Unwrapping Christmas Traditions

I love hearing about everyone’s Christmas traditions. How does your family celebrate?

 

- My family has an annual Christmas party. I haven’t been able to attend for a few years now, but there are usually around 100 people (or were back in the day...)

 

- I have the job of hanging the Christmas stockings, or did when I lived in my parents’ house.

 

- On Christmas Eve, we have our family dinner of ham, au gratin potatoes, rolls, etc.

 

- On Thanksgiving, we each pick a name of one of our siblings to buy a gift for. This started years ago when we were really young and didn’t have money to buy 6 siblings & 2 parents a gift, but it’s continued to this day. On Christmas Eve, we exchange our “Secret Santa” gifts.

 

- After SS gifts and dinner, we attend Christmas Eve Mass.

 

- In past years, I have enjoyed the quiet of my parents’ house after Mass, as the rest of my family goes to a party until early morning. Last I heard, this may be changing- and that’s sad to me. After a few full family days, I usually enjoy the quiet, still house, twinkling tree, Christmas movies, hot cocoa and pizza.Lol…

 

- On Christmas morning (er, afternoon, depending on how late my family is out the night before) all of us wake up to a candy cane at the foot of our bed.

 

- Before we go downstairs to catch sight of the tree, a frumpy picture is taken of all of us on the stairs.

 

- Once we are downstairs, we can open our stockings and the little gifts inside, but nothing else.

 

- When it is time to open gifts, we go one at a time. With 9 people, gift opening literally takes most of the day.

 

- During the gift opening, we snack on bishop’s bread and coffeecake. Later in the day, there are meatballs and/or leftovers ready and waiting in the kitchen.

 

That’s my Christmas, what is yours like?

Merry Christmas everyone!