So what are your christmas traditions?

[Reymi_VZ]

Please note this thread is not designed to alienate readers of other faiths, but I would like to know how different the same event is for everyone.

Our tradition (one that I continue by myself now till/if I have a family of my own), and I doubt we are typically Aussie but I think we are close. 8)

The tree for me is covered in ribbon with writing on it. Two weeks before Chrissy when we would gather to put up the tree, we would be asked to write down words that mean Chrissy to us. Then my mum would write them on the ribbon. Each year the ribbon seemed to get longer. :lol:

Christmas Eve after midnight service, we would get to open one present of our choosing from under the tree - this was to make we kiddies sleep in past 3 am I think. But the sun is up around 4am anyway :P

Santa would come and deliver pressies into our pillowslips which we would place at the foot of our beds. Santa would only bring things that fit into your pillow slip. That way I see now, parents got the credit for the bike, barbie townhouse etc. :lol: This tradition actually continued even after my brother and I realised Santa didn't exist. We found out very young, as Christmas Eve straight after church I did some sleep walking from my brothers top bunk bed and broke my collar bone, elbow, wrist and a couple of fingers ( was no bottom bunk, my leg got caught in the sheets and I fell then dragged back and forth and was upside down hanging from the bed when my parents found me - lucky I am a heavy sleeper ).

Christmas morning we would all do various things around the house. The males would do a bbq chrissy brekkie which we ate around the pool with much splashing and swimming. My mother and I would bake shortbread in chrissy shapes, with many breaks to the pool.

Christmas lunch was a combination bbq meats, seafood and salads (with much partaking of shortbread!). For me a hot traditional chrissy meal is something I have hardly ever had. Turkey for me was usually cooked on the bbq! It is too hot to eat too much heavy hot food, so anything hot tends to be light and usually seafood. Prawns, bugs, crabs, fresh fish, oysters soooo good.

After lunch and another swim (the 30 min rule was ignored on chrissy day) then we would open our presents (one each in turn), swim again then eat desert. After this we relaxed by the pool all afternoon.

Christmas night it was open house, with anyone and everyone welcome. Left overs, more bbqed seafood and lovely sangria.

Boxing day was another huge day when I lived in Melbourne. It is a tradition in Melbourne espeically to go to the Boxing Day Test Match. This is the first day of a test with the main touring side. All day the whole stadium eats left overs, gets sunburnt, watches the cricket and has a ball. Sydney it is a little different. Thousands upon thousands of ppl go to Sydney Harbour to see the start of the Sydney to Hobart. Up where I live now, we go to the beach or lounge by the pool watching the Syd-Hob start and the cricket on the teev.

It is currently 9.30am chrissy morning. I have just finished baking two batches of shortbread. I am about to go for a swim then head to my friends house to puppy sit till we all get together in the afternoon for seafood and pool time. Even though I dont have any family now, my christmas day is still rich in love, joy and giving. :)

[Saethori]

I'm technically an atheist, but my family still celebrates XMas, oddly enogh.

Usually, we just do the 'basics'... tree, set up lights, and stick presents under there. While most of them are opened at the morning itself (only when everyone's awake though), there's also a 'tradition' of sorts to let everyone open one package of their choosing the night before. No special celebration the day itself.. we usually spend that day finding out how/where to stash the tree away.

Obviously, we never recieved presents from Santa, although once my grandparents gave us presents and marked them from Santa and Mrs. Claus. I think it may have something to do with the fact that I have never ever been in the same house as a fireplace.

I wonder what the fascination with buying clothes are, though.

[Salerk]

Because of my being Pagan but the rest of my Family not, most of our celebrations are mostly christian based.

purly for making life easy, its hard to make everyone happy all the time, so ill still do the gifts but ill call it Yule and also see it more so as the cebration of the turning of the year and the birth of the sun god.

but other than that, im quite simple, a few decorations because i like things being sparkly its fun heh, and nothing much else.

life is complicated enough around this time of year lol :)

[Keaolien]

Rey....when does this leftover thing happen? Wonder how long a flight from Canada to AUssie-land would take. Hrmm....Sea-food...Pool....warm weather...so tempted. lol

[Jordayne]

Well, seems the 'open one present on Xmas eve' is a tradtion in itself. We do that, as well as open every other present on Xmas morn. Except we cart everything over to my mothers house or my grandma's house, whover is hosting Xmas that year. We get into our stockings at home though on Xmas morning, before we take off for G-mas. Once there, someone gets to play 'Santa' and pass out all the presents under the tree to their respective owner. We alternate every year who gets to open their presents first, the youngest or the oldest. As probably in most households, the little ones get the most presents, so when the oldests get to go first it's hard for the little ones to sit still. But we manage. Then it's an early dinner of turkey and the works. Then I ususally have to go to work after that, as I work in a casino and they NEVER close. But, it gets me out of doing any cleanup!

Merry Christmas to everyone! Or whichever version of the holidays you celebrate! May your lives in the New Year be prosperous!

[Tuluz]

Lets see hmm my family used to get up my Dad would cook a great breakfast. Chorizo (sausage marinated in red chile for those if you not from Southwest US) New Mexico has the best Chile in the world in my opinion can't find anything like it outside the region much. Anyway Chorizo, Hash browns, flour tortillas, eggs, beans few other things. Red or green chile or both. MMMMM. Then open presents. We would have a great dinner too but the breakfast is the bomb. Nobody and I mean nobody makes breakfast like my father.

I am going over there in the morning in as a matter of fact with my own family and my sister is bringing hers. I have 2 month old, my sister has 3 and her youngest is only a month younger than mine. It is going to be cool to pass on that tradition to our kids.

Religious wise my family isn't really religious at all. My parents and I don't ever go to church don't really believe strongly in it. My sister converted to another religion and she is deeply involved. We incorporate prayer before breakfast and meals we eat together to help keep her families faith in practice when we get together. it is kinda cool.

[Requiem_Aristade]

Well its been a few years since I've been able to celebrate Xmas with my parents and siblings..but now that I have my own family I carried over the same ones

1 The 1 present on Xmas eve
2 Ok this may seem odd to you and I have NO Idea where this tradition started but my mother claims her father taught it to them. The stockings were not filled on Xmas eve...however on New Years eve they were filled by a visit from Mrs. Clause... are my relatives daft? or has anyone else heard of this tradition??

[Evil_Gondi]

This year, since my Dad has to work on X-mas, we opened presents on X-mas eve. Normally, we don't do the one present on x-mas eve thing.
And I got 6 pairs of pants, a new record!
And this phrase I'm about to say is not meant to hurt anyone, but to make jokes instead. Santa is a misspelled Satan. Think about it. And I hope no one is offended.(And if you are, don't hurt me!)

Evil

[Sham]

Tuluz, you're in New Mexico??? *cheers* Anywhere near Socorro? You're on my server, too!!!

The only Christmas tradition we really have in our family, aside from eating, is one of my mother's: watching every single Thomas the Tank Engine video we own until she sees her favourite story (The Flying Kipper, for those of you familiar with Thomas). My brother and sister and I don't mind; we were raised on those stories. But I've noticed my husband's eyes growing real big, and his chest heaving slowly..........

Perhaps it's time for some new traditions.....

[Gnomish]

my extended family has Christmas eve together, we open presents (which have been decreasing for me and Fili since we have gotten older and have Little cousins and Howard)... Everyone gets presents, and we all go home when it's after midnight... I remember one time when i was little (and the only child in the family thank you god) and my uncle had the party at his house, he went outside and came back with an harness that had jingle bells on it and he said "Oh No! Gnomish, santa was flying overhead and He lost Rudolph! Look i found his bells!" ^_^ that's my favorite christmas memory... except for getting my CDplayer and my Broken PS1

[Reymi_VZ]

Rey....when does this leftover thing happen? Wonder how long a flight from Canada to AUssie-land would take. Hrmm....Sea-food...Pool....warm weather...so tempted. lol

I am sunburnt, full tummied and had an awesome day! Hope everyone had just as nice a day!

Anyone do the 12 days of Chrissy and celebrate on Jan 6th?

[Erling E.]

Here in Norway, we open all the presents on christmas eve, not the day after. That is the main, and only difference from the US.

We still have christmas dinner. Stockings. Presents under the tree etc.

[togashi]

Before this year, my father would make breakfast, usually three to four different kinds of pork products with eggs and biscuits. Then we'd open presents. Never did the whole night before thing. After that, we'd go to a local city meeting center, where my grandmother's family would get together. I call it the Pan-Heile games, because every Heile in Cincinnati would be there, including all the families that sprang forth from my grandmother's brother and sisters. Good thing two of them never got married. They're chain smokers who live together. I call them Aunt Patty and Selma behind their backs.

Then, on the Sunday after Christmas, my father's family would get together at Heile HQ, which was their ancestral home. Sadly, my grandmother died this year, and I moved to Indy, but the Pan-Heile games are still on, and the meeting at Heile HQ is still going on this Sunday.

My mother hates her family, so we never get together. They're pretty well scattered to the winds, anyway.

[Darley Marilith]

Well reading Tuluz's post, I'M HUNGRY NOW!!!!!!!!!!
And after living in Chicago and New Orleans, I'm right there with you on the whole chile thing. Thats one thing I missed when I lived out of state. Nothing more depressing to someone from New Mexico to think that they've found an "authentic" mexican food place and ask them for green chile and they offer you jalepeno's. sigh.
My Christmas traditions changed after my parents divorced. Christmas eve is with my mom and siblings. Usually we would do something with my dad afterwards. Christmas day is with my husbands family. Mmm posole, taquitos, and beans were on the menu this year. Just wish there had been tamales. sigh
The only brutal part of my holiday was the drive from Albuquerque to the east side of the mountains. UGH! And of course, the whole no snow part. My husband is disgusted that its as warm here as it is.

[GuladanVZ]

Reymi, I have come to take thee back to the Hell known as the Vallon boards! We are not cool enough to mingle with these more sophisticated folk.



God I'm so tired I shouldn't be posting =/

[laertise]

I guess the only tradition we carry on every year is to sit around and tell the story of great Grand father shot santa clause in his a** with a 22. For anyone who thinks i'm kidding i'm not my great grandad was an old country man and when my Dad was about seven years old or so santa clause climbed over the fence out in the field and great grandad capped him right in the buttocks.

Laertise