Do you have any family traditions on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? What are you getting your parents/partners/siblings for Christmas? It's only a month away! -dances-

This year is going to be particularly special for my immediate family - I am living and working two hours away and my sister is at University. We are very close to our parents so I'm sure we'll really appreciate the few weeks we have together before having to head back (for me that's 3rd January!).

On Christmas Eve we drink copious amounts of mulled wine, light the wood burner and watch a beautiful film called 'A Wonderful Life'. Every year it makes me cry! Christmas Day we go to Church at 8am... drink, eat, sleep.. eat some more and then we take Ollie and Marley for a long walk. I love Christmas!

I'm going to do jesty Christmas Eve presents this year and one Christmas Day present for my mum, dad and Leah. I'm umming and ahhing what to get as their main presents so I'm interested to know what you're all doing!

We actually have quite a few Christmas traditions - It's my favorite time of the year! Our Christmas this year is actually going to be different as well:

5 days before Christmas:

o Send Christmas cards to all our neighbors, friends & family (Some are Dollar Store cards, others we hand make. Very fun!)

o COOKIES! My family's biggest Christmas tradition is baking lots of cookies to give to friends and those in need. This has been passed down from generations and still stands strong in my household. I think it's what I love best!

'COOKIES! My family's biggest Christmas tradition is baking lots of cookies to give to friends and those in need. This has been passed down from generations and still stands strong in my household. I think it's what I love best!'

I love this. That's so sweet!!

CHRISTMAS IS MY FAVORITE SEASON!!! (yes there is a christmas season)

My family has MANY traditions, but sadly this will be my first year that I will not be partaking in many of them becuase I am 7 hours away. :(

1. Picking out the christmas tree. For the past I think 8 years, it has been my sole responsiblity to pick a tree. We go to the same lot ever year (good prices) and spend upwards to two hours on this little lot scrutinaizing ever single tree. (I take my trees very seriously).

2. After the tree is picked, and has dried (I live in Washington, so this takes a little while) my mom and I throw in Johnny Mathis' Merry Christmas and decorate the tree with lights (well she puts them on, and I untangle/hold them). We also usually are the only two putting on the ornaments even though that is a family job.

3. Every Christmas Eve we get to open our Christmas PJs as our present. It's really not that exciting of a gift, but a tradition and so I guess that makes it exciting.

GOSH there are SSOOOOOOO many more, but talking about christmas and some of the traditions I will miss is making me sad, so I'm done.

Christmas is huge in our family too. On Christmas eve we always went to my great grandpa's house and eat chili and oster stew. He passed away last year so we now gather at one of my great aunt's houses. We used to do the pj's thing too but as everyone got older and moved out we kind of stopped.

Baking is a big part, we make a ton of stuff and then take cookie trays to different places. We put up a butt load of lights outside every year. My sister is starting a new tradition where they will bring my nephew over to decorate grandma and grandpa's tree.

Christmassssssss.  So many things.

Every year a whole group of my friends from the Art Gallery get together.  We all bring homemade snacks, and we watch a  movie (often, Harry Potter), and we gossip and play games until the wee hours.  It's one of the few times that a lot of old employees are in town as they come to visit their family (they are usually students or were in the past and moved away).  So it's always lots of catching up, and hugs, and fun.  And since we're all artists, we each bring one homemade gift for a Chinese gift exchange!  Last year I got a georgeous handmade mug, and the year before I got a handmade paper and covered journal!  And a scarf.  

My other group of friends does a silly dress up themed huge night out on New Years Eve to celebrate as well.  Everybody brings a dish of some kind for the potluck dinner, and we hang out and have fun.  Sometimes, we play video games.  Usually though, it turns to cards against humanity, which is always a blast.  Each year there's a theme - so one year it was bedsheet togas, then "ugly christmas sweaters".  This year the theme is onesies/jammies.  And the new Star Wars movies is supposed to matinee that day, so the core of the group is going.  In our onesies.  Be jelly, yo.

My family does a lot of things for Christmas.  This year we will be doing all of it at my grandmothers, as my poppa is to have heart surgery on the 18th, and so we don't want him to be far from a - the hospital (and we all live out of town except them) and b - his bed (if he needs to rest). On the 23rd, we celebrate my poppas birthday with meatloaf and mashed potatoes and a double chocolate cake.  It is his favourite meal, and I have been making it since I was 12.  Christmas Eve we all get together and have a huge Ham dinner that never has less that 20 people, and is a LOT of potluck food brought.  After the dinner the 8 of the main family stay and play a card game called Aggravation.  It takes hours, a lot of arguing, cursing, and good fun.  Christmas day we usually go to wherever the kids are (my niblings) and do the present opening there.  Then we have a huge brunch (since this takes till, like, 9-10 am) made by my dad and brothers, who are experts at pancakes and bacon.  After breakfast the boys clean up, and the girls start dinner (except the turkey, which gets started before).  People venture off to visit inlaws or friends, but theres always 2-4 people around to watch the food.  Movies play all day, and multiple games of crib.  Supper starts at 6, and afterwards we play Aggravation again.  FYI, my grandma ALWAYS wins!  People leave as they're tired.  On Boxing day, it's basically leftovers for everyone at whoever hosted suppers house.  They stop by whenever, have a visit, eat, leave, or stay and hang out.  We also do a 'baking day' sometime before Christmas - usually the 23rd or a Saturday.  We make all the pies and desserts for the three days and freeze them so they just need heated.  We make cookies.  So.  Many cookies.  We make cabbage rolls and dinner rolls and breads and pastries.  Basically, we bake until we run out of ingredients, and then some more.  The reason?  Any single male relative in the family gets a treat bag for christmas, or friend.  We give them out to taken guys too.  We also make a huge treat basket for my brothers workplace, as he's the manager, for his employees.  We give a huge portion to the local church as well, who does a huge "leftovers" dinner on the 27th, along with their soup kitchen dinner on the 25th.  And then we eat a ton, because yummmm.

YAY CHRISTMAS.

We usually make kringle and lefse (traditional norwegian goodies :P) as well as Christmas cookies! This year will be the first without my brother here as he is in the Air Force stationed in Delaware. We plan to skype and open presents together. We go to church Christmas Eve and depending on what we are doing with our extended family, we either open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. I don't know if my other brother will be here either as he has moved out and is kind of an airhead. XD We always open presents oldest to youngest. :P

The only thing I can think of that's a tradition of mine is to open one present the night before. My family was never really huge on the holidays with a bunch of traditions and all that.

We're not even having Turkey for Thanksgiving. We get stuffed shells.

Link Tree

Growing up the whole family would get together at my Grandma's house for Christmas Eve and we'd have ham and all the fixings. The kids would play together while the adults talked, some drank, and eventually we'd all sing a couple Christmas songs together. Then after food and fun all the kids would get to open their presents from their aunts and uncles. On Chrismas Day we'd eat leftovers and open the rest of the gifts from "Santa".

Now, since the family has split apart and that I have a whole new one, this year the In-laws are staying with us. HALLLPPP!!! xD We will be going to our Church's Candlelight Service Christmas Eve, and having turkey for dinner, might get to open one present, and will watch Christmas movies throughout the day! On Christmas Day we will finish opening presents and join our really good friend's family for a big lunch.

I never really had any christmas traditions. So this year may be alil different. I am hoping it snows or theres snow on the ground, take the pups out and let them run around. Or buy them a bunch of toys and put it in a big box and dump it in them. If they are happy then I am happy. My christmas gift is to see the joy on my dogs faces =)