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Seasonal Traditions

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by RaeofLite, Dec 8, 2009.

  1. RaeofLite

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    Do you have any traditions for the holidays-be it religious, food related, family gatherings, present openings, traveling or other traditions?

    Share them here. :slight_smile:
     
  2. Just Adam

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    i have to have a real tree and buy a new piece of tinsel each year.
     
  3. fallendream

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    buffet food and monopoly. thats my christmas traditions.
     
  4. Hidden Angel

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    Pretty traditional, family comes around, tree, presents, food - we quite often have a barbecue since it's summer here.
    My personal tradition would be eating all the left over dessert for breakfast the next morning.
     
  5. RaeofLite

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    Family opens presents on the evening of Christmas Eve, and I open bday presents. We usually have turkey and listen to christmas songs. :slight_smile:

    Christmas morning we have European fare: breads, cheeses, spreads etc. And scrabble. Mom loves scrabble :lol:
     
  6. beckyg

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    I put up two Christmas trees. I didn't do it last year and I really missed the 2nd one! So I've cleared a space to put the 2nd one up. I'll be getting them tomorrow.

    Other traditions we have is that Santa wraps all the stocking gifts. It makes it more fun but takes forever to wrap chapstick and deoderant. lol
     
  7. Haiiro

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    The family usually decorates if we are staying home. We do lights one weekend and the interior the next. Everyone goes shopping for the tree, and we decorate it together, hang garland, etc. etc. I'm missing out this year though, because I get done with school so late.

    On the 21st, mom and I burn a Yule log to observe Winter Solstice (if it's not 80 degrees like it is in the armpit of Texas a lot of the time).

    There is usually a lot of baking...dad makes Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.

    On Christmas Eve, we go for a light drive and look at everyone's Christmas lights. Last year, we went to the rich neighborhoods XD

    We open presents on Christmas morning before breakfast, and then have either cinnamon rolls or schtolen (no idea if I spelled that right) for breakfast. :slight_smile:
     
  8. LeonaRose

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    Same movies on christmas eve and christmas! Eve: Wallace and Gromit The Wrong Trousers, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare before Christmas. Day: Santa Clause the movie, The Snowman.
     
  9. RaeofLite

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    Cool. I take it your family is German in orgin? What's Schwarzwalden Kirschtorte and Schtolen?
     
  10. Brandford

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    My family doesn't open presents on christmas day but christmas eve night
     
  11. Black Cat

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    Let's see:

    Every year on Black Friday we put the tree up. This way we can bask in its warm glow for as long as is socially acceptable.

    We deck out the remainder of the house on the next day; sometimes it can take all weekend.

    We watch every single holiday special on television.

    My sister and I bake cookies on Christmas Eve.

    I make heaps of fudge to pass out as I go along my merry way. I feel it is a wonderful tradition as it allows me to spread my Christmas cheer.

    We wake up on Christmas morning and tear into out stockings. We all get to do this in the comforts of our own bedrooms, and we wait until my mom comes to get us to open presents together.

    After tearing into all the gifts we discuss everything we got and review our loot for the day.

    Then clean-up commences, this is usually my task as the children can't tear away from their gifts. I don't mind it though because then I don't get stuck opening all my little brothers Transformers and putting them together.

    Then we play with our new stuff for most of the day. I usually walk up the road and check on the neighbor's dog because she leaves town every year. I take him a piece of our Christmas roast as a gift.

    Cooking begins, standard fare in our home includes: Roast beef, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, green beans, and many other things.

    We eat, and this is followed by clean-up.

    We close the day by watching Christmas movies, or some new ones we got that day.
     
  12. Swamp56

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    I stay at my mom's house on Christmas Eve into Christmas Morning, and then go to my dad's house around 12:00-13:00. We've done that for >6 years.
     
  13. AtomicCafe

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    On Christmas, we wake up, watch movies, have Chinese food, be token Jews. Repeat.

    :slight_smile:
     
  14. malachite

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    a 3 hour trip to see my parents and listen to them complain that I don't visit home more often.
     
  15. Jim1454

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    I spend the night at my ex wife's place so that I can wake up Christmas morning with the kids. They open their gifts and stockings from Santa, and then we have breakfast. Their mom makes fresh waffles and we have waffles and fruit and whipped cream for breakfast.

    We then open the rest of the gifts and I then start unpackaging and assembling things.

    In the afternoon we then all go to my sister's place for dinner. There are more presents to be opened before dinner.

    This year my boyfriend is coming with us to my sister's for dinner.
     
  16. LeonaRose

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    Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte's basically German for Black Forest Gateu if I'm correct in thinking [can remember feck all of my German from school! lol] Stollen is ridiculously yummy fruitcake\bread that tends to have marzipan in. I'm not a fruitcake fan but that stuff is sooooo good!
     
  17. adam88

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    My family used to have sauerkraut (homemade and served warm, with little bits of speck) and bratwurst (also homemade as my grandfather was a butcher) as a Christmas Eve dinner tradition. Yes, we're Austrian in descent. :slight_smile:

    Among my immediate family, we like to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation together as a family. :slight_smile: No, not your average Christmas fare, but hilarious. :slight_smile:
     
  18. lostinthought9

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    We usually spend Christmas Eve with my mom's side of the family, and Christmas day with my dad's side. That's how it's always been.

    We also make fudge around this time of the year, which is a pain in the ass to make. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

    -Hm, I'll admit that I did chuckle a bit at the people above me who said they had to assemble their siblings/children's toys and what not. I hope that I'll be able to that one day. :slight_smile:
     
  19. Ander Blue

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    I too spend christmas eve with my mom's side of the family. Usually we all get together and go to my grandmother's house. We do all our extended family gifts then too. Then on christmas day, my immediate family spends our time together.
    As for other traditions, when I lived at home I would always be the person to decorate the christmas tree at my mom's house. Ever since my dad remarried too, my stepmother has started up a new tradition by getting my sister and I chocolate oranges every christmas.
     
  20. Gaetan

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    Every year, Christmas Eve, we drive around town and look at all the decorated houses.