Do you have any xmas traditions?

[briggsy's girl]

loving the new jim jams on Christmas eve - cute idea! might have to look at doing that one!

DH used to always wear a pair of blue and white striped shorts and a santa hat with mrs claus plaits - but they got lost when we got together. so that one is out the window - might have to find something for him to wear now that is spesh for Christmas

[bon]

We always do the drive around looking at the christmas lights every year, the kids absolutely love it! We try to do santa photos but last year were only successful at getting the two older kids in the photo, and that was only because they found out that if you get your photo taken with Santa, you got a little show bag with colouring in pages and chocolate in it! Gotta love bribery lol. Every year we all get a new outfit to wear on christmas day, which is wrapped and put under the tree. Because DD's birthday is 28th of November (and marks the last of our birthdays for the year), the tree does not go up any earlier than December 1, but usually later (because little hands can't help destroy...errr "rearranging" the decorations).

We usually go to PILs for christmas lunch, and MIL serves the same thing every year - pumpkin soup or prawn ****tail for entree, at least 3 different roast meats, plus ham and vegies for main, and traditional christmas pudding for dessert. She is very territorial about her christmas too - doesn't like anyone else contributing, and one year when I offered to make the pudding she decided that she would rather do what she always does and serve the tinned pudding. Yep, tinned pudding over home made. Oh well, no accounting for taste.

[nellnell]

each child had a pillow case with our names etc on it that santa filled.

I've created a beautiful pillow case (or santa sack) for both of our children using felt, ribbons, bells, etc and adding something small to it each year. My daughter has santa carrying presents on one side, and 2 reindeer heads on the other. So far my son has snowflakes on one side. I also add their name and blanket stitch around the pictures in a contrasting colour.

[Winter]

Each year I get snapfish to create a couple of ornaments of photos of family to give out to Mum & sis & 1 set for me. I have done the last 2 Christmases.Lat year was our wedding, this year was all photos of DD with family and I ordered an extra set for DD for when she grows up. My mum does this as well (started 3 years ago)and hopefully my sister is going to start this year!! These are my favourite presents for the year, and I really look forward to making them & recieving them!! I can't wait to get the tree up and add the next family ornaments.

[Astrolady]

A few years ago I took over Christmas Day from my Grandmother as she was getting to old to do everything, and her place was getting to small for the growing family. Our first Christmas here we had 13 around the table consecutive years it has slowly dwindled down which has put a dampener on things a bit.

Last year (prior to xmas) we found out that My IL's wont come to chistmas at our place anymore cause they don't like my parents. Has to all be about them, never mind their son, or their grandchildren who they now miss out on seeing Christmas Day.

So I spend all Christmas eve (day) cleaning the house, christmas eve (night) after the kids are in bed I set the table for the 8 of us (Us, my parents, my grandmother) and I have the carols on as well.

Christmas morning kids have to be dressed and had breakfast. They then get their presents. After that I start preparing the vegetables for lunch. Mum brings the Turkey and my grandmother brings some sort of meat as well. I generally do the beef as well. So lunch is the traditional lunch with all the trimmings. After the main meal, it is pudding and custard and then when the dishes are done, we all sit down for the present opening. We also have a present hander outer which changes each year.

After that we just sit around the table and talk, kids go off and play. At tea time it is left overs with fresh salads.

Last couple of years my parents and grandmother have all gone home by 8pm. So once they are home Christmas is over. We now have had to go to the IL's on Boxing Day since they don't bother to join us anymore.

I usually put the tree up when our pageant happens which is generally early November. Last year however by the time Christmas Day arrived I was sick of looking at the tree, and it came down on Dec 27th. This year I am now going to wait till the first weekend of Dec to put the tree up. I might enjoy it more.

[NaeNae]

We are starting a few traditions, just not too sure how we will manage them this year with a newborn.

Usually, there is a mad rush to find the "perfect tree" and decorate it a week before Christmas

Christmas Eve DH and I go to his church's midnight mass (that starts at 9ish) he drags me kicking and screaming because the last few years the service person has been very "anti other religions and homosexuals" and some how manages to spend the entire service whinging about that - not very Christian in my opinion.

Christmas day we spend at home (and will always do so from here on in) I usually cook a large roast and we have PIL and SIL up to the house. Depending on what other family members do sometimes we get the other BIL and his family there as well. My Mum always goes out to her folks place on Christmas day so we never see my family on Christmas.

Boxing Day - we usually go out to my folks place and Mum puts on a bbq or something its usually a big day for us as its a 2 hour drive to their place one way (doubt very much we'll be doing that this year)

Then we eat left overs for a week

I do love Christmas. This year I have specifically told Dh that we will go to the proper Chrissy tree farm as I want to get a 10ft tree so it almost hits the roof. I love the smell of pine throughout the house.

Nae x

[smiles4u]

My family all laugh at me every 2nd Xmas i spend with them as they love watching me struggle to get the paper party hat out of the Xmas cracker to fit my big head

(( 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 ))

I pop a Xmas card in neighbours (that i'm not close to) letterboxes that i know have had a hard year so as to hopefully give them a smile for that moment

Each Xmas DP video's DD putting the star on the Xmas tree so in years to come we all will see the change in her growing up at Xmas doing the exact same thing (1st Xmas as a bub of course i helped her)

[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!

[danita]

As the title says whats your christmas traditions??


DS is nearly 2 and i think hes beginning to understand what christmas is and i want to start some traditions with him so when he is older he can continue these and say "for as long as i can remember we have always done......."

we never really had traditions growing up so would like to start some..

what do u do in your family as a tradition????