Things your familly does for Christmas..year after year
10-13-2011, 12:02 AM
#81
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: 53 degrees North
Posts: 1,679
This is so interesting to read, and sad too for the people (and there are many) who did not have nice Christmasses.
We had pretty simple Christmas at our house. On Christmas Eve we always lit a candle in the front porch, to signify that we would welcome in Mary and Joseph who had nowhere to stay. I used to feel anxious about the symbolism of this because we were taught the "whatever you do to the least of my brethren" bit and I was afraid that some homelsss people would come to our house and that they would be scary and we would have to have them over Christmas, which was one day in the year when we were all together all day with no one else there (unless, in due course, married to a family member). So that lovely tradition did not really help me with the spirit of Christmas at all!
I have fond memories of chopping fresh herbs for the turkey stuffing on Christmas Eve, and listening to very cheesy Christmas music cassettes in the kitchen. The smell of herbs always makes me feel happy ever since.
When I was little my sister and I would rush downstairs early to open our presents. Every year my parents would warn us to wrap up warm and every year we failed to do so and would be shivering in the sitting room, even though we had plenty of warm clothes to put on and were well able to light the fire- we were in too much of a rush! We did not have stockings but Santa left presents near the fireplace.
On Christmas morning we went to Church and after that my mother went home to finish the cooking and my Dad took us to the cemetry to visit his father's grave. When we came home the kitchen would be full of condensation and wonderful smells.
After dinner we played cards with my grandmother (for pennies). She was a good player and enjoyed the competition! It got dark early and we would slumber by the fire and play with our new toys until it was time to eat the leftovers for tea. Time stood still on Christmas Day- the only day of the year that this happened.
We had pretty simple Christmas at our house. On Christmas Eve we always lit a candle in the front porch, to signify that we would welcome in Mary and Joseph who had nowhere to stay. I used to feel anxious about the symbolism of this because we were taught the "whatever you do to the least of my brethren" bit and I was afraid that some homelsss people would come to our house and that they would be scary and we would have to have them over Christmas, which was one day in the year when we were all together all day with no one else there (unless, in due course, married to a family member). So that lovely tradition did not really help me with the spirit of Christmas at all!
I have fond memories of chopping fresh herbs for the turkey stuffing on Christmas Eve, and listening to very cheesy Christmas music cassettes in the kitchen. The smell of herbs always makes me feel happy ever since.
When I was little my sister and I would rush downstairs early to open our presents. Every year my parents would warn us to wrap up warm and every year we failed to do so and would be shivering in the sitting room, even though we had plenty of warm clothes to put on and were well able to light the fire- we were in too much of a rush! We did not have stockings but Santa left presents near the fireplace.
On Christmas morning we went to Church and after that my mother went home to finish the cooking and my Dad took us to the cemetry to visit his father's grave. When we came home the kitchen would be full of condensation and wonderful smells.
After dinner we played cards with my grandmother (for pennies). She was a good player and enjoyed the competition! It got dark early and we would slumber by the fire and play with our new toys until it was time to eat the leftovers for tea. Time stood still on Christmas Day- the only day of the year that this happened.
10-13-2011, 03:05 PM
#84
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Upland, Ca
Posts: 107
When my 14yr old grandson was 6, he wanted to make a Birthday Cake for Jesus. He wanted to make it Chocolate because that is Jesus favorite according to him.(Also my Grandson's) Anyway, we make the Cake and Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus every Christmas. A tradition I think that will stay in our family a long time to come.
10-14-2011, 05:28 AM
#86
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 120
Our Traditions is for our children to light the fireplace on Christmas night. As 3 of the 5 children were from previous marriages, we had to wait for them to get home to celebrate. Now that the are grown with children of their own, it's a race to see who gets to our house on Christmas night to light the fire in the fireplace.
10-15-2011, 07:26 PM
#88
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Missouri
Posts: 246
One of the several Christmas traditions we have is putting out Santa boots after everyone has gone to bed on Christmas Eve. This started one year I was awaiting the birth of our 4th child (she was born Christmas Eve) before we could travel to Turkey to join DH who was stationed there. All of our belongings had already been shipped over, so when Christmas decorating time came we had to make everything--ornaments for the tree, garlands, table decorations, etc. We did not have a fireplace in the apartment we were renting during our wait--no place to hang stockings. So we made Christmas boots out of round oatmeal boxes; we wraped the boxes in red felt and covered cotton for the toe in the felt to make a boot. We trimmed the top with cotton balls glued around the rim and added lace for the girls' boots, and rickrack for the boy's, then cut each one's first name initial from black felt and glued it on the front. That was 45 years ago. As 2 more babies came along we made more boots; then as the children grew and married we added boots for DIL or SIL, then grandchildren and great grandchildren. The kids would come home from college with boyfriends and we would make boot for them. I sometimes wished I could use velcro on the initials as they changed boyfriends and husbands. We have the biggest boot collection ever, I am sure. Every Christmas seaspon I spend most time finding or making something to put in all those boots for whomever is coming home for Christmas. For the last 10 years I have suggested we do away with the boots, and the howl that comes would frighten Frankenstein. Every year I look over the boots and make repairs on some of the oldest ones that look pretty raggedy after 45 years, and make a new one for the new little ones that seem to keep coming! Secretly, I love it!
10-15-2011, 07:47 PM
#89
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Rockvale, Tn
Posts: 197
Originally Posted by genafan201
When I was a kid, the one thing that I could count on receiving every year was the LifeSaver Book...a think that folded like a book and held 8 or 10 rolls for LifeSavers. When my own daughter was old enough, I got her one of those, but she doesn't like the candy...so I get her a PEZ dispenser every year. She loves the candy, and now has a collections of 27 different dispenser. This year will be extra special...I got a set of 7 dwarf collection at an after Christmas sale last year, so she'll get 8 this year...the dwarves and a Snow White :)
10-15-2011, 07:49 PM
#90
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Rockvale, Tn
Posts: 197
Originally Posted by Bibliogirl
One of the several Christmas traditions we have is putting out Santa boots after everyone has gone to bed on Christmas Eve. This started one year I was awaiting the birth of our 4th child (she was born Christmas Eve) before we could travel to Turkey to join DH who was stationed there. All of our belongings had already been shipped over, so when Christmas decorating time came we had to make everything--ornaments for the tree, garlands, table decorations, etc. We did not have a fireplace in the apartment we were renting during our wait--no place to hang stockings. So we made Christmas boots out of round oatmeal boxes; we wraped the boxes in red felt and covered cotton for the toe in the felt to make a boot. We trimmed the top with cotton balls glued around the rim and added lace for the girls' boots, and rickrack for the boy's, then cut each one's first name initial from black felt and glued it on the front. That was 45 years ago. As 2 more babies came along we made more boots; then as the children grew and married we added boots for DIL or SIL, then grandchildren and great grandchildren. The kids would come home from college with boyfriends and we would make boot for them. I sometimes wished I could use velcro on the initials as they changed boyfriends and husbands. We have the biggest boot collection ever, I am sure. Every Christmas seaspon I spend most time finding or making something to put in all those boots for whomever is coming home for Christmas. For the last 10 years I have suggested we do away with the boots, and the howl that comes would frighten Frankenstein. Every year I look over the boots and make repairs on some of the oldest ones that look pretty raggedy after 45 years, and make a new one for the new little ones that seem to keep coming! Secretly, I love it!
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