What do you and/or your family do for the holidays every year without fail?

Is there something that your family always did with you as a kid growing up to make the holidays special?

[img:$uid]http://content7.flixster.com/question/56/35/85/5635857_std.jpg[/img:$uid]

powell's bookstore in portland, for last minute shopping! can't wait

Every year we go for a walk on the heath after christmas dinner. There's usually about 10 of us, all wrapped up warm, but we keep our paper crowns on and all the adults are usually slightly tipsy.

It's become a really nice tradition. It stops us all from falling asleep and we usually take along something outdoorsy that the kids get for christmas.

There are so many on my side of the family that every year the easiest way to all get together is by hiring a hall. This year we're doing it on boxing day. Everyone brings food and drink, my husband sorts out the music and we always have a great time. I'm really looking forward to it again this year.

typo edit.

[Edited 11/4/10 4:03am]

We go to church early in the morning, then come home and have a pancake breakfast before opening gifts.

chocolate1 said:

We go to church early in the morning, then come home and have a pancake breakfast before opening gifts.

I wish we had something like that for my English speaking church here. Christmas lasts for 3 days in Germany, the whole country goes on lockdown for celebrations, but my church only has one evening service on Christmas Eve (which is the main celebration holiday here)...oooh, and !

Nice thread.

National Lampoons, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story, oh and Rudolph are in my dvd player constantly for one.

A couple years ago, me and the kids started making a 'Thankful Box'. It's just a shoebox that I let the kids decorate, in the beginning of November, and then every night after dinner, I have them both write (or draw a picture) on a piece of paper, something that they feel thankful for that day. Then they open it and we read over everything in the box on Thanksgiving day.

I also have all of my company bring a Christmas tree ornanment to Thanksgiving dinner, that symbolizes something they are thankful for and after dinner, I have them all put it on the tree. I keep them every year and then yanno, we go over all of them the next year, makes decorating the tree special and we always do it thanksgiving evening/night after dinner. The kids LOVE the whole family being a part of it. Last year was the first year we didn't do it, due to circumstances, but were going to do it again this year.

Christmas basically, the typical traditions. I never hold dinner at my house Christmas Eve, because I have the youngest children in the family and its always too much, but SOMEONE has dinner and after dinner we go to church, come home, kids get to open ONE present......(its always Christmas PJs to wear that night) and then cookies and milk and carrots and letters to Santa are put out and off to bed!

One thing I carried over from my childhood is my mom always snuck in our rooms Christmas eve and put some kind of souvenier from Santa in our bed, yanno, like one of those big plastic candycanes with candy in or whatever, from Santa, letting us know he had been there.

Open presents and then I do dinner at my house for everyone Christmas day. There is no set time, people are in and out all day and I bring all kinds of goodies out throughout the day. I just refuse to lugg my small children out and go visiting on Christmas day. I like to stay home and enjoy them.

For Thanksgiving my mom makes the same thing every year. One of those things is orange jello with mandarin oranges in it. Inevitably, at some point someone at the table says “There’s always room for Jello!”. And we all laugh even though it’s really stupid. I’m not going to be there this year and I’m kinda sad about that. I’m excited about my plans (I’ll be outta the country after all) but thanksgiving is truly one of my favorite holidays and it will be sad to miss it.

For Xmas we kinda have new traditions now. I don’t know what will happen this year. As people have gotten older and families have changed and grown it hasn’t been exactly the same form year to year.

I suppose one thing that hasn’t changed is when my family gets together it’s my parents, me, and my brother and his kids and instead of doing some kind of traditional sit-down meal we put together a whole bunch of appetizer-y stuff and just leave it out all day to munch on. Meatballs and shrimp dip and meat and cheese trays and crackers and lots of veggies and fruit and there are usually rolls and stuff to make sandwiches and cookies and bars and cakes and so on.

TotalANXiousNESS said:

Nice thread.

National Lampoons, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story, oh and Rudolph are in my dvd player constantly for one.

A couple years ago, me and the kids started making a 'Thankful Box'. It's just a shoebox that I let the kids decorate, in the beginning of November, and then every night after dinner, I have them both write (or draw a picture) on a piece of paper, something that they feel thankful for that day. Then they open it and we read over everything in the box on Thanksgiving day.

I also have all of my company bring a Christmas tree ornanment to Thanksgiving dinner, that symbolizes something they are thankful for and after dinner, I have them all put it on the tree. I keep them every year and then yanno, we go over all of them the next year, makes decorating the tree special and we always do it thanksgiving evening/night after dinner. The kids LOVE the whole family being a part of it. Last year was the first year we didn't do it, due to circumstances, but were going to do it again this year.

Christmas basically, the typical traditions. I never hold dinner at my house Christmas Eve, because I have the youngest children in the family and its always too much, but SOMEONE has dinner and after dinner we go to church, come home, kids get to open ONE present......(its always Christmas PJs to wear that night) and then cookies and milk and carrots and letters to Santa are put out and off to bed!

One thing I carried over from my childhood is my mom always snuck in our rooms Christmas eve and put some kind of souvenier from Santa in our bed, yanno, like one of those big plastic candycanes with candy in or whatever, from Santa, letting us know he had been there.

Open presents and then I do dinner at my house for everyone Christmas day. There is no set time, people are in and out all day and I bring all kinds of goodies out throughout the day. I just refuse to lugg my small children out and go visiting on Christmas day. I like to stay home and enjoy them.

Oh cool! I like the thankful box idea and the ornaments at Thanksgiving!

This year is my fourth year without Thanksgiving, I am already looking forward to Thanksgiving & Christmas 2011

I think when the baby is old enough, we will adopt the thankful box idea. My mom will love that. Thanksgiving is her favourite holiday. Her birthday is the end of Nov and we usually make it one big celebration.

She turns 60 this year and I will not be there with her and I am struggling thinking of something I can order from the US and have shipped directly to her. I will make up for the holidays apart next year for sure.

Funny, there were years with my ex that we would go to Busch Gardens amusement park for Thanksgiving. Since we both had families close by, it was too hard to decide where to go. Oneyear we went to everyone's dinners that we were invited to. It was that night that we decided an amusement park would be more fun and less tourture.

Those days are gone now that I have the baby, it is about family now and making our own traditions.

Only thing I remember about Christmas before I was 12 is helping my dad put up the artificial tree on the years that we did not get a real one. He was colour blind and the tree had colour coded assembly.

It's not the same anymore since the death of my dad. My family is very small, only mom, my brother and me. Sure, there are cousins, but for some reason, we don't keep in touch. They all live out of state and are grown with their own children and grandchildren, so we've grown apart. Since my brother and I never married and had families, we spend all our holidays with our mom, who just turned 86 yesterday. So on major holidays my brother and I go to her retirement community where a holiday brunch is always served.

Shanti0608 said:

TotalANXiousNESS said:

Nice thread.

National Lampoons, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story, oh and Rudolph are in my dvd player constantly for one.

A couple years ago, me and the kids started making a 'Thankful Box'. It's just a shoebox that I let the kids decorate, in the beginning of November, and then every night after dinner, I have them both write (or draw a picture) on a piece of paper, something that they feel thankful for that day. Then they open it and we read over everything in the box on Thanksgiving day.

I also have all of my company bring a Christmas tree ornanment to Thanksgiving dinner, that symbolizes something they are thankful for and after dinner, I have them all put it on the tree. I keep them every year and then yanno, we go over all of them the next year, makes decorating the tree special and we always do it thanksgiving evening/night after dinner. The kids LOVE the whole family being a part of it. Last year was the first year we didn't do it, due to circumstances, but were going to do it again this year.

Christmas basically, the typical traditions. I never hold dinner at my house Christmas Eve, because I have the youngest children in the family and its always too much, but SOMEONE has dinner and after dinner we go to church, come home, kids get to open ONE present......(its always Christmas PJs to wear that night) and then cookies and milk and carrots and letters to Santa are put out and off to bed!

One thing I carried over from my childhood is my mom always snuck in our rooms Christmas eve and put some kind of souvenier from Santa in our bed, yanno, like one of those big plastic candycanes with candy in or whatever, from Santa, letting us know he had been there.

Open presents and then I do dinner at my house for everyone Christmas day. There is no set time, people are in and out all day and I bring all kinds of goodies out throughout the day. I just refuse to lugg my small children out and go visiting on Christmas day. I like to stay home and enjoy them.

Oh cool! I like the thankful box idea and the ornaments at Thanksgiving!

This year is my fourth year without Thanksgiving, I am already looking forward to Thanksgiving & Christmas 2011

I think when the baby is old enough, we will adopt the thankful box idea. My mom will love that. Thanksgiving is her favourite holiday. Her birthday is the end of Nov and we usually make it one big celebration.

She turns 60 this year and I will not be there with her and I am struggling thinking of something I can order from the US and have shipped directly to her. I will make up for the holidays apart next year for sure.

Funny, there were years with my ex that we would go to Busch Gardens amusement park for Thanksgiving. Since we both had families close by, it was too hard to decide where to go. Oneyear we went to everyone's dinners that we were invited to. It was that night that we decided an amusement park would be more fun and less tourture.

Those days are gone now that I have the baby, it is about family now and making our own traditions.

Only thing I remember about Christmas before I was 12 is helping my dad put up the artificial tree on the years that we did not get a real one. He was colour blind and the tree had colour coded assembly.

The Busch Gardens thing sounds fun! Once Selden gets older and you're all settled the Holidays will be special for sure, but yanno what, you'll still look back and think of the great times you had the past 4 years as well.

The thing about your dad made me laugh. Reminds me of me and my dad.

TotalANXiousNESS said:

Shanti0608 said:

Oh cool! I like the thankful box idea and the ornaments at Thanksgiving!

This year is my fourth year without Thanksgiving, I am already looking forward to Thanksgiving & Christmas 2011

I think when the baby is old enough, we will adopt the thankful box idea. My mom will love that. Thanksgiving is her favourite holiday. Her birthday is the end of Nov and we usually make it one big celebration.

She turns 60 this year and I will not be there with her and I am struggling thinking of something I can order from the US and have shipped directly to her. I will make up for the holidays apart next year for sure.

Funny, there were years with my ex that we would go to Busch Gardens amusement park for Thanksgiving. Since we both had families close by, it was too hard to decide where to go. Oneyear we went to everyone's dinners that we were invited to. It was that night that we decided an amusement park would be more fun and less tourture.

Those days are gone now that I have the baby, it is about family now and making our own traditions.

Only thing I remember about Christmas before I was 12 is helping my dad put up the artificial tree on the years that we did not get a real one. He was colour blind and the tree had colour coded assembly.

The Busch Gardens thing sounds fun! Once Selden gets older and you're all settled the Holidays will be special for sure, but yanno what, you'll still look back and think of the great times you had the past 4 years as well.

The thing about your dad made me laugh. Reminds me of me and my dad.

Going to a theme park on Thanksgiving is awesome, the parts are empty. I think one year we went to Universal Studio's to see the Grinch displays and shows.

Yes, I have had great times the past 4 years and it has made me really appreciate things much more than I ever did before.

on the dad comment. Let's just say that was the most heartfelt thing we ever did together before my mom and I left him when I was 12.

TotalANXiousNESS said:

Nice thread.

National Lampoons, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story, oh and Rudolph are in my dvd player constantly for one.

A couple years ago, me and the kids started making a 'Thankful Box'. It's just a shoebox that I let the kids decorate, in the beginning of November, and then every night after dinner, I have them both write (or draw a picture) on a piece of paper, something that they feel thankful for that day. Then they open it and we read over everything in the box on Thanksgiving day.

I also have all of my company bring a Christmas tree ornanment to Thanksgiving dinner, that symbolizes something they are thankful for and after dinner, I have them all put it on the tree. I keep them every year and then yanno, we go over all of them the next year, makes decorating the tree special and we always do it thanksgiving evening/night after dinner. The kids LOVE the whole family being a part of it. Last year was the first year we didn't do it, due to circumstances, but were going to do it again this year.

Christmas basically, the typical traditions. I never hold dinner at my house Christmas Eve, because I have the youngest children in the family and its always too much, but SOMEONE has dinner and after dinner we go to church, come home, kids get to open ONE present......(its always Christmas PJs to wear that night) and then cookies and milk and carrots and letters to Santa are put out and off to bed!

One thing I carried over from my childhood is my mom always snuck in our rooms Christmas eve and put some kind of souvenier from Santa in our bed, yanno, like one of those big plastic candycanes with candy in or whatever, from Santa, letting us know he had been there.

Open presents and then I do dinner at my house for everyone Christmas day. There is no set time, people are in and out all day and I bring all kinds of goodies out throughout the day. I just refuse to lugg my small children out and go visiting on Christmas day. I like to stay home and enjoy them.

Well, that's a nice way to get free ornaments for your tree!

TotalANXiousNESS said:

Nice thread.

National Lampoons, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story, oh and Rudolph are in my dvd player constantly for one.

A couple years ago, me and the kids started making a 'Thankful Box'. It's just a shoebox that I let the kids decorate, in the beginning of November, and then every night after dinner, I have them both write (or draw a picture) on a piece of paper, something that they feel thankful for that day. Then they open it and we read over everything in the box on Thanksgiving day.

I love that idea!

We're a blended family, and we'll be celebrating our fourth (!) Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family this year. We're still establishing our traditions.

I think I might start a Thankful Box this year!

I haven't "celebrated" Thanksgiving since 1995 -- in 1996 I was in living in France and they don't celebrate it. I never liked that holiday much anyway so I didn't miss it. After that year, I stopped flying back to my hometown because it was too much travel for just a 3 day weekend and I didn't like the food anyway. Some years I'll go to friend's parents' houses, some years I just stay home and watch movies, sometimes I give tours at the museum; one year my mom came to NYC and we watched the Macy*s parade then went out to eat. (Since I don't eat turkey, stuffing, cranberries, etc. I am not going to cook them!) I just use it as a bonus 3-day weekend!

I used to fly to my parents for xmas, but about 3 or 4 years ago I decided I wasn't going to do it anymore. It was too stressful to get there, and I hated being there for a lot of reasons. I go back to where I grew up usually once a year or every other year for about a week and it's much better. It's not as hectic, the weather is nicer, and I don't have to go to all the relatives xmases. In the past few years 2 of my 3 surviving grandparents passed away, so I imagine it's much different now than when I was younger anyway...

PunkMistress said:

TotalANXiousNESS said:

Nice thread.

National Lampoons, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story, oh and Rudolph are in my dvd player constantly for one.

A couple years ago, me and the kids started making a 'Thankful Box'. It's just a shoebox that I let the kids decorate, in the beginning of November, and then every night after dinner, I have them both write (or draw a picture) on a piece of paper, something that they feel thankful for that day. Then they open it and we read over everything in the box on Thanksgiving day.

I love that idea!

We're a blended family, and we'll be celebrating our fourth (!) Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family this year. We're still establishing our traditions.

I think I might start a Thankful Box this year!

Yeah, it's really fun to open them and hear some of the stuff they put down over the weeks. And it really shows ya how much you actually HAVE to be thankful for.

Shyra said:

TotalANXiousNESS said:

Nice thread.

National Lampoons, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story, oh and Rudolph are in my dvd player constantly for one.

A couple years ago, me and the kids started making a 'Thankful Box'. It's just a shoebox that I let the kids decorate, in the beginning of November, and then every night after dinner, I have them both write (or draw a picture) on a piece of paper, something that they feel thankful for that day. Then they open it and we read over everything in the box on Thanksgiving day.

I also have all of my company bring a Christmas tree ornanment to Thanksgiving dinner, that symbolizes something they are thankful for and after dinner, I have them all put it on the tree. I keep them every year and then yanno, we go over all of them the next year, makes decorating the tree special and we always do it thanksgiving evening/night after dinner. The kids LOVE the whole family being a part of it. Last year was the first year we didn't do it, due to circumstances, but were going to do it again this year.

Christmas basically, the typical traditions. I never hold dinner at my house Christmas Eve, because I have the youngest children in the family and its always too much, but SOMEONE has dinner and after dinner we go to church, come home, kids get to open ONE present......(its always Christmas PJs to wear that night) and then cookies and milk and carrots and letters to Santa are put out and off to bed!

One thing I carried over from my childhood is my mom always snuck in our rooms Christmas eve and put some kind of souvenier from Santa in our bed, yanno, like one of those big plastic candycanes with candy in or whatever, from Santa, letting us know he had been there.

Open presents and then I do dinner at my house for everyone Christmas day. There is no set time, people are in and out all day and I bring all kinds of goodies out throughout the day. I just refuse to lugg my small children out and go visiting on Christmas day. I like to stay home and enjoy them.

Well, that's a nice way to get free ornaments for your tree!

Holiday traditions is just those Xmas dinners with all the food and trimmings.

My mom, Aunt, cousin and I used to gather all of our unwanted towels & blankets. We would go to the store and buy loads of paper towels, laundry detergent & dish soap and take it all to the local animal shelter that I used to volunteer at on Christmas Eve.

Now that we have a baby, we are starting a tradition of donating to a local children's homeless shelter. I want him to understand that the holidays are not just about receiving, it is more important to give!

Shanti0608 said:

My mom, Aunt, cousin and I used to gather all of our unwanted towels & blankets. We would go to the store and buy loads of paper towels, laundry detergent & dish soap and take it all to the local animal shelter that I used to volunteer at on Christmas Eve.

Now that we have a baby, we are starting a tradition of donating to a local children's homeless shelter. I want him to understand that the holidays are not just about receiving, it is more important to give!

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.

a stiff drink before decorating the tree or else

ZombieKitten said:

a stiff drink before decorating the tree or else

...and then you wake up the next morning and wonder why all the lights are wrapped around the refrigerator and the milk is stuffed inside the tree?

PurpleJedi said:

ZombieKitten said:

a stiff drink before decorating the tree or else

...and then you wake up the next morning and wonder why all the lights are wrapped around the refrigerator and the milk is stuffed inside the tree?

just a nip, my mum invented this tradition so my sister and I didn't kill each other

I still need it now, when the kids insist on helping me and their idea of putting the ornaments on is to throw them towards the tree and cheer if they stick.

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.

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.

ZombieKitten said:

PurpleJedi said:

...and then you wake up the next morning and wonder why all the lights are wrapped around the refrigerator and the milk is stuffed inside the tree?

just a nip, my mum invented this tradition so my sister and I didn't kill each other

I still need it now, when the kids insist on helping me and their idea of putting the ornaments on is to throw them towards the tree and cheer if they stick.

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.

XxAxX said:

powell's bookstore in portland, for last minute shopping! can't wait

Take me!!! I fell in LOVE with that place this summer!

Up until about 3 years ago, the Fall-Winter tradition was that we'd have a big multifamily Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's. She'd cook, we'd eat, I'd lead a sort of Secret Santa name swap (which I'd invariably screw up ), and then we'd all schmooze a bit before helping clean the house and heading home in the evening. Then on Christmas, we'd get together again for the gift swap/another big dinner, which was usually also lot of fun. I'd often rig the swap so that my sister and cousin got each-other's names. They have a love/hate thing going, and the stuff they'd end up buying was really pretty funny.

My mom's getting older and so she's needed to downsize. She sold her home and just hasn't had much interest in hosting big holiday dinners at her new apartment.

[Edited 11/5/10 7:12am]

Shyra said:

It's not the same anymore since the death of my dad. My family is very small, only mom, my brother and me. Sure, there are cousins, but for some reason, we don't keep in touch. They all live out of state and are grown with their own children and grandchildren, so we've grown apart. Since my brother and I never married and had families, we spend all our holidays with our mom, who just turned 86 yesterday. So on major holidays my brother and I go to her retirement community where a holiday brunch is always served.

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.