Need ideas please???

[whitexmas]

I was just wondering what some of your favorite christmas traditions are? Im looking for some new exciting things to do with my family this christmas. Like going ice skating and setting a side a few saturdays to bake up a storm and give neighbors and friends a plate of cookie. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance! :)

[Saxomaphone]

Our traditions are putting the tree up on the 1st December, I have a teddy I've had since I was 4, he's dressed in tinsel.

I personally put a LOT of lights up, my own tree in my room, presents placed under the tree.

My Grandad bakes a pie that he's baked since I can remember. It's his own recipe (we don't know what's in it, he keeps it a secret) We eat this on Christmas Eve, though for the last few years, we've not seen them at Christmas.

No presents are to be opened before Christmas. This doesn't bother me, since I celebrate my birthday 5 days before.
On Christmas Day, my Mum MUST have a cup of coffee with Whisky in and a slice of pork pie, and, if we can possibly bear it, me and my sister have beans on toast for breakfast.
We used to go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve, but due to work, I can't do that anymore.

This Christmas, I don't think we'll be able to follow tradition, as my Mum is working Christmas morning, and I'm spending half of the day by myself! :sad:

Hmmm, things I'd suggest? Make Christmas cards for people rather than buying a pack. Maybe give everyone a cookie with their card. I'm making all my cards this year, and writing people's names on the front. This is much more personal, and it'll be fun handing out the cards at work!!!

Make decorations. Listen to Christmas carols. Try writing your own (this can be fun). There's loads of things you can do.

[SnowAngelChristmas]

Come up with a little tradition that no one else has! Our odd little is eating pizza for dinner on Christmas Eve.

[Stargazer]

Around early November, some of the homes in my small town open up to sell homemade crafts. Kind of like open houses - with cakes, cookies, etc. And the decorations that these people have made are just beautiful. Their houses are fully decorated, too. They're usually the same ones every year, so I've been going with my mother since I was a child! I love going - it's just like Christmas coming up a bit earlier!

Lights and the tree go up on the first weekend of December, or earlier if I can convince my parents! My mom and I usually decorate the house ourselves one weekend.

On Christmas Eve, we usually have a big dinner with relatives and family friends. Then we all watch a Christmas movie or two, and after everyone leaves, my family and I open presents at midnight.

Christmas morning, my family and I meet some of my paternal relatives, and we all go out for brunch in a hotel. Then we all go over to a friend's house that night :)

[digbugsgirl]

We have a Cookie Exchange every year. A bunch of family and friends get together to play games and swap cookies. Since I've been an adult, it seems I'm always in charge of the games. Every year, for the past 8 years, I've been picking out the games to play, getting together prizes (with the help of my mom) and directing the games. I haven't been able to participate in a game in 8 years :sad: This year I'm going to ask everyone to bring a gift so we can do the gift swap game. This way I can participate.

Brandy

[sheepsnot]

How about starting a tradition called, "Cookies for Dave?" It has a nice ring to it. I'll send you my address and you can pass it to all your friends. Our church has a cookie swap but they don't appreciate my thrift store clearance cookies, so I don't go anymore. I do make a mean chocolate chip cookie, but they turn out too flat. Lost my touch. :x

[Ervserver]

setting up the Christmas tree Thanksgiving night is one. Also make Christmas cookies using cutters that have been handed down thru the family.

[mrshamm]

Every year we make potato candy for everyone. It's really messy and takes about a week to finish making enough for everyone but it's really fun. We also take the kids downtown to see all of the Christmas lights and the live nativity.

[sheepsnot]

If the only candy I had was potato candy I'd be a lot thinner.

[mrshamm]

Why's that? lol.

[Ervserver]

never heard of potato candy....must GOOGLE :-)

[dvdguy]

potato candy?

ever heard of pocky?

[sheepsnot]

Yes, it's where I put my wally.

[dvdguy]

har har

[Ervserver]

potato candy?

ever heard of pocky?

had to GOOGLE it, looks interesting

[dominick]

You talkin' about those oriental "biscuit" sticks covered in chocolate?

[Laura]

My family started doing a Secret Santa thing a couple of years ago and the kids love it. We do the 12 days of Christmas, pick someone from the neighborhood and surprise them with presents for 12 days. None of the presents are very expensive, but we try to stick with the song. For example for 5 golden rings, we gave 5 golden doughnuts last year. Not only is it nice to focus on giving, but it's fun to try to come up with creative ideas for gifts.

[sheepsnot]

Welcome, Laura! Love to hear any story involving doughnuts. When you can combine doughnuts and Christmas, that's worth extra points. Head on over to Introductions and tell us about yourself, why don't you? 8)

[Ervserver]

Funny how my mouse automatically takes me to the donut threads first

[caseydbell]

i would actually like to start 1, reading Luke 2 w/ the family.

traditions in place:
1. grandmothers on Christmas eve
2. decorating the tree as a family
3. taste testing the food (my favorite)

[Ervserver]

do you have a large family?

[ChristmasFanatic]

I suppose my family has certain traditions we've followed since I was a wee lass. When my two younger brothers and I were very young, on Thanksgiving, my two sets of Grandparents came to our house for Thanksgiving and my paternal Grandma and Granddad always brought our Advent calendars with them....that was the official start to our excitement for Christmas. Depending on when Thanksgiving fell, we could have several days before we actually oepned the first 'window' of the calendar, but Mom always put them up on the fridge or a wall for us, so we could admire them. Sadly, Grandma and Granddad were no longer able to keep up that tradition, once we all became older, so I took it upon myself to get Advent calendars for Mom, each brother and myself. With Grandma and Granddad both gone, now, this tradition means even more to me, but finding really nice Advent claendars like they used to give us is becoming harder every year. :(

Getting the Christmas tree on either Black Friday or that Saturday and decorating on Sunday...both inside and some outside. I can spend hours laying on the sofa or relaxing in the recliner, with just the lights from the tree lighting the apartment and listening to Christmas CDs I've either purchased or made, myself.

Other traditions include baking tons of cookies, together, a day or two of shopping and dining out while shopping, a 'wrap' party, occasionally and getting together on Christmas Eve for good food and company. Christmas Day at Mom's for breakfast, at Dad's for a mid-morning snack and back at Mom's for a huge dinner.

[caseydbell]

I suppose my family has certain traditions we've followed since I was a wee lass. When my two younger brothers and I were very young, on Thanksgiving, my two sets of Grandparents came to our house for Thanksgiving and my paternal Grandma and Granddad always brought our Advent calendars with them....that was the official start to our excitement for Christmas. Depending on when Thanksgiving fell, we could have several days before we actually oepned the first 'window' of the calendar, but Mom always put them up on the fridge or a wall for us, so we could admire them. Sadly, Grandma and Granddad were no longer able to keep up that tradition, once we all became older, so I took it upon myself to get Advent calendars for Mom, each brother and myself. With Grandma and Granddad both gone, now, this tradition means even more to me, but finding really nice Advent claendars like they used to give us is becoming harder every year. :(


Getting the Christmas tree on either Black Friday or that Saturday and decorating on Sunday...both inside and some outside. I can spend hours laying on the sofa or relaxing in the recliner, with just the lights from the tree lighting the apartment and listening to Christmas CDs I've either purchased or made, myself.

Other traditions include baking tons of cookies, together, a day or two of shopping and dining out while shopping, a 'wrap' party, occasionally and getting together on Christmas Eve for good food and company. Christmas Day at Mom's for breakfast, at Dad's for a mid-morning snack and back at Mom's for a huge dinner.

Wow...long post...we need more responders like this :-D

[ChristmasFanatic]

Wow...long post...we need more responders like this

Sorry, I do tend to get long-winded, when talking about Christmas, so if I babble on a bit too much, just smack me one and I'll quiet down. :)

[caseydbell]

Wow...long post...we need more responders like this

Sorry, I do tend to get long-winded, when talking about Christmas, so if I babble on a bit too much, just smack me one and I'll quiet down. :)

No...please...dont do shorter post I love long 1s

[ChristmasFanatic]

No...please...dont do shorter post I love long 1s

I'll do my best! :D I have never been one to get right to the point, unless I'm upset....give me something I enjoy and love to talk about and it's tough to shut me up. Hard to believe, I tend to be shy. :-D

[peavey]

The kids and I (except for the oldest who is 37 and has a family of her own far away) go to see the Christmas lights and decorations about a week before Christmas. We always stop and buy hot chocolate and listen to and/or sing Christmas carols as we go.

My youngest daughter's birthday is on Christmas Eve. She gets to open her gifts, and we have oyster stew for supper - her choice - and then we make the dressing for Christmas dinner's turkey.

It's funny how some traditions just evolve without thinking about them. We also put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I'll probably be doing it by myself this year.

Guess I should explain that the "kids" I do this with are 26 and married and 23-to-be-24 and living away from home...

[ChristmasFanatic]

My Mom used to make homemade cinnamon rolls every year for us to enjoy with hot chocolate after Christmas Eve church services. She stopped doing this as a homemade effort, once she began working full time about 30 years ago and enlisted a woman to make them, but hoping that now that she's newly ertired, she might begin that tradition all over, again. :D

[mrshamm]

You talkin' about those oriental "biscuit" sticks covered in chocolate?

No...lol. you boil potatos untill they're soft and then you mash them down and mix them with lots of confectioners sugar untill it forms a soft dough and you smooth the dough into long, thin rectangles and spread peanut butter on it. then you roll up the dough and peanut butter and cut it into little candy pieces. It's really yummy. It kind of tastes like fudge.

[mrshamm]

My Mom used to make homemade cinnamon rolls every year for us to enjoy with hot chocolate after Christmas Eve church services. She stopped doing this as a homemade effort, once she began working full time about 30 years ago and enlisted a woman to make them, but hoping that now that she's newly ertired, she might begin that tradition all over, again. :D

Mmmm, I love Cinnamon rolls! I never have the patience to make them homemade. I always end up giving up and just making cinnamon bread or pumpkin bread. Speaking of pumpkin bread...does anyone know where I can find a good recipe? I have misplaced my old one.

[ChristmasFanatic]

Mmmm, I love Cinnamon rolls! I never have the patience to make them homemade. I always end up giving up and just making cinnamon bread or pumpkin bread.

I'm hoping Mom has both patience and time to resume this tradition....my goodness but her cinnamon rolls were something to really look forward to! However, I;d say pumpkin bread or cinnamon bread can also fill that big emptiness, as well! ;)

[Ervserver]

Cinnamon rolls taste so good this time of year, I make them and freeze them and enjoy all winter. I never eat them other times of year.

[ChristmasFanatic]

Cinnamon rolls taste so good this time of year, I make them and freeze them and enjoy all winter. I never eat them other times of year.

Do you make the rolls, but freeze the ones you don't bake or can you bake them and thaw them out some special way? I may suggest Mom and I get together and make some ahead of time and freeze them, before things get really crazy as the holidays often do.

[Ervserver]

My mother would bake up several pans and freeze them, when we wanted some take a pan out of the freezor and warm them in the oven. They always tasted wonderful. I have a small freezor so I only freeze 2 pans
I make frosted and caramel.

[ChristmasFanatic]

I'm definitely going to suggest to Mom that we get together and make up a few batches and freeze them for Christmas morning......I'll keep 'em at my apartment! ;)

[Ervserver]

Great idea...I see a Christmas tradition brewing.

:???:

[ChristmasFanatic]

Great idea...I see a Christmas tradition brewing.

:???:

Definitely! Adding another Christmas tradition can only be a good thing. :D

[Ervserver]

The "food" traditions are my fav :D

[ChristmasFanatic]

The "food" traditions are my fav :D

They'd definitely be a fave of mine, too! :P Mom and Jim used to seet up a card table and pile all the goodies they both received from customers. Mom was a Postmaster and Jim still drives a truck where he picks up milk at the farms...I'm telling you, their friends really flooded them with plenty of yummy treats!

[Ervserver]

Oohhhh the farm wives bake up a storm during the holidays

:???:

[ChristmasFanatic]

Yes, we live in such a rural area that both Mom and Jim made out like bandits when it came to receiving 'gifts' from the customers. There were years when Mom and Jim were so busy, Mom never got to bake, but there wasn't really a need to, as they had so much in the way of desserts to enjoy and share. :D

[Ervserver]

I miss living in the country people are more friendly. City life has it's amenities but people seem more nosey and snotty.

[sheepsnot]

Part of me would like to move back to "Mayberry", but I have lived in "Raleigh" so long I don't think I could stand a small town anymore.

[Ervserver]

They prolly have eggnog

[ChristmasFanatic]

I've lived in this very rural setting my entire life and the area I live in, it seems everyone knows everyone or is related, so it has it's positives and negatives, but overall, I love it. I've visited some large metro areas and they definitely have some benefits that we'll never see in the country, but I almost feel overwhelmed when in the city....so large and so busy!

[Christy Carol]

I've lived in this very rural setting my entire life and the area I live in, it seems everyone knows everyone or is related, so it has it's positives and negatives, but overall, I love it. I've visited some large metro areas and they definitely have some benefits that we'll never see in the country, but I almost feel overwhelmed when in the city....so large and so busy!

I agree with you. I have to come into the city everyday to work and I cannot wait until I get off and get back to my small town. Funny, as I weave my way thru to the house it seems I speak to everyone I pass because we all know each other.

[Snow is falling...]

I love Christmas traditions!

I try to keep everything the same, every year. From reading the same books (Lord of the Nutcrcker Men, Northern Lights), to where we get the Xmas tree (at a ''pick-your-own'' forrest place), and to ALWAYS walking home from the forrest while everyone else drives back with the tree.

We have a tradition in our house that we get our stocking in the morning...and leave our ''proper presents'' until after mass. It's quite good, something to look forward to after mass. :-D

Anyway, the only true traditions are the ones you make yourself...




Snow is falling

[ChristmasFanatic]

love Christmas traditions!

I try to keep everything the same, every year. From reading the same books (Lord of the Nutcrcker Men, Northern Lights), to where we get the Xmas tree (at a ''pick-your-own'' forrest place), and to ALWAYS walking home from the forrest while everyone else drives back with the tree.

We have a tradition in our house that we get our stocking in the morning...and leave our ''proper presents'' until after mass. It's quite good, something to look forward to after mass.

Anyway, the only true traditions are the ones you make yourself...



I'm all about Christmas traditions, too, I used to question if I was too set in stone about some, but quickly dashed those thoughts.....I just love traditions.

That's a neat idea about opening stockings in the AM and holding off on the others until after mass....sure would give you something to look forward to. :D

[Ervserver]

Another tradition we have is to call relatives on phone that we rarely see.

[ChristmasFanatic]

My Dad says his one brother calls every Christmas morning and talks for quite a while....he then calls the other brothers and their sister, which is kind of neat, as he isn't a very social person. Dad says he enjoys the call and it's become part of his Christmas morning tradition, now, waiting for that phone call from his brother. :D

[HollyJells]

You can put a decoration or two in those rooms that do not normally see holiday cheer. Rooms like bathrooms and bedrooms and the kitchen. I always put something christmassy in each room to make the whole house feel festive. You could also get friends/ family together and have an eggnog/ cider party and sing carols and do some crafty things together. Traditions start out of the smallest ideas. And most do not even need planning, just go with it. Come up with something that you like and do it. You will have lots of fun and everyone is sure to be smiling when they go home. Oh and cookie parties are a big hit. You get a group together and have them bake enough cookies for the whole group, say about 2 cokkies for each person then when you get together to a cookie exchange and if possible trade recipes for those cookies. FUN FUN FUN.

[KingMoonRacer]

I always do the paper chain countdown every year, as well as my christmas village, and a football game with my neighbors every Sunday of the month.

[Ervserver]

anyone string popcorn or cranberries anymore?

[ASailrsWife]

WE have lots of fun things that we do. It starts with decorating the house and baking lo9ts of cookies. On Christmas Eve we go to mass and then to my aunt's house for a Christmas Eve party. When we get home, my daughter puts out her cookies for Santa and excitedly heads to bed. When I was little we each had a small tree in our room that Santa leaves 3 wrapped presents under that we may open before breakfast. My family then has breakfast and each opens their presents. WE always have dinner at my grandmom's house and open more presents that Santa leaves there too!!! After Christmas day we visit a different family membver each day, have dinner and show all of our presents. WE also go to Disney on Ice every year too. I look forwrad to it and cannot wait to do it again this year!!!

Michelle

[kidzrme]

I'M A SINGLE MOM, AND ONE OF OUR TRADITIONS IS DECORATING THE CHRISTMAS TREE. MY 17 YO DAUGHTER HAS ALL OF HER FRIENDS COME OVER TO HELP US DECORATE THE TREE. WE HAVE PIZZA AND EGGNOG AND APPLE CIDER. IT'S NICE TO SHARE OUR TRADITIONS, :D AND WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO THIS SPECIAL EVENT EVERY YEAR.

[scrooge2]

I don't know about anywhere else, but in England there is always a boxing day football match. Maybe go to that every year if you want a new tradition? Nothing beats a day in the cold on the terraces.

[WonderfulChristmasTime1]

I like to have a nice game of croquet with my neighbours on Xmas Day.

Was such an exciting game last year, filled with controversy after my good friend Curly Joe appeared to strike the ball twice as he slotted home the winner. He was subsequently disqualified and he still protests innocence to this day! :lol:

[scrooge2]

Christmas is supposed to be about friendship and goodwill, not cheating!

Sounds like a great tradition, but wasn't it a bit cold, and perhaps icy/snowy for croquet?

[WonderfulChristmasTime1]

Ah but that makes the game even better due to the shear unpredictability!

[Michael Rielly]

I posted this before, but years ago when I was young my family would do the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_seven_fishes

Now that my mom has passed on we don’t do that anymore. Being the oldest I should probably try to restart that tradition. But it’s harder now that we all have families.

One thing we still do is the youngest is responsible for pulling out and handing the presents to everyone. My little brother handed that duty to my son when he was old enough. Now my little brother has a son of his own. My son is now wanting to pass the tradition on to his cousin - but his cousin can't read yet!

We exchange gifts on Christmas Ever at my house with our extended family (brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, cousins) and on Christmas Day with our immediate family.

[xmaslilly]

Our tradition xmas eve is lasagna,reg and vegetable, green salad,garlic bread and usually have a ham with that for the hubby..along with the goodies: cookies ,pie ,egg nog and a xmas drink(alchohol related)
. thats when the kids come over and we open gifts that night and they take the leftovers.
Xmas day is to have variety of cold cut sandwiches on hard rolls, with a potatao salad or something,relishes, xmas cookies pie ect..
thats when the kids come over and we open gifts that day and they take the leftovers when they go home.
I make all the phone calls to family not around or in another state. It's just my brother, my hubbys brother and my 2 sisters (all of our parents aunts uncles and grandparents are no longer with us)
Then it's football..football..football my fav. woohoo
even though they are doing bad this yr...Go Packers

[Christmasstar]

One we have had since the kids were small is advent calendars. Not those cheap cardboard ones with the tasteless chocolate, but home made ones. Each day has it's own small pocket into which a small gift, candy or real chocolate can be placed. Sometimes directions on how to find a gift is in the pocket. They are all in their 20's now and still insist on this one every year.