Holiday Traditions

[ICU]

Anyone want to share their holiday traditions? I'll start.

We have the "orphan Thanksgiving". I live 500 miles away from most of my family so we started inviting friends, neighbors and co-workers that would normally be alone for dinner. This year some of my family will be traveling to my house and now we expect 20+ people.

I usually work PM shift on Christmas Day so my co-workers and I have a pot-luck Christmas dinner. Our families come up to the hospital and still have dinner with us. One tradition I started with my sisters and cousins I carry on with my girls; we sing along with the Sound of Music (we also make whoever is over join in). It seems that movie is always shown during the holidays

[jenni-anti-fur]

For Thanksgiving we always go and volunteer at a shelter and then eat our dinner.

For Christmas we collect toys fo many Charities but our Biggie is Toys For Tots..My Fiancee and I ride in the annual Toys For Tots Motorcycle Parade every year and there is no feeling that compares to that:)

For Christmas Eve...we have our VERY large family dinner with family and friends....Then on Christmas Day Its Just Us and we get up late open up our presents and have Pizza for dinner while we stay comfy in out Jammies and watch our fave Holiday Movies.

[irie]

every december 23 we decorate the x-mas tree while watching this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u_rNWyPtv4)on tv :) and in the morning on the 24th we all eat some yummy "risengrynsgrøt" :drool:

[MZCsmpsns]

We don't do anything anymore, I have a lot of good memories though. My dad's side of the family hosts occasions, but they don't like me, so I don't go.
I would love to volunteer during the holidays but in town there aren't any shelters or anything.
One thing we always did growing up, every year my mom would have me and my brother choose a card from one of those trees, ya know, we always went to a place where the kids would actually make a list, and we'd get to pick out everything on the list. Being a kid that made it fun for us, plus we were doing something for others. That's one of the best traditions we had.
Oh, and every year around Christmas, I watch A Christmas Story. I think TBS does a marathon.

[TigerLover]

I was away from my family for many years and didn't have holidays with most of them. So I did make up some of my own, just simple. Donating to the food bank, and also I participated in Angel Tree. They may not do it every state, but I lived in TX at the time. Angel Tree is to buy gifts for kids who's parent(s) are in prison. I did it because I know the emotional impact of that situation upon children. It happened in my family.

I did these things for years.

[bmd0617]

I think TBS does a marathon.

my family watches this every christmas eve. Once a few years ago, my brother watched it all day long since it was a 24 hour marathon.

Thanksgiving for my family is big. We all go to my grandmothers house and have a very traditional dinner. This will be my first thanksgiving as a vegetarian, so i don't know as to what all i'll be eating. I may have to pretty much make my own meal as my family is a "meat and potatoes" type of family.

Christmas is big also. Christmas Eve is spent at the grandparents house with all of my siblings (6 siblings, 7 including me). sometimes my uncles or aunt and cousins come up. then we open our presents from grandma and grandpa after a big dinner. When we go back home, the girls all sleep in one room, and all the boys in another after we have hung our stockings and read 3 stories: The Red Ranger Came Calling, The Christmas story and Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Christmas morning we all wake up early sit in a huge circle and pass out presents and take turns watching everyone open their presents. Then mom makes breakfast and we spend the next few hours hanging out playing with stuff until we have an early dinner.

[LadyFaile]

my inlaws celebrate on christmas eve and my family celebrates on christmas day. so on the eve the inlaws usually go next door for wine and goodies. hubby and i usually go to my mom's or make an excuse to stay home to finish wrapping gifts or something and join them after. before we head over we dig out all the gifts and put them under the tree and then head next door. after midnight we head home to see if santa came (my sister in law still believes-she's 11). we open all the gifts, it's a frenzy i tell ya. there's always a ton of gifts and there's usually like 8 of us so everyone just digs in, paper flyin everywhere, everyone talking and laughing all at once, very noisy and chaotic (but fun). then we hang out for a bit, check out all the stuff everyone got etc and head to bed. in the morning hubby and i get up early and head to my mom's where we make coffee and usually some kind of pastries and sit down by the tree to do our gift opening. there's not as many of us and our budget is a lot lower so we take our time and show off each gift to each other as we unwrap etc, it's very mellow compared to the inlaws'. then we usually try on whatever new clothes we got or whatever, usually make a visit to my mom's best friend to say merry christmas, call my grandparents and aunt, and then start on dinner. we have the big dinner there that day and then usually my mother in law has hers on boxing day. there's usually also a big party at my husband's uncle's place with 30-50 people depending on the year (the couples alternate sides of the family each year so one year it'll be packed the next it'll be empty, etc). we do a $10 secret santa gift exchange where we all bring one gift and draw names, when your name is picked you go up and choose any gift or steal from someone else. sometimes you get something really good sometimes you get stuck with something you have no use for whatsoever lol. it's a lot of fun though and a few of them get really competitive over the more popular gifts.

it's pretty busy around here at christmas :D

[kraftykraft]

My family used to travel over the Christmas holiday which I hated. The last few years we have been staying home and our traditions have sort have started again. On Christmas Eve, we let the day unfold (usually someone is doing last minute gift wrapping so there are a lot of closed doors and "hey can I come in there?"). We sit down to a nice supper prepared by my mom with my sister and I assisting. Then we got to midnight mass at this historical church in one of the neighboring towns. It is a seminary so the mass is very traditional and the music is FANTASTIC!! After mass, we go home and eat some more (usually leftover dessert :) ) On Christmas Day, everyone gets up and we make coffee and then sit to open our presents. We go in some sort of age order. After all of the presents have been opened, we sit down and dine on my mom's famous French Toast Casserole which is almost better than the gifts. Later that evening, we all pile in the car and drive around to view the Christmas lights and decorations. Damn I can't wait until Christmas!!

[Indian Summer]

I get up early in the morning on Christmas Eve, the 24th of December - Julaften, which is the day during Christmas in the Scandinavian sphere of influence. I then proceed to choose one small present that I'm allowed to open. Just to keep me occupied and well-behaved for a while before I get to open the rest in the evening.

After this there is breakfast, which would typically be risengrynsgrøt (rice porrige with sugar and cinnamon on top and a pool of vegan butter, and often with one almond hidden somewhere in the porrige and a prize for the winner ... like washing up). And then there are classical Donald Duck special Christmas cartoons on TV. And then I go out to play in the snow and build snow lanterns and snowmen and snowwomen and go sledging on the road and maybe cross-country skiing in the hills.

Then I come back inside, have some lunch (homebaked bread with fake meats and prunes) and ritually play Defender of the Crown on an original Commodore 64.

Then I get dressed and the guests start to arrive and there is much rejoicing and the Christmas tree and the snow lanterns are lit, and we revel in Christmas decorations and ornaments and incense. After some small-talk, we move on to watch Nisse-programs on TV. (Where we learn how Julenissen is in fact Norwegian and not from Finland or the North Pole or Konstantinople or whatever!) Maybe we watch some history shows about Palestine around year 1 AD as well.

Then we gather around the big dinner table which is decorated with soya candles, and get ready for one of the highlights of the evening, namely Julemiddagen, the big Christmas feast, typically a nut roast with some good-quality potatoes and gravy and sides such as prunes and surkål (sauerkraut) and pickles and brussel sprouts or other vegetables. This is traditionally served with Akevitt (a strong potato liquor) and beer, but I'm growing less fond of alcohol these days. And then there is time for dessert, which is vegan caramel pudding with cream, or riskrem (rice porrige mixed with cream and a dash of almond essence) with a red sauce (strawberry or rasperry based).

Finally, it's time to open the presents and drink tea!

After that, it's time to play with the presents, or find a comfortable chair and watch TV or play games or just fall asleep after a long day with lots of excitement.

[MrFalafel]

My village has/had a great tradition that has been spoiled.

On Christmas eve, the town brass band would assemble in the town square at sun down and play a few hymns and carols. The villagers would gather at the same time and sing along, with the local Rotary Club accepting donations. Then the band would play 'jingle bells' while marching through town to the castle where the townspeople would again gather. A spotlight would shine on the castle walls and who do you think would appear at the top of one of the ramparts? Why none other than Santa Claus! He'd clamber down and join the mayor on a pedestal and read out a few local kids names who'd sent letters to the local newspaper. He'd then lead another sing-along and tell the kids to get home and get to sleep as early as possible or he'd not be able to leave presents. And then a small firework display would be launched from the castle. We'd then go have hot mulled wine at the local pub.

Sadly, this quaint local tradition has become very popular and people travel for miles to participate. The local radio station now sets up a huge PA and the crowds are enourmous spoiling the great small town atmosphere. I guess its time to find a new tradition.

[headxbanger]

in 2004 there was a HUGE ice storm throughout my city;
schools and most businesses shut down for almost 2 weeks,
so all that week i sat in my room watching 'The Day After Tomorrow' and drinking hot chocolate
every year since then, starting in mid-novemer, i have a glass of hot chocolate and watch about 40 minutes of either ELF, The Day After Tomorrow, or The Terminal every night.
this continues until around mid-january
it's my first Vegan winter; and i found these!!
organic vegan candy canes

AND CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SOY DRINK [yummy yummy hot chocolate]
:rockon: