What do you do at Christmas?
11-30-2009, 03:18 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: TX
Posts: 702
We usually go to my Aunts Christmas Eve and eat lots of food and everyone opens the presents from the other family members. Then Christmas Day my mom and brother come over early in the morning and we all eat a big breakfast that I cooked and then open our presents from each other and watch my kids open their gifts. My brother passed away unexpected 9/20/08, mom didn't come over for Christmas. I told my husband the other day I don't care to do that anymore. Part of that big breakfast was for my brother and he won't be there. I want to do something different from now on. I would like to borrow some of your family traditions. This had been very hard on me and is still hard to talk about.
thanks
thanks
11-30-2009, 03:32 PM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Idaho
Posts: 6,442
I'm so sorry for your loss and pain...
Did your brother love that big breakfast on Christmas morn? Then I think you should continue it in his honor...makes for a bittersweet time, but use the time to remember good things about him.
As for us? It's usually just the two of us on Christmas morning...we do a nice breakfast and open gifts to each other...
Did your brother love that big breakfast on Christmas morn? Then I think you should continue it in his honor...makes for a bittersweet time, but use the time to remember good things about him.
As for us? It's usually just the two of us on Christmas morning...we do a nice breakfast and open gifts to each other...
11-30-2009, 03:36 PM
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Montreal
Posts: 1,962
Our Christmases are pretty complicated.
We usually don't do anything at our house, we don't have kids yet (still in the oven) but I'm sure we will just settle for a home Christmas next year.
On Christmas eve, my mother in law prepares this huge fancy hors d'oeuvre selection and we get dressed up and go to their church. They're not religeous at all, but it's a tradition, we go for 10:00 mass on Christmas eve. Anyway, then we come home, open the wine and all the rest of that stuff, eat all that nice food (I don't drink) then we do presents and dancing and fun until like 4 am. Sasha and I usually leave around 2-2:30 ish and drive out to my parents' place which is about an hour or so away, we let ourselves in and go sleep in the bed downstairs. (that way we don't have to get up early and drive out in the cold, we can sort of sleep in like everyone else) Then Christmas morning we get up, my parents throw some goodies in the oven like cinamon rolls, and we open stockings while we wait for breakfast. Then we open all the big gifts.
This year, we're poor as dirt, so Sasha and I are only exchanging one gift for eachother instead one for each gift-opening. We're buying eachother new dance shoes for ballroom dancing, we're both due for new shoes and they're bloody expensive!
Anyway, my parents make a turkey lunch with all the fixings and we eat like hogs till we're stuffed bigger than the turkey, then we leave mid-afternoon and go BACK to the in-laws' place for the big turkey supper. Rarely do we see so much good food in a 24 hour period, WOW.
OK, that was long winded, lol!
We usually don't do anything at our house, we don't have kids yet (still in the oven) but I'm sure we will just settle for a home Christmas next year.
On Christmas eve, my mother in law prepares this huge fancy hors d'oeuvre selection and we get dressed up and go to their church. They're not religeous at all, but it's a tradition, we go for 10:00 mass on Christmas eve. Anyway, then we come home, open the wine and all the rest of that stuff, eat all that nice food (I don't drink) then we do presents and dancing and fun until like 4 am. Sasha and I usually leave around 2-2:30 ish and drive out to my parents' place which is about an hour or so away, we let ourselves in and go sleep in the bed downstairs. (that way we don't have to get up early and drive out in the cold, we can sort of sleep in like everyone else) Then Christmas morning we get up, my parents throw some goodies in the oven like cinamon rolls, and we open stockings while we wait for breakfast. Then we open all the big gifts.
This year, we're poor as dirt, so Sasha and I are only exchanging one gift for eachother instead one for each gift-opening. We're buying eachother new dance shoes for ballroom dancing, we're both due for new shoes and they're bloody expensive!
Anyway, my parents make a turkey lunch with all the fixings and we eat like hogs till we're stuffed bigger than the turkey, then we leave mid-afternoon and go BACK to the in-laws' place for the big turkey supper. Rarely do we see so much good food in a 24 hour period, WOW.
OK, that was long winded, lol!
11-30-2009, 04:50 PM
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The middle of an IL cornfield
Posts: 7,014
Christmas Eve you must sprikle reindeer food all over the yard so the reindeer can see your house. (dry Quaker oats with LOTS of glitter mixed in.) Then you must leave milk and cookies for Santa. Santa always responds with a nice thank you note. The year after Santa's writing starting looking like Daddy's Santa got a "pocket computer and printer" and started leaving type written notes.
Early Christmas morning the kids open gifts. (Adults don't get gifts here.) Late morning my parents come over and the kids open more gifts.
We have a table loaded down with snackies and everyone munchies as the see fit during the day.
Early Christmas morning the kids open gifts. (Adults don't get gifts here.) Late morning my parents come over and the kids open more gifts.
We have a table loaded down with snackies and everyone munchies as the see fit during the day.
11-30-2009, 06:30 PM
#5
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out searching for some sunshine :-)
Posts: 58,856
The first holidays after losing someone are always the hardest...we went through the motions the first year after my dad passed, the second year was easier..I am glad that we did not give up any traditions that he and Mom started as we were each born, and I think he would be happy that we didn't either. JMHO
11-30-2009, 07:52 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Somewhere near the water in beautiful Michigan
Posts: 772
Okay, I am going to apologize ahead of time for the length of this post...I know no other way to do justice to my family's holiday traditions. (And believe me, I've shortened it up as much as I dare and still have it make sense!)
We've been married 26+ years and it has been tough to make our own way at the holidays. But we've managed the following:
Christmas Eve, we go to church services (hubby plays the piano at church and I direct the Christmas Choir), then out to my parents' farm for the extended family thing there. A great meal prepared by my Mom & Dad and we all bring something to add to the spread (I have 1 married brother and 1 married sister with a niece, plus my 3 girls, 1 son-in-law, 2 boyfriends, and 2 grandsons). Then we open gifts. LOTS of gifts. One at a time, youngest to oldest. And when someone runs out of presents at their turn, then they get a quart of sauerkraut that my sister and her husband put up each year. Yummy!
When we get home and unload the car, we traditionally turn on the Christmas tree and I would read "The Night Before Christmas." My 17-year-old still wants this tradition kept. Funny how traditions become embedded, isn't it?
Christmas Day, we always make a nice breakfast and the girls come home (except for the youngest who still lives here). We eat until we're stuffed, and then it's time to open more presents. Lots more presents!
Generally after that, the girls all go to the "inlaws/outlaws", and we settle in for a little rest. We would then go to my Grandmother's house to see all the cousins, Aunties, Uncles, etc. We would eat a great meal, then open gifts again. Since there were 5 kids (my Mom's generation), 17 grandchildren, and countless great- and great-great-grandchildren, each generation would draw names at Thanksgiving, so you would get 1 gift, plus something from my Grandparents.
My Grandfather died nearly 27 years ago, but we've continued this tradition. Last year, however, Grandma (who is now 98) decided to sell her house and go into a nursing home. Last Christmas was the last day that any of our family spent time at the house. We picked up what we wanted and took it as we left, per Grandma's instructions.
So this year, no trip to Great-Great-Grandma's house. We have arranged to have a room at the nursing home for 2 hours on Christmas Day so we can get together, but no kids under 12 (due to H1N1 flu virus and other illnesses).
And what do we do with my in-laws? Well, they head to Florida early (sometimes before Halloween), so we don't have to concern ourselves with that issue any more. We used to just squeeze them in somehow as they don't really have much in the way of family traditions for anything.
We also started a new tradition at our house last year: we were unable to all get together on Christmas, so we decided to come together for our immediate family celebration on New Year's Day. To make it more special, hubby and I bought "elf hats" for all the adults, and I made hats for the 2 grandbabies. Personalized them with our names in glitter on the brims. And we had a competition: each of my girls put their heads together to come up with a sauce for meatballs. Husband also made his version. We provided the meatballs. We all sat down and had scorecards for each. The winner got a tree ornament and an apron. This year, for NYD, we are going to have a pie contest. Since I am a professional baker, I am excluded, but my 3-year-old grandson and I will be the "top judges" for this competition. Everyone else will get to vote, but our votes carry the most weight.
Yes, we love the holidays at our house, and we even try to celebrate Hannukah (dreidles and menorahs at our house, too). Any reason to celebrate.
Take what you can from our holiday celebrations. And customize yours to something that you can still love. It's tough to lose a loved one, but you will find the strength to carry on. Maybe in another form, though.
Happy Holidays one and all!
We've been married 26+ years and it has been tough to make our own way at the holidays. But we've managed the following:
Christmas Eve, we go to church services (hubby plays the piano at church and I direct the Christmas Choir), then out to my parents' farm for the extended family thing there. A great meal prepared by my Mom & Dad and we all bring something to add to the spread (I have 1 married brother and 1 married sister with a niece, plus my 3 girls, 1 son-in-law, 2 boyfriends, and 2 grandsons). Then we open gifts. LOTS of gifts. One at a time, youngest to oldest. And when someone runs out of presents at their turn, then they get a quart of sauerkraut that my sister and her husband put up each year. Yummy!
When we get home and unload the car, we traditionally turn on the Christmas tree and I would read "The Night Before Christmas." My 17-year-old still wants this tradition kept. Funny how traditions become embedded, isn't it?
Christmas Day, we always make a nice breakfast and the girls come home (except for the youngest who still lives here). We eat until we're stuffed, and then it's time to open more presents. Lots more presents!
Generally after that, the girls all go to the "inlaws/outlaws", and we settle in for a little rest. We would then go to my Grandmother's house to see all the cousins, Aunties, Uncles, etc. We would eat a great meal, then open gifts again. Since there were 5 kids (my Mom's generation), 17 grandchildren, and countless great- and great-great-grandchildren, each generation would draw names at Thanksgiving, so you would get 1 gift, plus something from my Grandparents.
My Grandfather died nearly 27 years ago, but we've continued this tradition. Last year, however, Grandma (who is now 98) decided to sell her house and go into a nursing home. Last Christmas was the last day that any of our family spent time at the house. We picked up what we wanted and took it as we left, per Grandma's instructions.
So this year, no trip to Great-Great-Grandma's house. We have arranged to have a room at the nursing home for 2 hours on Christmas Day so we can get together, but no kids under 12 (due to H1N1 flu virus and other illnesses).
And what do we do with my in-laws? Well, they head to Florida early (sometimes before Halloween), so we don't have to concern ourselves with that issue any more. We used to just squeeze them in somehow as they don't really have much in the way of family traditions for anything.
We also started a new tradition at our house last year: we were unable to all get together on Christmas, so we decided to come together for our immediate family celebration on New Year's Day. To make it more special, hubby and I bought "elf hats" for all the adults, and I made hats for the 2 grandbabies. Personalized them with our names in glitter on the brims. And we had a competition: each of my girls put their heads together to come up with a sauce for meatballs. Husband also made his version. We provided the meatballs. We all sat down and had scorecards for each. The winner got a tree ornament and an apron. This year, for NYD, we are going to have a pie contest. Since I am a professional baker, I am excluded, but my 3-year-old grandson and I will be the "top judges" for this competition. Everyone else will get to vote, but our votes carry the most weight.
Yes, we love the holidays at our house, and we even try to celebrate Hannukah (dreidles and menorahs at our house, too). Any reason to celebrate.
Take what you can from our holiday celebrations. And customize yours to something that you can still love. It's tough to lose a loved one, but you will find the strength to carry on. Maybe in another form, though.
Happy Holidays one and all!
11-30-2009, 10:47 PM
#7
Power Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW Iowa
Posts: 32,855
Our big Christmas is on Christmas Eve. We all gather at a hall we rent. (The family got to big to go to my dads house) We eat pizza, subway sandwiches, salads, veggies trays and deserts til we are ready to pop. Then we break out the cans of silly string and have a silly string fight. (We used to do this in the backyard at my dads. This is much warmer) After lots of giggles we open presents and then sit around and visit. To be honest I think the kids like the silly string better than the presents. We all have so much fun.
12-01-2009, 05:02 AM
#8
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 295
Some of the Christmas traditions happen before Christmas for me - My sister, my mum and my nan all get togethger and make gingerbread houses before Christmas, we do this a month before Christmas. My son gave one to his teacher today.(1st December)
We go into the city and look at the Christmas shop window displays, and go visit Santa at the Christmas Cave.
We make a box for Operation Christmas Child - there is a lady who lives nearby who personally takes some of the boxes with goodies to third world countries at Christmas time and gives them to the children. She always shows us the photos of the joy it brings.
We go out to the Christmas carols in the park and a tradition is also going Christmas light looking every night from the 12th December...
Lastly we go to my sisters for the Aussie traditional Christmas of salads and cold meats(turkey, ham, pork and beef) pudding and pavlova or trifle or a mixture of all 3.
It is one of my favourite times of the year!
We go into the city and look at the Christmas shop window displays, and go visit Santa at the Christmas Cave.
We make a box for Operation Christmas Child - there is a lady who lives nearby who personally takes some of the boxes with goodies to third world countries at Christmas time and gives them to the children. She always shows us the photos of the joy it brings.
We go out to the Christmas carols in the park and a tradition is also going Christmas light looking every night from the 12th December...
Lastly we go to my sisters for the Aussie traditional Christmas of salads and cold meats(turkey, ham, pork and beef) pudding and pavlova or trifle or a mixture of all 3.
It is one of my favourite times of the year!
12-01-2009, 05:30 AM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Cody, Wyoming
Posts: 6,344
I am sorry for your loss. He is with you always as look his memory is living on and your sharing him today with everyone. We also dont share gifts except stocking stuffers so that pressure is completely gone. Christmas eve is the special time for us. We eat whatever anyone wants. When the kids were little it could have been macaroni and cheese as they got the vote. Now its munchies, finger foods nothing formal at all. We turn off the house lights, lay on the floor under a blanket, close to the tree so its like being a kid again.. seeing things from that perspective that tree looks HUGE.. and we sing Christmas carols out of tune, totally blowing most of the words and making them up as we go and laughing a whole lot and just enjoying each other and the memories of what was before. I am almost 50 and I still look forward to this. So do my kids and the baby is now 18. Christmas is what you make it. I know you will make yours sparkle too.
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