So now your married. Do you have kids? What are your Christmas traditions? How do you merge your old traditions with your spouses? Let's here some fun stories! Also do you do Santa Claus with your kids? My sister doesn't with hers but I do with mine. My mom actually chewed me out for it too!!! SHE DID SANTA WITH ME!! lol.
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Christmas Traditions
- Thread starter Garion
- Start date
30 views and zero replies? Really? Doesn't anyone want to just have a positive non-serious, non-sexual conversation here? 
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Lena75
Well-Known Member
Oh, you mean we can actually have a FAMILY thread without having to discuss how the family got here?! :o
Since my sister got married way back when we've been having family gatherings on Dec. 24th. We still do! We do the Santa thing as well. I grew up with it and my kids are at the age where they're really skeptical about it.
I was just saying yesterday how Decembers drag by when you're a kid, but once you have your own kids, December FLIES by and we have to scramble to get ready for Christmas! At least that's how it seems to be for us this year.
Since my sister got married way back when we've been having family gatherings on Dec. 24th. We still do! We do the Santa thing as well. I grew up with it and my kids are at the age where they're really skeptical about it.
I was just saying yesterday how Decembers drag by when you're a kid, but once you have your own kids, December FLIES by and we have to scramble to get ready for Christmas! At least that's how it seems to be for us this year.
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My tradition growing up was to get up, Wait in a frenzy for my parents to brush their teeth and get coffee. Then we would each take turns opening presents going from youngest to oldest. Then while my sister and I played with our toys they would fix breakfast and we had a lazy day around the house. My parents did Santa Claus and I loved it.
Now our tradition is mostly the same. My wife mentioned this year that when she grew up her parents gave her the stocking, then made her wait until after breakfast to open presents. I am fine with trying that if she likes it better. I can see how it would string out the fun a little longer!
I also do Santa Claus and I take great fun in it. Each year I wait about 30 minutes after the kids go to bed and go bounce basketballs off their bedroom roofs, then shake a stick with jingle bells tied to it outside their windows. Last year I got the idea off the internet and took some big snow boots and dipped them in water and then into the fireplace ash and made footprints coming out of the fireplace to the tree and back.
Sooooooooo much fun.
Now our tradition is mostly the same. My wife mentioned this year that when she grew up her parents gave her the stocking, then made her wait until after breakfast to open presents. I am fine with trying that if she likes it better. I can see how it would string out the fun a little longer!
I also do Santa Claus and I take great fun in it. Each year I wait about 30 minutes after the kids go to bed and go bounce basketballs off their bedroom roofs, then shake a stick with jingle bells tied to it outside their windows. Last year I got the idea off the internet and took some big snow boots and dipped them in water and then into the fireplace ash and made footprints coming out of the fireplace to the tree and back.
Sooooooooo much fun.
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waxlion10
Just shut up and be delicious- Dwight
This is my first Christmas with DH I'm not sure what kinds of holiday traditions we'll start, tbh. Both sets of parents live in the same town, so we're driving home for Christmas.
Several things I'd like to do:
-create new ornaments every year (I think this will be especially fun if we have kids someday)
- make a box of items to donate to our local thrift store
- go to a Christmas cantata (check!)
- bake a red velvet cake with white icing in the shape of a heart or cross (as a "birthday cake" for Jesus- red for the blood He shed for us, white for the purity we have through His redeeming blood)
- read Luke's account of Jesus' birth on Christmas Eve
I'm sure we'll come up with some more traditions in the next few years
I'm not sure what kinds of holiday traditions we'll start, tbh. Both sets of parents live in the same town, so we're driving home for Christmas.Several things I'd like to do:
-create new ornaments every year (I think this will be especially fun if we have kids someday)
- make a box of items to donate to our local thrift store
- go to a Christmas cantata (check!)
- bake a red velvet cake with white icing in the shape of a heart or cross (as a "birthday cake" for Jesus- red for the blood He shed for us, white for the purity we have through His redeeming blood)
- read Luke's account of Jesus' birth on Christmas Eve
I'm sure we'll come up with some more traditions in the next few years
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Lilymay
Veteran
We had our dinner on Christmas eve and were sent to bed early because santa always came to our house before midnight. My parents would wake us up at midnight, telling us santa came, and we would open our presents, and stay up half the night. We usually got school clothes and a toy.
The best Christmas I remember growing up was the year I was told there was no santa (my brother and sister already knew). My parents sat us kids down and told us there was no money for Christmas presents that year so what we were to do was find whatever we could around the house and make each person a gift. My brother took a piece of wood, painted it and put nails in the wood in a triangle shape to make us girls a necklace holder. My sister drew everyone a picture. I took a piece of old rug, some fabric, and fishing line (used as thread) and made everyone slippers. They were homely little slippers but my parents wore them til they fell apart. My dad was saving our crayon shavings (we each got the 64 pack of crayons with the sharpener in the box the year before for Christmas...remember those... they were a huge thing back then). I know now how he did what he did... he separated each shaving color.. melted it, put in metal tube, let it dry.. repeated process with each color.. so for Christmas each of us kids got a big muti colored crayon. Mom cheated...lol... she got us each a pair of jeans for school.
Fast forward.... now married.. go to my mom's for Christmas eve (but not this year, it is too much for mom to have everyone over all at once, so my family will visit her over the following weekend)... Christmas morning at home, yes we did santa when the kids were younger... Christmas day afternoon at husband's mom's.
The best Christmas I remember growing up was the year I was told there was no santa (my brother and sister already knew). My parents sat us kids down and told us there was no money for Christmas presents that year so what we were to do was find whatever we could around the house and make each person a gift. My brother took a piece of wood, painted it and put nails in the wood in a triangle shape to make us girls a necklace holder. My sister drew everyone a picture. I took a piece of old rug, some fabric, and fishing line (used as thread) and made everyone slippers. They were homely little slippers but my parents wore them til they fell apart. My dad was saving our crayon shavings (we each got the 64 pack of crayons with the sharpener in the box the year before for Christmas...remember those... they were a huge thing back then). I know now how he did what he did... he separated each shaving color.. melted it, put in metal tube, let it dry.. repeated process with each color.. so for Christmas each of us kids got a big muti colored crayon. Mom cheated...lol... she got us each a pair of jeans for school.
Fast forward.... now married.. go to my mom's for Christmas eve (but not this year, it is too much for mom to have everyone over all at once, so my family will visit her over the following weekend)... Christmas morning at home, yes we did santa when the kids were younger... Christmas day afternoon at husband's mom's.
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Niffer
So...that just happened.
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Ugh, we almost have too many traditions.
My german traditions include lots, and lots and lots of food, buying our Christmas tree on the 5th of December and stringing popcorn and cranberries around it.
On Christmas eve day, we set up whats called "Bunte Teller" (boont-teller) which is German for "Colourful Plates". We have a big bright plate, with a red delicious Apple in the middle and surrounding it are nuts, and german chocolates bought espically for the occasion.
Like: "Platzchen, Pheffenusse, Katzenzugen, Napoltains and Marzipan." All delicious chocolate and candies, I keep re-filling the plate 'till New Year.
Remi's french traditions turn up when we celebrate "Revillion" on Christmas eve night.
We all stay up to go to Midnight Mass, then trudge home to eat Cassoulet and Tortiere, then open up a few gifts.
Then at 8am the next morning we're up for sticky-buns and breakfast cassarole and gift opening.
Its all crazy-ness really.
- Niff
My german traditions include lots, and lots and lots of food, buying our Christmas tree on the 5th of December and stringing popcorn and cranberries around it.
On Christmas eve day, we set up whats called "Bunte Teller" (boont-teller) which is German for "Colourful Plates". We have a big bright plate, with a red delicious Apple in the middle and surrounding it are nuts, and german chocolates bought espically for the occasion.
Like: "Platzchen, Pheffenusse, Katzenzugen, Napoltains and Marzipan." All delicious chocolate and candies, I keep re-filling the plate 'till New Year.
Remi's french traditions turn up when we celebrate "Revillion" on Christmas eve night.
We all stay up to go to Midnight Mass, then trudge home to eat Cassoulet and Tortiere, then open up a few gifts.
Then at 8am the next morning we're up for sticky-buns and breakfast cassarole and gift opening.
Its all crazy-ness really.
- Niff
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L
LovesToBless
Guest
Most of my traditions have changed dramatically. I will post about them another time, but am struggling about the changes and having peace about them. (I'll just say for now, it's due to a lot of outside our home factors)
I share this because...you are new, got a lot of "looks" with little response, and I just wanted to share that maybe I'm not the only one who has some sadness connected to Christmas traditions or traditions in general.
I share this because...you are new, got a lot of "looks" with little response, and I just wanted to share that maybe I'm not the only one who has some sadness connected to Christmas traditions or traditions in general.
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Growing up, my parents would purposely set their alarm really early so that we wouldn't have to wait long before going into the living room. You see, with 7 of us, my parents insisted that on Christmas morning everyone stays in their rooms until they got up. My dad would give the signal (a big, hearty, in his lovely deep voice: "HO HO HO!"
Once we got into the living room, we each picked a corner, section of stairway, or large box to put our stuff in, and one of us (and we took turns) would pass out the gifts one-by-one (eventually stretching to maybe 2 or 3 at a time...but never more than that). My mother would have the huge trash barrel by the door and all the paper immediately went into that. I'd say that about 90% of the presents were 2nd-hand things, with each of us getting 1 or 2 brand new things.
Anyway, then my parents would go back to bed, and us kids could do whatever we wanted (quietly, of course) until Mom made a big breakfast, then it was off to visit relatives.
My husband's family always open their gifts on Christmas Eve. He doesn't talk too much about his childhood Christmases, as he was an abused child.
Our tradition with our girls is: Christmas Eve we go to our church's candlelight service. In the morning, we all wake up (we're all early risers anyway, so usually WH & I are up before the girls are), I place the Baby Jesus into the Nativity scene and we all sing "Happy Birthday". Then we all relax with a cup of French Vanilla tea. THEN we open gifts. During all this I have some Christmas music playing. The rest of the day we pretty much just relax. We don't do Santa...never have.
2 of my siblings live kind of close (but still an hour away), so we always plan on getting together on a weekend. This year it's going to be New Year's Day.
Once we got into the living room, we each picked a corner, section of stairway, or large box to put our stuff in, and one of us (and we took turns) would pass out the gifts one-by-one (eventually stretching to maybe 2 or 3 at a time...but never more than that). My mother would have the huge trash barrel by the door and all the paper immediately went into that. I'd say that about 90% of the presents were 2nd-hand things, with each of us getting 1 or 2 brand new things.
Anyway, then my parents would go back to bed, and us kids could do whatever we wanted (quietly, of course) until Mom made a big breakfast, then it was off to visit relatives.
My husband's family always open their gifts on Christmas Eve. He doesn't talk too much about his childhood Christmases, as he was an abused child.
Our tradition with our girls is: Christmas Eve we go to our church's candlelight service. In the morning, we all wake up (we're all early risers anyway, so usually WH & I are up before the girls are), I place the Baby Jesus into the Nativity scene and we all sing "Happy Birthday". Then we all relax with a cup of French Vanilla tea. THEN we open gifts. During all this I have some Christmas music playing. The rest of the day we pretty much just relax. We don't do Santa...never have.
2 of my siblings live kind of close (but still an hour away), so we always plan on getting together on a weekend. This year it's going to be New Year's Day.
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Lena75
Well-Known Member
There's also sadness on my side of the family. Not so sad now, but for a few years, pretty sad. My uncle and his fiance had died in a car crash 23 Christmas Eves ago. Shook up the whole family, yet at the same time, aunts and uncles felt even closer than ever before. That was a Christmas that I can still remember as if it happened just yesterday.
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L
LovesToBless
Guest
One tradition that changed is...we aren't getting a Christmas tree.
I was very sick in '07 and my husband and son didn't want to go and pick one out without me. We'd always had real trees that we'd pick and decorate together. That year it just didn't seem the same without me going along. And then the next year (and every year following) we decided to forgo a tree. They are quite expensive (and yes, we considered a fake tree...couldn't find one we liked) and for some reason I still don't totally understand, we are all fine about it. I think part of the reason is, many years someone in the family (extended family I'm referring to here) was sick or in the hospital, and having peaceful times with low stress is a big priority to us.
I'm fine, yeah, and yet, I miss it too. A tree is a lot of work, but we all enjoy it so much. I think we'll have another one eventually...but for now, that's one big change ~ and it makes me a tiny bit sad.
I was very sick in '07 and my husband and son didn't want to go and pick one out without me. We'd always had real trees that we'd pick and decorate together. That year it just didn't seem the same without me going along. And then the next year (and every year following) we decided to forgo a tree. They are quite expensive (and yes, we considered a fake tree...couldn't find one we liked) and for some reason I still don't totally understand, we are all fine about it. I think part of the reason is, many years someone in the family (extended family I'm referring to here) was sick or in the hospital, and having peaceful times with low stress is a big priority to us.
I'm fine, yeah, and yet, I miss it too. A tree is a lot of work, but we all enjoy it so much. I think we'll have another one eventually...but for now, that's one big change ~ and it makes me a tiny bit sad.
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ChildByGrace
Isn't God's grace the best !!!
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Growing up we would all go to a Christmas eve service at our church. We'd get home around 12.15am on Christmas day and the 4 kids would head off to bed while my parents sorted out our presents. Around 5am my sister-much to my annoyance lol-would wake me up saying Santas been!! We'd open our stockings (me 3/4 asleep and my sister sooooo excited!) and then go back to sleep. We'd then get up around 7.30am and keep pestering our parents until 8am when they would allow us in their room to open our other presents. As we got older it'd just be our stockings in the morning and we'd open our main presents after church, lunch and the queens speech!!
Oh-obviously we did santa!
Since being married we have carried on the stocking thing which ds loves. At the moment the children don't open their presents until after Christmas lunch-the main reason for this being that we don't have time before going to church-last year we had to wake ds up at 8.45am!! He hasn't quite got the whole excitedly waking up early yet lol.
Because we have both sets of parents close by and to give ds time to play with done of his toys without being overwhelmed, we seem to of started a tradition where ds and dd will open their presents from us and one set of grandparents on Christmas day and the presents from the other set of grandparents on boxing day. Any presents from uncles and aunts will be given at various other points over Christmas and boxing day. I think it's kinda nice fir the grandparents to be there when their presents are opened!
This year also, assuming I can find it, I am going to sprinkle glitter on our path to show where the raindeer stood.
Oh-obviously we did santa!
Since being married we have carried on the stocking thing which ds loves. At the moment the children don't open their presents until after Christmas lunch-the main reason for this being that we don't have time before going to church-last year we had to wake ds up at 8.45am!! He hasn't quite got the whole excitedly waking up early yet lol.
Because we have both sets of parents close by and to give ds time to play with done of his toys without being overwhelmed, we seem to of started a tradition where ds and dd will open their presents from us and one set of grandparents on Christmas day and the presents from the other set of grandparents on boxing day. Any presents from uncles and aunts will be given at various other points over Christmas and boxing day. I think it's kinda nice fir the grandparents to be there when their presents are opened!
This year also, assuming I can find it, I am going to sprinkle glitter on our path to show where the raindeer stood.
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Faithful_Marine
Semper Fidelis-Always Faithful
Well. I have been married for almost a year. My 1st Anniversary is Christmas Day! My wife and I dont have any traditions as of yet. Our daughter is 2 months we hope to have lots of Traditions in the years to come
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