So what are your Christmas/Holiday Traditions?

You know, the things you do that make the season seem a bit more special whether it's by you or the entire family. Be it that special dish or sweet treat, or journey someplace to be with whomever? Even in remembrance of?

So what do you do to make the season festive year after year? (traditions)

 

Meet and eat with the families. Mine and hers.
Play a game that you get to select and exchange gifts.

 

I journey to work and back on most holidays.

 

I bake cookies. It's the only time of year I do.

Soft sugar cookies in the front, Molasses next and Choc Chip in the can at the back.



And a couple Pumpkin Pies; almost ready to come out of the oven.



Merry Christmas to all the Hoarders.

 

I hope you still have a great Christmas just the same.

 

Lucky devil. Wish I could go with you.

 

We get up at the crack of dawn. My girl's dig right into what Santa left for them. Christmas story gets turned on. Then we make a huge breakfast. After that we dig into the rest of the presents. Then we make a lot of phone calls to family and friends. Merry Christmas everyone!

 

This we have been doing for the last 12 years on Christmas eve.

Getting Santa and his reindeer treats.

 

I messed up at the store yesterday. Forgot to get carrots.

 

I prefer working on holidays. I find holidays very annoying because people seem to lose their minds and create a bunch of unnecessary stress.
Work has a nicer atmosphere on holidays because there's less going on and admin type people are gone. I've volunteered to work doubles on holidays before so other people can be off.

 

My wife does her great grandmother's hamburger buns. Mix up burger spices n onions, take a small handful of that raw and wrap it in bread dough let rise and bake a pan and devour. My side tradition is beer cheese soup. We were destined to marry because these go great with each other. This is our Christmas Eve tradition.

 

I should add that making home made ravioli is also a tradition with 99 lbs. Her mother passed it down to her....

 

Being married less than 3 years and with young kids we're still trying to figure out the tradition. My wife's family isn't a problem, they understand everyone has their own things going on so we meet whenever works out for all of us. But my family (particularly my sisters) doesn't understand that I can't be at my parents house on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

What we're trying to make work is to alternate Christmas Eve, one year we meet with my family and the next we meet with my wife's family. But Christmas Day we stay home, just the 4 of us. The kids get a relaxing day to play with their toys and I grill out a steak dinner.

 

Stand your ground. Ever since we laid the gospel of us out my wife and I have had so much less holiday stress that it has never been a regret. No not everyone was happy but we made the decision to quit sacrificial appearances at our enjoyment expense. We were so unhappy by the time we got done making everyone's expectations of us that holidays were dreaded. The last couple years have been the most enjoyable and so happy we wouldn't have it any other way!