Christmas Traditions

[trinityroyal]

Christmas is without a doubt my favourite holiday. husband's too. Since we're both analytical IT-types (and I'm an Aspie), things get pretty regimented. Our traditions are:

1) In late November I update the Christmas spreadsheet. Tabs are laid out for Gifts to Family, Gifts to Friends, Christmas Cards, etc. I update the list with addresses for the Christmas list, gifts we've already bought, things we still need. Copy it to the home network, so we both have a copy.

2) The first weekend in December, we put up the tree and decorate the house. Our old pre-lit tree died this year, so this year's tree-trimming included a quick trip to Lowes with the monster-tots to get a new one. Delightfully, they had one with the same dimensions and light colours. The decorations are an eclectic mixture of old ones, new ones, handmade ones from the children, photos, tinsel, etc. I decided to edit them this year, so we have two bins full that are in the shed rather than on the tree.

3) Starting on December 1st, we start watching our collection of Christmas movies, with the goal of watching them all before Christmas Day. We watch Charlie Brown Christmas, The Grinch (the original cartoon, not that wretched Jim Carrey nonsense), all of those lovely animatronic ones with the puppets -- Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming To Town, etc, Frosty the Snow Man, Miracle on 34th St., White Christmas, The Bishop's Wife (it was re-made as The Preacher's Wife -- the original is better, and not just because Cary Grant AND David Niven are in it), and about 6 or 7 different versions of A Christmas Carol.

4) On Christmas Eve, the older kids come over. We have dinner and watch the last of the Christmas movies -- It's A Wonderful Life, and then the 1951 A Christmas Carol (the Alistair Sim one, with husband and I agree is the definitive version). We usually eat pizza or Chinese food or Thai food. Something that other people cook and then bring to our house.

5) Christmas morning, we open gifts, then have a traditional Christmas Breakfast (a significant tradition from my background), then relax until Christmas Dinner. We try to prepare as much as possible beforehand so there's not too much cooking and fussing around in the kitchen on Christmas Day. We play Handel's Messiah, sing Christmas Carols, and generally turn in early.

6) On Boxing Day, all the extended family comes over, and we have Christmas Day round-two. Gift opening, singing Christmas Carols, and another full-blown Christmas dinner. We usually pack up most of hte leftovers and send care packages home with everyone, so that we're not left staring at turkey leftovers for the next six to eight weeks. With 2 Christmas dinners in two days, it's that or eat turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey puree, turkey milkshakes...you get the idea.

7) All decorations stay up until Epiphany.

8) husband and I have an annual New Year's Eve party -- something we've done since we got together. Some years it's big -- we invite all our friends and neighbours. Some years it's small. This year, it's tiny. I think the guest list totals about 8.

After that, we "decommission" the Christmas stuff in stages. Back into labelled containers, ready to be deployed for next year. Chocolates and other treats that are Death to the Diet go into work for distribution among co-workers. Things are put back into non-Christmas mode, and we get back to normal.

As for wild-beyond-imagining gifts, I can't think of a thing. I'm pretty happy with my lot overall.

 

[svengandhi]

Tired -

My sister and H's sister both converted to Episcopalianism. H and I joke that we are the only mixed marriage couple we know whose siblings are the same religion as each other and neither is the same religion as either of us!

 

[DammitJanet]

I forgot the most wished for gift that I will never get is I want Derek Hough off Dancing with the Stars for just one night. I could die a happy woman after that!

 

[tiredmommy]

Here's where it gets funny, Svan~ Duckie would like to go to a local hibachi steak house on Christmas (if it's open). I had to explain that's Japanese, not Chinese, lol!

 

[Hound dog]

Our tree was always put up and it and the house decorated the day after Thanksgiving. Christmas is MY holiday and I wanted to enjoy the entire season. There were years decor didn't come down until New Years day. But prior to decorating, the house had to be utterly spotless or I would not decorate. There couldn't be one without the other as I can't stand a dirty/messy house when it is decorated for xmas. So.....I did spring cleaning type cleaning first, every nook and cranny. (blame this on my mom, she started it)
The kids always helped decorate. As they aged they each had special ornaments they either made or someone had given them to place on the tree.....they always got to place their own special ornaments. The angel of our tree is extra special. Given to me by mother in law when easy child and Travis were babies, it was the angel that had topped her tree since their very first tree and Fred had grown up with. Nothing super fancy, just simple elegant. The youngest always got to put the angel on the tree, simply because they were the smallest and Fred could more easily lift them. So once Nichole became a toddler, she wound up putting the angel onto the tree each year.
The manger was always a huge deal at our house. I find it amusing as I'm not religious but spiritual, but my kids were taught why there was xmas and to them it was a huge deal. Since otherwise she would play with it non stop, Nichole got to set up the manger......until mother in law bought her a child version, then the kids took turns.
Many days during the xmas season were spent making homemade decorations with construction paper, cotton balls, glitter ect. I was trying to cure boredom and contain excitement. My kids have carried on this tradition and it ranks right up there with their fondest memories.
There were the evening xmas cartoons served with fresh popcorn and homemade cocoa.
There was the baking that no matter how young a child completely participated.
There was the kids busy helping with extra chores to earn money for Santa's Secret Shoppe at school to buy gifts for sibs, parents, and grandparents. Wrapping them (comical as heck). Them trying to keep their secrets until xmas eve when those gifts were opened so they wouldn't get caught up in the xmas chaos.
There was the Twas The Night Before Christmas read to them before bed on xmas eve.
Xmas morning they woke early but weren't allowed out of their beds until I said it was ok. They wouldn't want to interrupt Santa incase he was enjoying the milk and cookies they left for him. I'd get up and light the tree. (which was the sign Santa had been and gone)
There was no opening presents until after breakfast, so that children actually ate.
Presents were never torn into willy nilly in a frenzy. They were always opened youngest to oldest one at a time in order so that everyone could see and appreciate each one, as well as enjoy the reaction it got from the recipiant.
Then it was dress in your best and head over to mother in law's later in the day for xmas dinner. My children learned manners eating with china, silver, and crystal. Even at her house the meal was usually served first. Then the same rules applied with gift opening.

Nearly all of these traditions my children are carrying on with my grandchildren.

Now when Nichole was 5 I started working at a major dept store in the toy dept because Fred was out of work. Since I'm all about xmas, soon as the store entered the season I was wearing my Santa hat, xmas themed sweatshirts and jewelry. Of course the toy dept is packed at that time of year. One day there was a toddler who was just done with shopping, fussy whiny and giving her parents a hard time. She was over it. They were right by the cash register where I was standing.....on a pole by the cash register was the in house phone. I sang the first verse to Santa Claus is Coming to Town to the little girl. Then I pointed to the phone and told her it was a hot line to the North Pole. She stared at me decked out in my xmas garb and since I stand under 5 feet her eyes got big as saucers and she breathed "you're an Elf!" Heads turned, both child and adult. I was put on the spot. Without missing a beat, I said "Why of course I'm an Elf!" Never had another issue out of a child in the toy dept the rest of the season. I played it up. My coworkers played it up. We had a blast with it. Parents and grandparents ate it up and used it to their advantage. Since Fred brought the kids to pick me up each day........well, I had to explain to them that I'm an Elf too.
Over the years the story grew. I answered endless questions concerning Santa, the North pole, elves by my children and lord knows how many other children. If I were not such a xmas nut I'd not been able to pull it off. Once my kids were grown I became a "retired" elf. My grandchildren know their Nana is an elf with a direct line to Santa. This is why Nana can always seem to find that perfect gift for them, even when they never told anyone they wanted it.

This year, sad to say, I'm pretty bummed. So bummed that I am fighting off bah humbug at every turn. I had planned lovely homemade gifts. I had planned special baking with grandchildren. I would've just been happy with just some of the old traditions. But working up to 60 hrs a week at a very physically demanding job is taking it's toll on this elf. I had to scratch homemade gifts. Baking has been scratched because I'll be working right up until the 21st and that will end a 60 hr week. It will take days for me to recover, then there is xmas cleaning for the dinner. I shopped thanksgiving and yesterday for presents. I hope I hit on at least one they'll think of as special, but it's not feeling that way to me. Not excited to see them unwrap anything this year. Totally bummed over that. It has me just wanting to get the holiday the heck over it already.........and that is soooooooo not me.

 

[AnnieO]

Hound, if I know your family (and I think I do!)... They are going to think you are a TIRED elf this year. I bet you did just fine. And I bet they would tell you so, too.

 

[DammitJanet]

Lisa how funny about being an elf! I have begun a little tradition thanks to our Starbie. Her DF sounds just like Santa on the phone and one year he called her on the phone. I had her call him every year she was here since then. I texted her about a week or so ago to see if he is still up to it and now I have to arrange for her to call him...lol.

With my boys we also had those advent calendars every year. I had a hard time finding them this year but finally did. I made the kids in Monkey's class very happy too because I got the information from her teacher on how many days they would be in school before Xmas vacation and how many kids were in the class. Monkey and I made up 15 bags filled with a different treat each day. (Trust me, Im starting earlier next year!) I took the box to her school on the first day of December which ended up being Dec 2nd. She got to come to the office and pick up the box and carry it to her classroom. Now her role is to call everyone up at the end of the day and have them pick out their treat. Boy that has gone over well.