Hey everyone, since it is that time of year again I was wondering what kind of wacky, fun or serious traditions you have at this time of year? A family tradition that I have is to go to Niagara on the Lake in Ontario for their candle lit walk, although it is always very cold but still fun.
When I was little, my mom used to bribe me and my brother into going with her to the Xmas eve church mass by letting us open one gift before we went or after we went. It was the only way she could get us to go (both of us being skeptical of religion at a young age despite going to church and sunday school). She tried it when we were older, and even a couple years ago (we're both over 20) but it doesn't work anymore since we only ask that she buys us socks. haha.
That's was the only tradition my family has ever had that I can think of.
Here is my interesting tradition. First we put up a pole instead of a tree. Then we sit down to have dinner. Dinner starts out with the airing of grievances where we tell our family members how they have disappointed us over the past year. Our tradition doesn't end there. In fact, dinner cannot end until the feats of strength. This is where I have to pin my father.
Ha ha.
Every year we put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving and take it down the day after Christmas (my mom's b-day is the 27th so she never liked the tree up and that just stuck with me). My mom bakes every year, although I don't get to help like I did before moving out and having kiddos. Every Christmas Eve night, we go out to the Luminaria walk that is downtown and freeze ourselves through 6 or 7 blocks of 'oohs' and 'aahs', then we go get some hot chocolate and warm up.
[quote user="Katelyn "]
Hey everyone, since it is that time of year again I was wondering what kind of wacky, fun or serious traditions you have at this time of year? A family tradition that I have is to go to Niagara on the Lake in Ontario for their candle lit walk, although it is always very cold but still fun.
[/quote]Ive done that walk in Niagara-on-the-Lake before, probably about 12 years ago! It is beautiful... such a quaint, romantic little town!
My story has a little less to do with tradition as simply a Christmas story relating to my diabetes: I am the youngest of four children. We always opened our presents on Christmas morning, but before we could make it downstairs to the loot under the tree, everybody had to wait for me to finish my breakfast (this was way back in the 70s, when I was kept on a strict "diabetic mealplan"). I used to be a real slowpoke type of eater, especially first thing in the morning. I have very vivid memories of my three older siblings sitting around me, staring, or should I say glaring at me to hurry up and finish! Talk about pressure! Merry Christmas to all!
My family and some friends always get together the 23rd or the 24th and go to a neighborhood dubbed "Christmas Tree Lane" where the majority of the residents decorate their houses with Christmas lights--often to extremes. It's quite beautiful to look at. We also go have dinner together and hang out for a little while afterwards.
My family and I usually go to church on Christmas Eve, then the next morning the whole floor is covered with wrapping paper and must be cleared off before we make dinner!!!! Another tradition we do is have a birthday cake for Jesus, this year it is cupcakes!
My grandparents came from Italy, so we have pasta at every family gathering. Christmas has always been the largest get together, so it's always the biggest holiday meal. Spaghetti, and garlic bread, and wandas, and meatballs, and homemade sauce, and OMGTHEDELICIOUSNESS *drool*
Also, because I come from a ginormous family (my grandma had 13 kids... and that's just my mom's side of the family), we always open our presents Christmas Eve and then celebrate with my mom's family Christmas Day, and my dad's side of the family December 26th. We usually have 4 Christmases every year. The 4th is usually the beginning of December with my mom's entire extended family. We just had it last weekend! Always tons 'o fun.
We would always decorate the tree on Christmas eve. This probably has something to do with the fact that my birthday is 5 days before Christmas, so my parents wanted to make sure my day did not get lost in Christmas. After we decorated the tree, my dad would always read me "The Night Before Christmas". Also, it's our tradition to burn bayberry candles on Christmas Eve. It's supposed to bring good luck in the coming year.
Don't really have any anymore now that my sister and I have both moved out. I'm going up to Rhode Island for xmas this year to be with the sister. Parents I think are coming as well for xmas day and the day after. If anything like last year, xmas will involve waking up late, ppl opening stuff i got them, going out and getting drunk on orgy bowls at a chinese restaurant (phoenix dragon) and then going out to a bar like last year...a new tradition will be born i suppose.
Movie and Chinese Food = Jewish tradition for Christmas Day! (:
Christmas Eve, my immediate family and my brother's girlfriend and my sister's husband all hang out at my parents house. They make dinner, which is basically finger-food heaven. Cocktail weenies, meatballs, sauerkraut balls, etc. We watch funny movies and drive around and look at Christmas lights. After all the fun, my siblings and I open the gifts we bought each other.
Christmas Day, wake up, make a huge breakfast and take turns opening gifts while watching the parade on TV. For dinner we go to my mom's sister's house and hang out with her side of the family.
I can't wait! I moved 2 hours south of home a year ago and I have never been so homesick. I never went away to college, so it thrills me to have any opportunity to go home and spend it with the family :)
I hope everyone has a blessed holiday season! Don't forget, the dual wave bolus is your best friend this time of year with all the pigging out :)
I always spend Christmas Eve at my dad's house opening presents, etc., and then spend Christmas Day at my mom's. We always listen to music and eat Hershey's kisses and clementines for breakfast. Also, we make ginger bread houses with our family friends earlier in December (although this year most of them collapsed). We used to celebrate one night of Hanukkah with our other family friends and make marshmallow dreidels, but that didn't happen this year.
[quote user="Sarah"]
Movie and Chinese Food = Jewish tradition for Christmas Day! (:
[/quote]
sounds good to me!! i'd much rather do that then deal with all the christmas bull!
I am Italian too and we always have bouillbaise (fish and seafood with tomato sauce) over linguine with crusty Italian bread. It is delicious.
I am Italian too and we always have bouillbaise (fish and seafood with tomato sauce) over linguine with crusty Italian bread. It is delicious.