Rhonda

I am curious how everyone celebrates the holidays. I am especially curious if you who live in Australia South Africa Spain France etc have similar customs to us.

My mom and I collect various things and she was talking about her collection of sheep and Christmas trees and antique Santas she has for Christmas. So we were wondering what do you all do for holidays decorating wise as well as get togethers activities etc!

I collect reindeer and sleighs and bells of all kinds and angels. So I decorate with all my collections usually at Christmas time. I enjoy getting them all out.
We get together with my whole family at my son Nathan's on Christmas Eve day.
As there are so many of us now we go out to eat for Thanksgiving usually.
Easter my youngest son was having everyone but they moved so don't know what we will do this next Easter. The kids of course will go egg hunting at one of the Easter Egg hunts.

I love to have all the grands and my kids too when I can get them to decorate blown out eggs for my large collection. I have eggs each one has decorated from the time they were babies.
My mom collects all kinds of eggs. We have some duck eggs she had me do a black and white flower and vines drawings on. and she has Ostrich eggs - they are huge!

So what holiday traditions do you have? How do you decorate for the holidays?

great aunt jacqui

when i had the big house everyone came there for christmas eve, we have chinese food. everyone brings snacks or dessert. Now it is at my neices, and we are the travelers. One great thing we do is play"pink Elephant" Each person brings 3 things they have no use for and each is wrapped in newspaper. they are put in a big pile on the floor. Dice are shaken and if you get a 7 or 11 they get to choose a gift. We have so many laughs
when it is opened it could be a can ofsoup, pencils,leftover xmas paper, toilet plunger stuffed animal.anythin that is still good....to someone else. Each person puts a 1$ in a box and a golden screw is somewhere hidden in the pile of gifts. the one who gets it gets all of the $. for us it is usually 18/20$. boy are the kids happy when they win. Winner will keep the screw and disguise it for next year.
We have been playing for over 27 years and look forward to it every year.
We also do yankee swap with a $25 gift per family. for the kids 15 and under they have a $5 swap. we all chip in for food and everyone takes home the leftovers. the teens remove all the rubbish and clean up as best they can.
Then each family can celebrate christmas day together.
My older sister has thanksgiving and Easter. we are the only ones not nearby so again we travel.. I always make a ham, green bean casserole and extra large cupcakes beautifully decorated for both holidays. Try to take pics of all the kids in the same pose every year.
Easter isa

quiltykitty

Re: collections. DH and I collected ornaments as we traveled and each year they appear on our tree. And we each had special ornaments from before our marriage. And those were also put on the tree. It's a really big tree. Fat.

At a Christmas store in TN one vacation trip, we found a pickle ornament. It was supposed to be an old German custom to hide the pickle somewhere in the tree. The person who found the pickle got an extra gift. We started with money as the gift, but it evolved into a jar of Grandpa's pickles. Everyone really likes to get into the act and looks forward to getting that jar of pickles. Here's an article on the pickle custom. http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth11.htm

Games: We do a Chinese Christmas Gift Exchange. This was started in 2002 when our combined families were present for a Christmas gathering. And it has been going since that time. Here is an explanation of the game. http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.c...-exchange.html

I also have a collection of New England Fishing Village houses from Department 56. They've not been displayed in several years as the cat loves to walk through the display and has broken several smaller pieces. Maybe they will find their way out this year.

Charlee

I have about 150 Santa figurines of all shapes, sizes, styles and materials... I find I don't enjoy them as I once did...it's become SUCH a chore to get them all out, and then to put them away! :lol: Do it every year tho...just wouldn't be Christmas without "the boys"...

We don't have any real traditions...some years it's just us, other years we go to family...have only hostessed Christmas once, absolutely LOVED doing it...but don't get to do it often.