Comments on: looking for new traditions?

By: Shannon

Shannon — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:45:12 +0000

I share your concern regarding establishing solid Christmas traditions, and in fact, had myself a good, solid cry about it recently! As the “kids” in our family are grown without kids of their own, our traditions have turned to (a) soup & salad dinner on Christmas Eve – each year different, more intricate and looser interpretations of delicious soups and salads, (b) going to the movie together Christmas Day in the afternoon/evening, (c) Elf on the Shelf (notwithstanding the lack of little ones) and (d) matching shirts. The shirts “tradition” only started last year when my mother bought shirts for my sister, herself and me. This year (unbeknown to them so far) I bought matching manly shirts for the boys from Cafe Press that I will have them open on Christmas Eve so that everyone matches. So a few fun traditions, but I definitely am searching for some new – I can’t wait to read all the comments!

By: Legallyblondemel

Legallyblondemel — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:42:10 +0000

I’m glad you posted this. My husband and I are both big Christmas people, but we’re still working on how to incorporate our family traditions. I really like the idea of doing a signature dish each year.

Christmas morning was big in my house with present opening & a big breakfast, and Christmas Eve is big with his, including a traditional Italian seafood dish & going to Midnight Mass. We’ll probably try to make that dinner ourselves Christmas Eve and go to midnight services, but I’m still working a traditional Christmas morning meal to accompany the presents.

By: Ally

Ally — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:23:26 +0000

Let’s see… Growing up we’d do a fun Christmas dinner–usually nothing overly fancy, but, nice. We never did a turkey or ham on Christmas. And then we’d open one present and go to bed early and wait for Santa, etc, etc. My parents we’re divorced so we usually did this at my dad’s house, but, my mom and all our family would come to dinner and every other year I would switch where I stayed for Christmas Eve. Kind of sucky, but, it worked OK. If I stayed with my mom on Christmas Eve, my dad and stepmom would come over around 11 and we’d all have brunch. My mom always made crepes.

My mom is no longer alive, and I’m married, so, things have changed a lot in the last few years, but, we spend Christmas Eve with my husbands family–they do pizza every year, which is fun and easy (!) and we open presents that night at their house (including Santa gifts) and then go home to my parents house to read The Night Before Christmas as a family and then open gifts with them in the morning. After Santa has come of course. It’s kind of a nice way to split things because my dad’s family has moved, so, there’s no need to do Christmas dinner like we did when I was a kid for just the five of us and that gives him, my stepmom and half sis a night to do their own thing before we get home. Plus, we kind of get two Christmases out of the deal.

I don’t know what we’ll do when we have out own children considering we live 1,200 miles away from our families…..

By: Stacia

Stacia — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:16:58 +0000

Christmas traditions are my absolute favorite! It is so heart warming to read all of these comments
My family has always been a stickler for tradition – Christmas Eve – Eve dinner with my grandmother and all of the family with beef tenderloin, potatoes au gratin, salad, green beans with almonds, lots of yummy deserts and homemade rolls. We always have a family gift which includes a donation to a charity on behalf of the whole family.
Christmas Eve dinner at my grandfathers with the same crew minus a few of my step-grandfathers family. The meal varies but it is always yummy! We open gifts and sip wine Then we go to our prospective homes and exchange PJ’s and do the Santa thing for our little one. I am always incorporating new traditions for this night to make it special and something our daughter will always remember. This year it was the Twelve Days of Christmas – we started last night and she is SO EXCITED!
Christmas Day we go to my mom’s house and “graze” on yummy food all day. We have biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast and tons of appetizers and a full dinner buffet style that is set out all day. We open presents at the last possible time we can stand. We always try to make it last Stockings are a HUGE thing for us and is my sisters and my favorite part.
On a not so cheerful note, my husbands family is the complete opposite. They dont have any traditions per say, just getting together and eating a meal. They wont come to my family’s homes to join in our fun. SO my husband is always stressed out and fighting with his family the whole Holiday season beginning before Thanksgiving. This year we had planned to host Christmas dinner at our home with his family. We would go to my mom’s in the early morning, leave around lunch and celebrate with them the rest of the day. Once his mom found out he planned to go with my daughter and I that morning she was furious and cancelled the plans. I dont know when we will see his family now. It breaks my heart

By: Belle on Heels

Belle on Heels — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:01:56 +0000

we go to our church’s candlelight service and then get chinese food take-out. even out of college, my sister and i are still allowed to open one present each on christmas eve. when we were little, we used to pile in the car with blankets and hot cocoa and drive around to look at christmas lights, but now we just drink red wine and watch 24 hours of ‘a christmas story’ on tbs!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:46:12 +0000

We go to waffle house. tradition began when my parents were engaged and there was a blizzard and it was the only thing open! now 25 years later, they + us kids go to WH after christmas eve service!

By: Annabel Manners

Annabel Manners — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:40:15 +0000

Love the gumbo idea! That sounds like so much fun. In my family we go out for dinner somewhere fabulous on Christmas Eve ’cause we’re cooking up a storm at home on Christmas Day. Have a wonderful holiday!

By: Lynn W.

Lynn W. — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:33:20 +0000

You will quickly guess if I didn’t mention that I live in Florida.. that I live somewhere like that as I tell you my past Christmas eve traditions and how they changed as our children grew up.. When the kids were little, we always had a cake on Christmas eve with candles..( never did figure out how many to really put! LOL..) but the cake said, Happy Birthday, Jesus, and we would all blow out the candles and then sing Happy BIrthday to Jesus and then have a piece of cake! I always got the kids new Christmas jammies and they opened that one present Christmas eve and then wore them to bed. It was so cute because the closer to ‘teenage’ they got..the more they would say, ” Hmmm..I WONDER what THIS could be??” PJs, maybe??” LOL
We also ALWAYS went for a drive to look at Christmas lights and usually did it fairly late so as to hopefully get the kids more sleepy! At some point, we incorporated stopping at our favorite icecream shop that has a late night walk up window..and everyone would get a milk shake of their favorite flavor to sip on while we looked at lights! There was one house we always went to that had a Santa and Mrs. Claus out front of their 2 homes that were decorated to the max..so we would stop there and let the kids go see Santa one more time! ( and yes, they often DID wonder why Santa wasn’t already busy going to houses!!!)
Little did I know..neither would I have wanted to know.. that I would end up divorced after my daughter was already out of the house and the 3 boys were in their teens! Thus that 1st year of a new type of life.. we started the tradition of looking at lights being followed by going to Denny’s to get either a dessert and coffee or a sandwich to share .. and have a place where everyone would sit and talk and laugh and just have a great time.. (its amazing how a big booth full of family induces fun!
Christmas will be quite different this year for our family. Its my next to oldest son’s 1st year being married! Usually we always went to my Mom and Dad’s after Santa presents were opened Christmas morning ..and that’s still what the grown kids were doing.. well..most would get here by 1 pm or so..and then we would eat a BIG turkey dinner and then open presents!!
We decided to try Christmas at my daughter’s this year. She has 6 children and its a better situation for her kiddos to be home with their things and by their beds for naps if my daughter wants, etc.. Well, ONE son thought that meant no Christmas with Mom this year..so he offered to his Dad that he could have them for Christmas this year. GULP! ( That was me swallowing my heart back down ) So..they are all going to their Dad and step-mom’s Christmas morning and then the plans are to leave there about 5 pm and go back to my daughter’s apartment. Where Roger & me and my folks will meet up with them. We will then open our gifts from each other..( get to watch the grandkiddos YEY!!!..and then eat overflowing fresh cooked ham sandwiches, have tater salad, baked beans, etc.. I will probably still make my pumpkin pies too. I am actually looking forward to the change..but feel a little sad that most of the day will be quiet and without the little ones. However..it will also mean time with my hubby and folks.. that won’t be a bad thing!
That’s it for us!

By: Alexander Adventures

Alexander Adventures — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:56:55 +0000

Love your blog. I made a new one! (My old blog was KY Katie and The Bluegrass Bride)

By: jessie

jessie — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:16:24 +0000

we have our first child this year so we’re changing things up some. normally we go to my parents and they do a big gumbo party for the extended family and friends on christmas eve. this year they agreed to move that up to a lunch time gig so we (my sister’s and i and our husbands) can come back to ruston. santa will come to our house (my sisters don’t have kids) and my parents and sisters/husbands are coming for that. we’re going to do a huge breakfast just like my mom normally does but in ruston. i’m sad for the changes but look forward to our daughter always being at home on christmas. i never had to travel b/c my dad’s family lived to far away so i don’t feel that it’s fair to make my kids travel. unfortunately, both of my husband’s parents have passed away so we’ll just go visit his grandmother the weekend before or after christmas.

we also do the pj’s! can’t wait to give olivia her first set!