each of us to symbolize that year, so now I am doing the same for Tanner and our little one to be. This year his ornament is a Cars theme since he loves the movie.
I'm not really a baker...I always burn whatever I make...but I'd like to start making Christmas cookies this year and have Tanner help. I always helped my mom when I was little. I have some new recipes I want to try, one being a peanut butter chocolate ball recipe...YUM!
ETA: oh, and my mom and dad still play Santa, even though I am married and out of the house and my brother is out of the house too. We go over to my folks house every Christmas morning after we are done at our house to do "Santa" stuff....stockings and presents. Usually the tree is loaded with presents under it when we get there and they do not put them out until Christmas Eve after bedtime STILL...even though we don't live there.
flirtycuddle replied: With my dad growing up it was we set up the tree and went all out(he has a 5x10 storage of x-mas stuff) with the decorations and me and my brother put up all our special ornaments. My dad hung the stocking that took up most of the wall lenght wise with a pic of each of on them saying which is ours. Xmas morning we had to wait for the parents to get up and my dad to cook a full breakfast(omlets, bacon, waffles) and after that we opened gifts. My dad got me and my brother one big present(over $100) each year and then a few small ones so we knew what to expect.
Now df's family does gifts first thing xmas morning then has a great big party with all the friends and family and anyone that wants to drop by. They then do the game where everyone buys one gift and you draw numbers then pick a gift or if u like what someone else has you switch and that person has to take another one(think its the elephant or something like that)
Boo&BugsMom replied:
White Elephant! Those are fun! We did that with hubby's family one year and it was a blast!
Our Lil' Family replied: We play that game on my mom's side, just the girls. We call it Stealin' Santa! 
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