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I just wondered what some of your christmas traditons are??? We always have Christmas Crackers at the dinner table...You pull yours open with whoever is sitting next to you and it makes a bang, inside is a paper hat(that you have to wear on your head during dinner--or all night if you are like me), a small toy, and a joke/saying. They're a lot of fun and I wanted to share this with others who are always trying to think of something new and different to include in their own traditions....You can buy them boxed or in singles...We just ordered a box of 12 for this christmas. BTW, the kids LOVE these.....Even now we are all still big kids...We are always trading our little toys amongst ourselves, trying to get something better....and we always tell our jokes to each other while at the table.....They're sort of hard to find around here, that's why we order online.... And we always have traditional English Pudding for dessert, with custard. Ooo and the Aero bars are really good if you like chocolate....Okay, I'm done....Really these are neat little things though!
posted
Well we have to go visit at Grandmas's at 7pm xmas eve, the first meat pie is only cut for xmas breakfast, xmas dinner at my mothers, xmas supper at inlaws. It's the same routine year after year so I guess you can call it a tradition.
I wish my house was larger I would like to throw a xmas party in the evening but there are too many in the family for my house.
bbbbbbbbb Tamara's Photos Thinking Spring, Thinking Spring...Nope, doesn't work.lol
From: NB Canada | Registered: Jun 2003
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Although we are not Christians but Wiccan we still celebrate Yule. We go out into the woods and gather our pinecones-dried seed pods and branches. We decorate the house using natural "finds". We have a traditional meal and exchange gifts which are usually hmemade.
bbbbbbbbb There is no pleasure in having nothing to do: the fun is having lots to do and not doing it.
From: southern maryland | Registered: Feb 2004
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One of my Christmas traditions is my kids get to open their gift from me on Christmas Eve, and it's always their new Christmas pajamas! I tried to skip one year and they were so disappointed !
At my mom's house on Christmas Day we do the peppermint pig.
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Our unique tradition started 9 years ago when we bought our daughter a bread machine for Christmas & I was too cheap to wrap it! I mentioned to Hubby that instead of using up all that wrapping paper on one gift, I was going to set up a "Treasure Hunt" so that she would have to look all over the house, from clue to clue, to find her present. He commented that the Grandchildren might enjoy doing that sort of thing too, so I made up clue cards for everyone! The following year during the Advent season, just about everybody told me (especially the kids...over & over!) that they wanted to do another Treasure Hunt again, for Christmas! So began an activity that has become just as much "tradition" for us, as is attending the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at our church, before our family gift opening party!
Our four kids are all "grown & gone" now, so Christmas Eve is the time we all meet at church, then everyone comes to our house to open gifts from each other & eat pie! This way the kids can spend Christmas day at their respective homes, establishing their own traditions with their youngsters. (and I get the day off, cuz we all gather again for the big dinner... at somebody elses house!)
Because there are 13 of us & just so many places to hide the clues & gifts, many end up in the same location (In the bath tub, under the kitchen sink, in the silverware drawer, in the dryer, in the freezer door, etc.), so the problem in the beginning was, how to make sure each person followed the correct path to their next clue, instead of winding up in the end, with someone elses present! (Short of making everybody sit around while the clues were distributed to their rightful place for each person.) That problem was solved by making the clues on single-fold cards with the persons name on the outside. The hunt starts with a clue card (or a plastic break-apart Easter egg, disguised as a tree ornament) with each person's name on it, hanging on the Christmas tree. Who's first? That's Grandpa's (Hubby's) choice... cuz he's "The Boss" here! It can go by youngest to oldest, shortest to tallest, Grade point average (for the kids... then the adults go by income! ), or we draw names from a Santa hat.
Over the years it has evolved to where I've added a picture of a particular style & color of bow to the front of each card, so the hunter also has a visual aid during their search, culminating with their gift, adorned with the same type & color of bow as the 1 printed on their clue cards. (I bought those big giant bows that come in metallic, velvet or plastic, & these all live in a big box in the attic so they dont get crushed, & they can be used again, year after year... there I go again, being frugal!) Also, as the little ones couldn't read yet, back when we first started this, inside each of their clue cards was a graphic image as well as the printed words, so they could "read" the clues by themselves!
No, I don't feel that I need to buy large gifts for everyone now, just to justify saving wrapping paper every Christmas (Often times, somebody else wants the gift they're giving someone to be used for the hunt, which is OK), but it sure cuts down the expense!! (I go shopping & stock up on more paper at the After-Christmas sales, each Dec 26, even though I don't need to! Hubby just rolls his eyes & asks, "WHY do you do that?" & I tell him ,"IT'S A TRADITION!")
I want to be the first to wish you all a very safe & blessed MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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For Christmas, I always make a couple of loaves of Stollen. It is a German fruit bread covered in confectioners sugar. It's been handed down from my great-grandmother until it got to me.
We have it for breakfast on Christmas morning, toasted with butter. I forgot (truthfully, I procrastinated until there was no time left) one year, and it just didn't seem like Christmas.
bbbbbbbbb Jim, Rochester, NY Senior Igloo Engineer
From: Rochester, NY | Registered: Sep 2006
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Every since my son was 2 we have a Christmas Day open House.I started because we did not have many family members and I wanted him to be around people and at the time several friends were going through divorces and had nowhere to go.. So 20 years later and with 50 or more visitors on Christmas Day,not all at once,we continue the tradition.
We like it as someone always has a place to go, we always have a few new people every year, last year I met an elderly woman at the grocery store and we got talking,she had no family, she now comes. all young and old.
we eat and share time:-)
bbbbbbbbb Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks. Plutarch
From: WI | Registered: May 2006
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I love the Christmas crackers, Loz, that is an awesome idea! I have a 6 year old son as well as 3 young nephews & 2 nieces who would love those things as well as the adults.I love new holiday ideas.
Chenno, I think it is totally wonderful of you to invite people into your home who have noone to share the holidays with. You always give me a new perspective on life.
We usually do the traditional American Christmas, but my favorite is the things we eat for dinner. I love the jello salad, it has 1 can crushed/drained pineapple,1 pkg. dry green jello, 1 container small curd cottage cheese, & 1 container of whipped cream all stirred together. Very yummy, I could eat the whole bowl!We have it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the traditional turkey & ham, homemade stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, and pies, coffee, and tea(and wine!!! ) This is making my mouth water, is it Thanksgiving yet?
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DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU!=O)
From: KS | Registered: May 2006
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I know that many of you out there use and reuse boxes that items come in year after year. It got so we would recognize the boxes and remember gifts that had been given in them from other years. They were exchanged back and forth many many times. When my mom died, my dad decided it was time to clean out the basement and he got rid of many of the boxes. When Christmas rolled around and he had to BUY boxes for gifts, he understood why Mom kept the boxes!
From: Port Jervis,NY | Registered: Mar 2006
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We kept and re-used boxes too....last year I threw them all out and this year I'm on a box strike! All the clothing I've bought for people is just getting wrapped in paper! Boxes don't just take up room but they're expensive when you buy a lot of them. So sorry you lost your mother Deb.
KS, the crackers are so much fun! They really are---makes a great Xmas dinner tradition!
Lisa, of course I remember the selection boxes! We always got them for Xmas....Of course you can't find that stuff here unless you live in a big city that has an English specialty store, or you could order online but the prices are such a rip off compared to what you'd pay in England.
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loz's blog
From: Beautiful Western Maryland...zone 6 | Registered: May 2003
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Celebrating 10 years of helping your gardens grow!
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And we always have traditional English Pudding for dessert, with custard. Ooo and the Aero bars are really good if you like chocolate....Okay, I'm done....Really these are neat little things though!
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), or we draw names from a Santa hat.![[nutz]](graemlins/nutz.gif)
Hubby just rolls his eyes & asks, "WHY do you do that?" ![[dunno]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
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& I tell him ,"IT'S A TRADITION!") ![[kissies]](graemlins/kissies.gif)
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) This is making my mouth water, is it Thanksgiving yet? 
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