December Daily : Days 18 + 19 + 20 + more traditions

There's an old movie theater near our house that plays It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. My family loves going together.

Growing up without extended family around us, we started our own traditions. My parents have a 'orphans' breakfast, where my dad cooks ham and eggs on the Webber (BBQ) and friends, neighbours and friends of friends drop by in the morning. When we were younger we would politely kick the guests out at 11am so that we could open our presents - now it is much more casual. People sit around, enjoy the sun (this is an Australian Christmas), the food, the company and the holiday cheer.
When my brother and I found ourselves in England we continued the tradition. The guys set up disposable BBQs in the back yard and cooked breakfast in the snow! I have priceless photos of two Aussie men, in shorts, drinking beer and freezing while continuing the tradition!

I love the family picture... its beautiful. What makes it Christmas in our house? Reading the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve and making a big breakfast Christmas morning while the boys play with all the new toys.

it looks great Ali. What font is 'right now'? I'm curious.

This is a small tradition, but one that is meaningful to me.
About 15 years ago I was in the hospital with pneumonia right before Christmas. It wasn't horribly serious or anything. I'd been to the doctor, started on antibiotics, but had gotten dehydrated and needed fluids and I also couldn't keep my antibiotics down. I was so very surprised that the dh took time off from work the whole time I was in the hospital and stayed with me all day every day, only going home to take care of the animals and to sleep. It's not that I was surprised that he was so very sweet to do that (he is a very good man); I just didn't think of myself as being sick enough to rate that kind of dedication.
Anyway, one of those nights I was there was the night they were showing "It's a Wonderful Life" on network TV. I had never seen it before, and of course hospital life is pretty boring, so the dh climbed into bed with me and we watched it together.
Now we look for it every year, find out when it's going to be on TV, and cuddle up on the couch and watch it together.

My Husband plays along with my whole 'santa' thing. We've been married 3 years and do not have any children yet. I leave cookies for santa and a note. The cookies are missing in the morning and a thank you note is left for me from Santa. And ALL the presents appear under the tree. I still don't know how he does it, but it makes my heart swell, every Christmas when I see that empty plate of cookies....

Ali,
I'm especially inspired by your December Daily album today. Lots of really great stuff! As for our family traditions... my three children (ages 5, 4 and 3 -- boy, girl, boy) are very into watching the Baryshnikov version video of The Nutcracker ballet. We've watched it so many times this year, that I can see a tradition starting. Our Christmas dinner is not the most traditional, but Mexican food really seems to hit the spot here in the southwest. I not only LOVE and CRAVE Mexican food, I think it has such rich and pretty colors that are so beautiful for a Christmas dinner. Justified. And it happens to be one thing that I can cook (very easy)!
:)
Paula

We have tons of tradition around here. :) One of my faves is cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I've got a recipe that you make up the night before, they rise in the fridge over night, and then you bake them in the morning. Straight from the fridge to the oven. Ice 'em and enjoy. Nothin' better than a hot cinnamon roll on Christmas morning. :)

I never think about Christmas Eve without thinking about Grover. My Grandmother got him for me for Christmas and I opened it on Dec 24th. It was all I wanted and after sitting in church for what seemed like forever, it was time to drive back to Grandma's. We went home and then had to suffer through dinner. Finally we got
to the the gifts. Sadly, none of them looked "grover" shaped. I was so sad but no one knew. I went to my gifts and ripped of the paper of the first one. I saw blue fur. It was the best feeling ever!! Now every year I try to keep that feeling of "blue fur" in my heart and remember the best Christmas ever.

We go to church on Christmas Eve for a candlelight service and then we come home and have cheese fondue with french bread, apples and more for dinner. We open one gift and it's always pajamas :) The next day on Christmas morning we have our traditional Christmas breakfast of sweet rolls, oranges, juice and canadian bacon, read the Christmas story from the Bible and look through our stockings, then open gifts. It's always a very low key time with just our family which is just what we need.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Christmas Eve day is spent baking all the cookies and candymaking. Then we have homemade chicken and noodles. After dinner, it's off to church and then we grab a cup of cocoa and drive around looking at the really cool Christmas lights in the really cool parts of town. Our daughter gets to open at least one present when we get home...new pajamas! Also, I hide a pickle ornament on the tree and when she remembers to look for it, there is a special present for her to open. We open our presents Christmas morning...stockings first. Santa brings 3 presents for her...one to represent each Wise Man. And pretty much covers our Christmas traditions!
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Ali!

Ali we also do Christmas PJ's. Christmas eve we all get together and after having alittle party we sit down and open our Christmas PJ's. We all put them on and do not take them off until we have to!! some times its 2-3 days!! LOL My kids are getting alittle older (5,9,11) and this year they are excited to open their PJ's. I feel like we have created a family tradition. To me it represents time relaxing in our PJ's and spending much needed family time together! Merry Christmas to you and your family!! Dawn

Like many families we do the Christmas PJ's. I enjoy the PJ's on my little ones (5&2) so much that this year we are ALL getting Christmas PJ's (oh how the boys are going to love matching Daddy!!) I bought flannel and my mom and grandmother made them for us. Now that makes 'em even more special and I am feeling sure this will become a tradition. Also we have several nativity sets but baby Jesus does not appear in any of them until Christmas morning when we wake up. My 5 year old is getting so excited and he checks the stables all around the house each day. And on Christmas eve before turning out the lights we look at our Christmas scrapbook then read "T'was the Night Before Christmas"
What a fun question you asked your readers. I read many of the comments here and ended up with tears in my eyes. With our country seeming so full of hate at time I am thrilled to hear so many talking about the real reason we celebrate Christmas.
God bless us everyone!!!
Merry Christmas.

Many traditions, but if we don't do them, boy, do I hear about it! Christmas Eve - in this order, church, t-bones (leftover bones are a Christmas gift for the dog), then the kids open their pj's and a book. Christmas Day - open stockings, eat homemade sausage bread, open the Santa gifts, my parents show up for a late lunch/early dinner of homemade gumbo. The kids are 16, 18 & 20! I lover that they cherish these traditions.
This year we are having to change it up some. Husband is an airline pilot and for the first time in fourteen years he will be gone for Christmas. So we are spreading it out over four days. Yikes!

Our traditions are still evolving as well. Up until four years ago we used to spend Christmas Eve morning with my husband's immediate family, then head over to his aunt's house at night to celebrate with his extended family, go to bed, get up Christmas morning, open Santa's gifts, and head off for a six hour drive to my parent's. (My stepson was with us on Christmas Eve and then dropped off at his mom's - this is why we wouldn't leave sooner.) After a crazy time of it four years ago when our son was two, we realized that we were trying to please too many people and that we needed to begin our own traditions.
We now still visit my husband's family on Christmas Eve, but on Christmas morning, we wake-up, our boys take their time, and open gifts (we also do the three gifts from Santa). We open one at a time so everyone can see what each other receives, and sometimes the toy gets taken out of the box - so gift unwrapping can take a long time, but you know what - that is exactly the way we want it. We stay in our pjs all day, my husband cooks, I bake a cake to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and we just enjoy family time. After the bustle of the weeks leading up to Christmas, it is such a welcome to relax and enjoy.

On Christmast Eve we set a large, lit candle (the hurricane kind in a nice big safe glass) beside the creche where it can be seen from the window. It symbolizes the Christmas Star leading the Wise Men to Jesus in the manger, and also that this home is one where a stranger with no where else to turn can find shelter for the night. Granted no one has ever turned up for that reason but you never know!
My kids have always loved lighting the candle and saying a prayer before they went to bed. They go upstairs in their new jammies with the candle lit and no baby Jesus in the creche, and when they come down Christmas morning the cndles is still lit but the baby has arrived (and so has Santa)!

Every Christmas Eve, we go for a special train ride throught the magical Christmas forest. (Its a mini-rail for kids that's set up with lights just for the week before x-mas). We then sit by the bonfire and drink hot chocolate. Then we visit a family member before going home. Joseph (6) gets new pj's and opens a gift..we then either watch a chrismas type movie or listen to christmas music while watching for santa clause on the computer, as soon as he gets near, Joseph jumps in bed and we don't have to remind him.
Your album is looking good, love that pic of the three of you! MerrY Christmas!

Ali,
You have been a holiday inspiration all month. Our tradtions are similar to the rest. One gift on Christmas Eve after dinner at my mom's. (We got to pick.... from one or two presented to us. sometimes it was the batteries for the gifts we would get the next day!!) Some years we attend church, or a friends for "GROG". Home to set out cookies for Santa on a special plate. Then as the kids got older (21y) they add a few mini's to help Santa on his trip!! Christmas morning gets later and later. At 10 yr. my husband insisted on the child's one unwrapped Santa gift then over to the kitchen for a family breakfast. The kids never complained. We ate a great breakfast with Sunshine Warmups or Mimosa's for the adults, then we would open gifts. WOW... how the morning was stretched and sometimes we didn't finish gifts til noon, cuz they sleep in! So many special memories and how they evolve as the years go by. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO THE EDWARDS FAMILY.

my daughter is only 2.5 years old - and totally gets it this year. last year - i tried some of the traditions - but of course they were more for me than her. so this year - we've been doing the advent calendar. (made the one from MM) so we check out our little treats each morning. but christmas eve - OH i can't wait. we don't have a fireplace - so we will hang the magic key out on the front door. she already knows what this is! we will then head out front into the freezin cold - and sprinkle "reindeer food" on the snow - it's magic because it sparkles and lets Rudolph know where we live.(oatmeal, sprinkles, and glitter) we will then open NEW christmas jammies for all of us. we will make some kettle corn on the stove, some hot cocoa, and pop in Jim Henson's Emmit Otters Jugband Christmas and do our Christmas snuggle. (she calls it this - because we have snuggled each night a Christmas show has been on and had popcorn and cocoa.) I have watched this on Christmas eve since i was about 6. Such a touching little story! then it's cookies and milk for santa and of course carrots for the reindeer. and then off to bed for sugarplums dancing in heads! enjoy!

Ali,
Your daily album is amazing! I'm putting together a 6x6 version inspired by yours and I'm loving it! Thanks so much for sharing your life with us and creating such inspiring art every day.