Share a Christmas or Holiday tradition....

[herenthere]

Share with us a Holiday tradition....something you remember from your childhood or something that you just started...

 

[looseliam]

One year we went down to Great Grandma's house at about 4 pm. When we got there the 25 pound turkey was still in the fridge. I don't remember us eating until 11 or so that evening. Mom wasn't too happy.

So out of that comes this tradition:
Mom goes down to Grandma's house at 1pm to ensure we can eat by 3pm.

And there's my getting knackered and yelling at my family. But I don't think this is unique to just my family.

 

[winterknight]

We never eat turkey. We always have some sort of game instead - this year it's venison.

None of the three carnivores in the family are terribly keen on turkey anyway, and the militant veggie objects slightly less strenuously to game than she does to most farmed meat. So about six years ago, on order to quell arguments, we had a pheasant. And it's grown from there.

 

[dw8038r2]

We usually decorated the tree on Christmas Eve. When my brothers and I were old enough, I'd make brandy alexanders and put on Christmas music. It was the only time each year that my mom would have a drink.

When we were in high school, we'd sometimes go to my cousins' house and call random numbers from the phone book: "Hi, I chose your number at random and just want to wish you a Merry Christmas." That usually got good results. Then we'd call anyone we thought was working (police, FBI, hospitals, etc.) and wish them the same. I wonder if they thought we were being irritating jerks.

 

[eddielee]

My family always has a party on Christmas eve. We gather at my Sister's house. She puts out a nice spread of hot, savory, and sweet snacks. After stuffing ourselves with party food, we go outside and shoot fireworks. Roman candles and bottle rockets are the traditional family favorite. When I was a little boy we used to have a firecracker called an M-80, but you can't get them now.

 

[jonjon35]

My great love and I collect antique x-mas ornaments, we try to get at least one every year, we have been doing this for the past 34 years since we met. Friends also started bringing us an ornament although some of them are not antique they look the part. Each year we add them to our crowding tree, I label them with a date received, the name of the person that gave it and where they got it from. Some of the friends are since deceased. It's a great way to remember people you have shared your life with and have cared for.

 

[blackbeltninja]

Friends and I have always done the Christmas movie, sometime between the 20th and 24th of December.

We started with Hot Shots as kids back in '91, so this year's movie will be year #16 for us. Sometimes it is Christmas fare provided it looks entertaining, but we did Lord of the Rings in 2001, and Titanic in '97, so it's not exclusively a Christmas movie.

We also all put on festive hats - for those who have them, a typical Santa Claus hat in red with white trimmings. For those who don't, a cap (peak in American) or anything else dripping with Christmas tree decorations.

Plans to go to the Christmas Eve late show in pyjamas still pop up from time to time, but I somehow doubt that will ever happen.

For the sake of completeness, the full list below.

-d-


91 - Hot Shots!
92 - Muppets Christmas Carol
93 - Mrs Doubtfire
94 - The Nightmare Before Christmas
95 - Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
96 - Jingle All the Way
97 - George of the Jungle (Steve & I in Nottingham) you guys saw Titanic right?
98 - Wrongfully Accused
99 – Stuart Little
00 – The Grinch
01 – The Score (Pete and I in Joburg), LotR:FotR (you guys)
02 – Santa Clause 2
03 – Elf
04 – Surviving Christmas
05 – The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe

 

[_AJ_]

let me see

get up at 6am turn on
airconditioner as it was usally about 40C
open presents
then drive to nannas for lunch which is a large assortment or roast meats and salads and cold ham and prawns ect
ps breakfast was chocolates

then later go to my great nannas for dinner where everyone brings leftover from lunch and some fresh salads
then backyard cricket and waterfights

 

[Joshua_me]

Christmas Eve: We boil a *huge* pot of shrimp.

It's kind of odd, I know, and I'm not really sure how it started,
but we spend 'oodles' on about ten lbs of shrimp, (the kind you lust
over at the seafood counter all year long) Invite over a few friends who
bring some 'sides', and we just sit around the tree and indulge in our fav.
food....chatting and drinking and eating.

Glad the 'if the fates allow' thing has brought us together once more.

(BTW, if anyone wants the secret to boiling the perfect shrimp, just PM me)

Joshy

 

[_AJ_]

mmm yum
but its not a shrimp its a Prawn

also

love to catch them when im back at home

 

[HarryPotterHimself]

Every year since I was little, we've gone to my grandparents in the country a hundred miles north-east of where I live. So every year, my parents asked Santa to come early. So he'd come to our house the night before and we'd open up presents on Christmas Eve-morning, then take only one present to my grandparents, where Santa would visit again (my grandparent's presents). It was always literally over the hill and through the woods to grandma's house we went. Then, on Christmas Day, we have a party with my family and always have turkey and lamb. And every year since I was little, my grandma gets me a nutcracker. I have about 36 from my parents and grandma from over the years, ranging from a king to a hockey player to an Egyptian.

 

[evilest]

Christmas tradition? Arguing.

 

[marvtha]

let's see......my childhood traditions were turning grandpa Silas on his side so he wouldn't choke on his own vomit
avoiding a certain uncle who always carried around a sprig of mistletoe
making sure momma was indeed roasting a turkey and not the family pet......went through a lot of animals!!!!!!!
decorating the tree with beer tabs and colorful condoms.
keeping daddy away from firearms or sharp cutlery.


sweet memories!

 

[Joshua_me]

let's see......my childhood traditions were turning grandpa Silas on his side so he wouldn't choke on his own vomit
avoiding a certain uncle who always carried around a sprig of mistletoe
making sure momma was indeed roasting a turkey and not the family pet......went through a lot of animals!!!!!!!
decorating the tree with beer tabs and colorful condoms.
keeping daddy away from firearms or sharp cutlery.


sweet memories!

marvtha, Sweetie,


You forgot about your other uncle who'd pour gravy down the front of
his pants and yell, "Alright, kiddies, it's time to play 'Find the Giblets !' "



Joshy