Do you have any xmas traditions?

[sirenz]

every year we buy 2 presents for the wishing tree, one for a girl and one for a boy (its always so hard to choose just one, they all deserve something ).

We don't buy presents for the adults in the family, only the kids get something from each adult (nothing too expensive, and no one is expected to buy anything for the kids if they can't afford it).

Another tradition every year is, we go to the cheap shops and buy heaps of little funny novelty items (nothing over $5), then we wrap them up and place in boxes appropriate for men or ladies. Then we play bingo after our christmas lunch and everyone wins a prize. There is always LOTS of laughter and that is so much better than spending hundreds of $$ every year on gifts we don't even know will be used or wanted.

xmas to us is more about family and cooking delicious food and having fun, and making it fun for the kids too I think we enjoy it more because we don't have to worry about buying gifts ect..

p.s. I forgot to add that food is a HUGE xmas tradition for our family. We always have a whole leg ham, the biggest turkey we can find and roast pork on the day. We usually have roast vegies on xmas day and then salad and left over meat on boxing day. We also have lots of snacks before the big feast. And my nan makes a traditional trifle every year. It is also tradition for me to make the shortbread and a cheesecake too. We all take part in cooking something (except my sister who can't even boil an egg), and everyone always looks forward to eating the yummy things we each make. Mum cooks the turkey and the pork.

On xmas eve or xmas night, we drive around and look at all the xmas lights.

[AnyDream]

(( From the very 1st year that Kmart introduced the Xmas Wishing Tree (about early 1990's) i was young living out of home & working full-time & studying with no dependents at the time & i would purchase a toy for a boy & girl age 10 at $20 each ... then after doing this for about 5years a friend of mine at the time & a few of her neighbours in a block of commission flats whom were all couples with one or two children living on pensions but earning cash in hand for their undeclared full-time jobs laughed at how they could go & ' collect ' these toys for their kids which they DID even though they were NOT financially struggle (they were earning$ more than i) ... I was so upset by this that i never donated a toy ever again as it so put me off donating in this way again !!! ... Sadly in a way they muck it up for other children that desperately need a toy for Xmas ))

Ah so sad someone had to corrupt it like that!! I still go out every year for gifts (try to get something really special to put under the wishing tree) because I'll never forget the year my sister, single mum struggling to get through uni to make a better life for her boys - didn't have enough $$ for fortnightly groceries let alone *any* pretense of Christmas and I thought to myself how it really could be any of us, given the right chain of events.

Grub...that's how I remember Christmas in my childhood - except once the parents divorced and the driving back and forth began!

Christmas tree goes up first weekend of December. We put on the musack, and have christmas cookies and spiced drinks and really enjoy our selves. Dh videos it every year (*rolleyes*) and some how every year there is always a full screen bum shot of my rear. LOL

Christmas eve is with my parents (dad & stepmum), used to be a big affair with members of SM's family but we've scaled it back since SM has been unwell. Stop and look at the Brewery lights on the way home, put out some German gingerbread and a milo for Father Christmas , kids into bed. Then usually some frantic late-night wrapping/toy assembly goes on. Fall into bed.

Kids are allowed to open *one* present before breakfast (usually Father Christmas's because that's the biggest one). Ham on toast for breaky. Then we go to my sisters to open rest of pressies. Lots of snacky things on plates and champagne followed by a cold spread. Chill out in the afternoon - let's be honest, this usually means playing with some of the kids new toys LOL.

We *love* christmas tv, so if we can fit some of this in, we do.

Really looking forward to Christmas this year, last year I had gallstones which meant I did a lot of gazing longingly at everyone else's plates. Plus this year DD2 knows about christmas (thanks to the Mickey Mouse's Christmas DVD at the FDC lady's LOL) so it's gonna be fever pitch excitement!