Putting all the gifts under the tree at the very last minute before bed on Christmas eve.

I do not like to look at gifts under the tree prior to that.

Vysyons said:

Every year for breakfast my mother would make popovers, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon for Christmas breakfast. She also used to make a jello and pineapple mold, but stopped doing that years ago. Because my daughters love jello and pineapple I think I will make it this year. This will be our first Christmas without her so I'm going to try to make the popovers and keep as many things the same as possible. Especially the marshmellow stuffings...after putting marshmallows on the sweet potatoes to melt and brown she would walk around the house stuffing marshmallows in EVERYONE'S mouth.

For the past 4 or 5 years my family has started a new tradition...Christmas Nerf War. Everyone except my Mom would get a Nerf gone and the Nerf pellets would go flying. The little kids would be used to pick up Nerf pellets and shields, but now they are big enough and have their own Nerf guns to join in the fun. This was started because no one would go outside with my brother to have a Christmas snowball fight.

On January 6th we celebrate Little Christmas, also known as Epiphany or Twelfth Night. On this day we take down all the decorations, get one small gift and do some charitable work for others. This year I am planning to go to the hospital where my mother was and deliver small gifts to the patients in the cancer ward.

Sounds like a great way to honour your mom.

Last night hubby contacted some children's charities. Along with a donation we wanted to do something helpful that we could involve our son in as well.

Since most of the childrens charities said they get lots of help for the holidays, hubby came up with the idea of delivering some meals to the elderly to help out meals on wheels.

Our son loves to meet new ppl and the elderly usually love to see a smiling baby.

Hopefully we can sort it and deliver for a few hours on Christmas eve and/or Christmas day.

PunkMistress said:

FauxReal said:

Lately I've been trying to find ways to dodge invitations. It's not that I don't appreciate them, it's just that even though I am single and live alone, sometimes I just want to be home for the holidays. And I guess it's hard for people to grasp that concept because my place doesn't give off that home-vibe to them, being that it's just me here...but for me it is. I spend like 200+ days a year at other people's houses. I like to take those few special days to myself. To everyone else it seems abnormal. But how is wanting to be in my own house for a holiday any different or less acceptable than them wanting to be in theirs? I hate that I feel like I even have to argue that. And I know it's inevitable. That's the shitty thing about being the single friend with a bunch of married friends...sometimes it's like your time is viewed much the same as riding shotgun. Whoever calls it first gets dibs on it. At this point, it feels less like an invitation and more like an obligation. Ok I am done.

I like turkey and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, ham and whatever else on Christmas. New Years is overrated.

I understand everything you've said.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of that. Stand your ground and respectfully tell the people in your life that your time is important and you will spend it in the way that makes you happy.

Two people after my own heart.

One thing I do miss about Christmas morning is making oyster stew with my daddy. I was a "Daddy's Girl," and anything my daddy did or ate, I wanted to be a part of. So he taught me how to make oyster stew, and it was a tradition for just the two of us (my brother and mother didn't like oysters) every Thanksgiving and Christmas morning.

For the past 4 years, considering that I'm the artist/ musician / dj in the family, I compile a Holiday Compilation for family members that I give out at the annual Holiday Party. I try to blend in mostly the older recordings, maybe a couple of spiritual tunes, and add a soundtracky-holiday instrumental in there. I even ripped that bit from Sanford and Son, when Fred sang the Christmas Song accompanied by a ukelele. So far I've come up with these cuts..

1. 1. This Christmas by Patti LaBelle
2. 2. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love
3. 3. Christmas In New Orleans by Louis Armstrong
4. 4. It Must’ve Been Ole Santa Claus by Harry Connick jr.
5. 5. O Holy Night by Johnny Mathis
6. 6. My Favorite Things by Yolonda Adams
7. 7. Mary’s Boy Child by Harry Belafonte
8. 8. Merry Christmas, Baby by James Brown
9. 9. Sleigh Ride by Ella Fitzgerald
10. 10. Silent Night by The Temptations
11. 11. Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow by Aaron Neville
12. 12. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town by Mariah Carey
13. 13. Joy To The World by Whitney Houston
14. 14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Luther Vandross
15. 15. Back Door Santa by BB King
16. 16. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman by Ellis Marsalis
17. 17. Up On The Housetop by The Jackson 5
18. 18. O Little Town Of Bethlehem by Mahalia Jackson
19. 19. White Christmas by Otis Redding
20. 20. All Because by BeBe & CeCe Winans

MotorBootyAffair said:

For the past 4 years, considering that I'm the artist/ musician / dj in the family, I compile a Holiday Compilation for family members that I give out at the annual Holiday Party. I try to blend in mostly the older recordings, maybe a couple of spiritual tunes, and add a soundtracky-holiday instrumental in there. I even ripped that bit from Sanford and Son, when Fred sang the Christmas Song accompanied by a ukelele. So far I've come up with these cuts..

1. 1. This Christmas by Patti LaBelle
2. 2. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love
3. 3. Christmas In New Orleans by Louis Armstrong
4. 4. It Must’ve Been Ole Santa Claus by Harry Connick jr.
5. 5. O Holy Night by Johnny Mathis
6. 6. My Favorite Things by Yolonda Adams
7. 7. Mary’s Boy Child by Harry Belafonte
8. 8. Merry Christmas, Baby by James Brown
9. 9. Sleigh Ride by Ella Fitzgerald
10. 10. Silent Night by The Temptations
11. 11. Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow by Aaron Neville
12. 12. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town by Mariah Carey
13. 13. Joy To The World by Whitney Houston
14. 14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Luther Vandross
15. 15. Back Door Santa by BB King
16. 16. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman by Ellis Marsalis
17. 17. Up On The Housetop by The Jackson 5
18. 18. O Little Town Of Bethlehem by Mahalia Jackson
19. 19. White Christmas by Otis Redding
20. 20. All Because by BeBe & CeCe Winans

Man, you GOTTA have Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas." My all-time favorite Christmas song!

johnart said:

Christmas was such a special thing between my mom and I (maybe because it was just us more often than not since I was born and she went out of her way to make things so, for lack of a better word...magical and exciting). I know what you mean about it not being the same.

Our family is small also. In all honesty, my favorite part of celebrating holidays now is friends (chosen family). There's a lot less drama and it's waaaaaay less chaotic. Not that we don't love our blood relatives and in-laws.

Don't lie John. You know damned well that around mid-November you stop answering the phone to avoid having to invite relatives and/or in-laws over and then have to feed them!

I don't really have any traditions of my own. My parents followed the typical Latin American ways of celebrating Christmas with friends & family (usually a party involving dancing) and then at the stroke of midnight we'd open up our presents.

That kind of messed the whole "Santa Claus" thing for me.

We never did the Three Kings thing (leaving food under your bed on Jan. 17th? for the camels and then getting a gift in the morning in return).

SO, with my own children, the wife & I decided to establish "traditions".

We decorate the house at the beginning of December.

We have dinner on Christmas Eve that usually includes;

--- lechón (roast pork loin?)

--- arroz con gandules (rice with green pidgeon peas)

--- cheesy potatoes casserole

--- lasagna

(Yeah, I know it all sounds like a weird mixture, but that's become our Holiday staple)

We leave cookies & milk for Santa

We (now that they're older) allow them to open one gift from "mom & dad" at midnight, then they open the gifts that appear overnight "from Santa" on Christmas morning.

My in-laws usually drive up from Florida and spend the Holidays with us...on Christmas Day we then go visit my parents.

We leave carrots & lettuce on Three Kings Day beneath their beds and they get a small gift the next morning.

Now that they're older (youngest is 8, oldest 12) the whole Santa thing is pretty much an open secret so I might just do away with the cookies & milk thing this year.

I've never heard of the "Three Kings" ritual. Nice way to get an extra gift!

Thanksgiving we really don't have much...growing up I always had pumpkin pie for breakfast the morning of Thanksgiving and that still continues today.

As for Christmas....Growing up we really didn't do anything...I was probably the only kid in my 1st grade class that knew there was NO Santa.

But when I had kids I changed that....so even to this day Santa brings gifts, cookies are set out. We always have pasta on Christmas for supper, and Tamales for breakfast.

I am showing my grandbabies all my favorite Christmas shows, because at the age of 39 I must still watch Rudolph and Charlie Brown.

Shyra said:

I've never heard of the "Three Kings" ritual. Nice way to get an extra gift!

It's the day that the three wise men visited baby Jesus.

http://www.studioporto.co...eyesmagos/

PurpleJedi said:

johnart said:

Christmas was such a special thing between my mom and I (maybe because it was just us more often than not since I was born and she went out of her way to make things so, for lack of a better word...magical and exciting). I know what you mean about it not being the same.

Our family is small also. In all honesty, my favorite part of celebrating holidays now is friends (chosen family). There's a lot less drama and it's waaaaaay less chaotic. Not that we don't love our blood relatives and in-laws.

Don't lie John. You know damned well that around mid-November you stop answering the phone to avoid having to invite relatives and/or in-laws over and then have to feed them!

ringtones are a beautiful thing

MoniGram said:

Thanksgiving we really don't have much...growing up I always had pumpkin pie for breakfast the morning of Thanksgiving and that still continues today.

As for Christmas....Growing up we really didn't do anything...I was probably the only kid in my 1st grade class that knew there was NO Santa.

When I was 6 my mom forgot to leave presents under the tree the night before (again...not a Latin thing, you know?) so when I went to check and there was nothing she was like; "Oh he probably hasn't come yet...check back in a little while." I was like then a few minutes later she's like; "Boys! Come check, I think he came!" Right then & there I knew mom was Santa.

But when I had kids I changed that....so even to this day Santa brings gifts, cookies are set out. We always have pasta on Christmas for supper, and Tamales for breakfast.

I am showing my grandbabies all my favorite Christmas shows, because at the age of 39 I must still watch Rudolph and Charlie Brown.

Tamales for breakfast? Do you make the "sweet" ones with raisins for Christmas? (I never tried them before).

We watch the Charlie Brown Christmas video every year (and "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" every Halloween!).

PurpleJedi said:

Shyra said:

I've never heard of the "Three Kings" ritual. Nice way to get an extra gift!

It's the day that the three wise men visited baby Jesus.

http://www.studioporto.co...eyesmagos/

When I was a kid in PR I got both.

I remember clipping grass to put in a shoebox and sliding the shoebox under my bed (food for the camels ). In the morning the gifts were in the box (if they fit). Then my poor mother had to throw the grass out where I wouldn't see it later.

johnart said:

Putting all the gifts under the tree at the very last minute before bed on Christmas eve.

I do not like to look at gifts under the tree prior to that.

then again... it keeps them safe from Lola and Bogie...

MoniGram said:

Thanksgiving we really don't have much...growing up I always had pumpkin pie for breakfast the morning of Thanksgiving and that still continues today.

As for Christmas....Growing up we really didn't do anything...I was probably the only kid in my 1st grade class that knew there was NO Santa.

But when I had kids I changed that....so even to this day Santa brings gifts, cookies are set out. We always have pasta on Christmas for supper, and Tamales for breakfast.

I am showing my grandbabies all my favorite Christmas shows, because at the age of 39 I must still watch Rudolph and Charlie Brown.

You must be my long lost twin. That is sweet that you have made it special for your kids and grand kids.

Shyra said:

One thing I do miss about Christmas morning is making oyster stew with my daddy. I was a "Daddy's Girl," and anything my daddy did or ate, I wanted to be a part of. So he taught me how to make oyster stew, and it was a tradition for just the two of us (my brother and mother didn't like oysters) every Thanksgiving and Christmas morning.

PositivityNYC said:

johnart said:

Putting all the gifts under the tree at the very last minute before bed on Christmas eve.

I do not like to look at gifts under the tree prior to that.

then again... it keeps them safe from Lola and Bogie...

Well, that it does.

So I guess my not allowing it works out for us all, doesn't it??

every xmas eve we go for a walk around the suburb to check out the xmas lights, then the rugrat is allowed to open one gift...then its off to bed, for about 3 hrs sleep b4 he awakes at the crack of dawn!!

usually exhausted after a very busy day at work...last minute shoppers...last minute buying

PurpleJedi said:

MoniGram said:

Thanksgiving we really don't have much...growing up I always had pumpkin pie for breakfast the morning of Thanksgiving and that still continues today.

As for Christmas....Growing up we really didn't do anything...I was probably the only kid in my 1st grade class that knew there was NO Santa.

When I was 6 my mom forgot to leave presents under the tree the night before (again...not a Latin thing, you know?) so when I went to check and there was nothing she was like; "Oh he probably hasn't come yet...check back in a little while." I was like then a few minutes later she's like; "Boys! Come check, I think he came!" Right then & there I knew mom was Santa.

But when I had kids I changed that....so even to this day Santa brings gifts, cookies are set out. We always have pasta on Christmas for supper, and Tamales for breakfast.

I am showing my grandbabies all my favorite Christmas shows, because at the age of 39 I must still watch Rudolph and Charlie Brown.

Tamales for breakfast? Do you make the "sweet" ones with raisins for Christmas? (I never tried them before).

We watch the Charlie Brown Christmas video every year (and "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" every Halloween!).

No, I too have never had them, but I have heard they are really yummy.

I watch The Great Pumpkin too...."I got a rock"

Shanti0608 said:

MoniGram said:

Thanksgiving we really don't have much...growing up I always had pumpkin pie for breakfast the morning of Thanksgiving and that still continues today.

As for Christmas....Growing up we really didn't do anything...I was probably the only kid in my 1st grade class that knew there was NO Santa.

But when I had kids I changed that....so even to this day Santa brings gifts, cookies are set out. We always have pasta on Christmas for supper, and Tamales for breakfast.

I am showing my grandbabies all my favorite Christmas shows, because at the age of 39 I must still watch Rudolph and Charlie Brown.

You must be my long lost twin. That is sweet that you have made it special for your kids and grand kids.

We are both Gemini

I make Christmas pudding every year.

I guess it's about time to gather the ingredients for that, so I can make it over Thanksgiving weekend...

Genesia said:

I make Christmas pudding every year.

I guess it's about time to gather the ingredients for that, so I can make it over Thanksgiving weekend...

What is Christmas pudding?

I'm part of a huge family with lots of brothers and sisters, but since we are all older now with most having families of their own, we pretty much relegate our celebrations to Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. I usually go to one of my sister's houses on Thanksgiving, where I usually bring a huge apple crumb cheesecake. Then I wake up on black Friday, put some Steely Dan on the computer, and watch all of the news stories on the Today show about riots at Walmart over some stupid toy that was on sale.

As for Christmas, I susally celebrate it with my family on Christmas Eve, because its the only day we can get everyone together in one place. As far as Christmas Day is concerened, lately its been a quiet day at home, maybe followed by a trip to the movies later that night. I don't think I've had a huge Christmas Day celebration with my whole family since 2001. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing as far as gifts are concerned, because this is the first year in several that I've been financially able to contribute much of anything, but I'm nit sure what to get people other than my younger nephews and nieces.

This is the time of year when the most orgasmic market settles itself in the middle of Daley Plaza here in Chicago. A high school pal got me addicted to it. Long story short, I put on 50 pounds just thinking about all the roasted nuts, sausages, potato pancakes, and warm cider under those tents.

O HOW I LOVE THEE, Christkindlmarket !!

Anyway, after that, it's the usual--make some pies, fry a turkey, sneak a man into the house , and find a really big can of that cranberry stuff to drop into a glass of 7UP. As I've gotten older, Thanksgiving and X-Mas are actually hit or miss events. I'll either decide not to do something, or decide to appear at a family function.

I enjoy cooking Thanksgiving dinner. My wife cooks nearly every other day of the year, it's the least I could do.

I love hearing about what other families/friends do for the holidays.

MoniGram said:

Genesia said:

I make Christmas pudding every year.

I guess it's about time to gather the ingredients for that, so I can make it over Thanksgiving weekend...

What is Christmas pudding?

it keeps for a month...?

PositivityNYC said:

MoniGram said:

What is Christmas pudding?

it keeps for a month...?

It is like Genesia, it gets better with age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...as_pudding

[Edited 11/7/10 11:53am]

Shanti0608 said:

PositivityNYC said:

it keeps for a month...?

It is like Genesia, it gets better with age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...as_pudding

[Edited 11/7/10 11:53am]

holy cow, that's a lot of work!

looks tho..