Do You Have Any Christmas Traditions?

[withnail]

These days, thanks to films and TV programs, many different places celebrate Christmas in a similar way. From the Poles to the Tropics, you can still find Snowmen and holly on the cards that people exchange.
On the other hand, many families have their own individual Christmas Traditions. For example, when I was younger I was the only child in the family. We would always spend the holidays with my Grandparents, Great Aunts and have a rather old fashioned Christmas.
There was one tradition that I was never that keen on. We would always have to have lunch finished, washing up done and everything put away before the Queens Speech on TV between 3:00 and 3:15 in the afternoon. It wasn't until after the speech had finished and the TV was turned off that we could start opening presents. It was especially annoying once I realised that all my friends would be opening their presents the moment they woke up!
I was reminded of this today when a package from Northern Briar arrived and I was given strict instructions that I wont be opening it until Christmas Day!
Did/Do you have any individual Traditions for this time of year?

 

[ssjones]

Hmm, my wife absconded with a box from The Briar Patch, which holds my new Mark Tinksy....
Interesting British traditions, thanks for sharing. I can see how stopping the festivities for the Queens speech might not be a lot of fun!
My mother is Hungarian and we always celebrated "Krampus Day" on December 5th. Krampus is a Western European tradition. As a child, we always put our shoes out on the 4th, hoping for candy in them on the morning of the 5th, if we were good. If we were bad, Krampus filled your shoes with coal and switches. He was a somewhat frightening figure, hoping to scare the kids into being good up until the 25th and St. Nicholas' visit. I always remember getting candy, but can't really figure out why...
Last week, here in Maryland, I found a Krampus figure at a flea market and bought it for my mom (84 yrs old). She was tickled. This guy is a little more gentile looking than the older caricatures!

 

[pentangle]

Sitting at the table eating and drinking almost all the day.With all the family of course.Many different wines and many different foods.Sounds Italian? Yes it is! :D

Maurizio

 

[schmitzbitz]

In my family, its tradition that on Christmas Eve, everyone gets to open a single gift (usually earmarked for the day). The catch is that the Dec. 24th gift always contains PJ's for the kids, robes for the adults, and, of course, dainty lingerie for my wife. :D

 

[markw4mms]

In my family, its tradition that on Christmas Eve, everyone gets to open a single gift (usually earmarked for the day). The catch is that the Dec. 24th gift always contains PJ's for the kids, robes for the adults, and, of course, dainty lingerie for my wife.

As a kid, my family did the same thing. Then on Christmas day, we were all up around 5A.M. After eating a quick breakfast of pastries, then we ripped into the gifts!

 

[pentangle]

"In my family, its tradition that on Christmas Eve, everyone gets to open a single gift (usually earmarked for the day). The catch is that the Dec. 24th gift always contains PJ's for the kids, robes for the adults, and, of course, dainty lingerie for my wife."
Not different here, but war is at the door :wink: at noon the troops come and start the battle all around the table

 

[jchaplick]

Yeah, my family is crazy and drunk (in a bad way) so my tradition is to just take cover

 

[tobakenist]

I always start the day with champagne for breakfast, Wine with dinner, Port with Stilton, Brandy with Cigar (the only one of the year), then the party starts.

 

[baronsamedi]

I drink some mead out of a horn and remember the good old days of lasciviousness and debauchery. Then since TV is screwed for 2 days straight, I watch zombie movies.

 

[aussielass]

It seems I'm legendary amongst friends and family for answering the phone, "Bah-Bloody-Humbug, who are you and what do you want?" on Xmas day.
I can't stand the mayhem & madness that goes with this totally commercialised day & period leading up to it that ensures normally sane people are driven over the edge. The majority don't even believe in the event Christmas is celebrated for, yet they still work themselves into a crazy frenzy because every other athiest, agnostic etc is. More domestic violence & murders occur in the week prior to Xmas than any other time of the year. All I think about it starving babies in Africa and elsewhere and the obsene $'s spent on wrapping paper etc that end up in the trash, it disgusts me.
Sorry, this Grinch should learn when to shutup!

 

[philip]

I like watching others do all the decorating and other activities. For myself I just like to have a nice quiet Christmas.

 

[ohin3]

Why focus on the negative Aussielass? I, like you, am not fond of the retail hustle and bustle and the insanity that surrounds this holiday in today's society. It is not, however, Christmas' fault that "civilized humans" have warped this wonderful holiday that is about family and friends and sharing what we have with one another into yet another day of trying to outdo one another. It is human kinds fault that it has become what it is. I still love the spirit of Christmas and refuse to let the behaviour of others foul it up for me. I just love the ho ho ho, Rudolf, Christmas trees, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Burl Ives, Frosty the Snowman...etc. And I love the spirt of giving and spending time with those we love. I used to be bitter about what the holiday has become, but all that got me was bitter and I lost the ability enjoy all that I love about Christmas because I was too busy condemning it for what humans have turned it into. So Merry Christmas Aussielass and the rest of you...Merry Christmas.

 

[ohin3]

I'm with Maurizio. I'm Italian and we make it a two day event of eating, drinking, and visiting everyone in the family. Can't wait for the Baccala!!!

 

[aussielass]

Why focus on the negative Aussielass?

I just love the ho ho ho, Rudolf, Christmas trees, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Burl Ives, Frosty the Snowman...etc.

No need for me to answer Ohin, you answered in the next breath perfectly well yourself. What in god's name does pretend reindeers, butchered pine trees and old crooners have to do with the birth of christ? Eric Bogle is my chosen musician at Xmas time actually.
As an unashamed humanitarian, as opposed to a hypocrital athiest or agnostic, my paltry few "obligatory" Xmas gifts will be comprised of Kiva.com vouchers - Kiva.com is a micro-finance organisation that lends $'s to entrepreneurs in 3rd world countries - so you're not giving people fish, you're giving them fishing rods and teaching them how to fish so they will eat for life. At this time of year, Doctors Without Borders is a wonderful organisation to donate all those $'s you'd otherwise spend on ho, ho, ho wrapping paper & BS!

 

[igloo]

We get a two ponud box off Sees candy and you only get one piece per day . My wife and I rarely exchange gifts .Of note we have a tree ,lights,nutcrackers,Xmas village,fresh nuts,csndy canes,inflateable yard dohickeys you name it .Give hams to the neigh .Just no presents .

 

[markw4mms]

Well, I don't "do" Christmas much anymore for several reasons. (1) I don't have the money to buy gifts, and we haven't really exchanged gifts for the last 3 years. (2) When you're in retail, and you have to put up with all of it, including Christmas music starting November 1, it just gets to be a bit much. (3) It's hard to really try to enjoy much of a family gathering since I can't go out of town to see my family (vacations are on blackout), and even visiting local family is difficult sine I have to go into work Christmas night (10-7), and need my sleep during the day. I love what Christmas really stands for, but hate what it has become in our overly commercial society today.

 

[dburrows]

It wasn't until after the speech had finished and the TV was turned off that we could start opening presents.

I can relate, withnail, although, not with the Queen's speech. Growing up, my father would make us wait until after Christmas church service to open gifts. I remember getting to church and having all my friends wearing new clothes and talking about the toys they got and asking me what I got and then having to explain to them why I didn't know yet. It was excruciating and now I can't wait to do something similar to my own when they're a few years older

It is not, however, Christmas' fault that "civilized humans" have warped this wonderful holiday...

Indeed. I used to get bitter about it. Now I've come to enjoy it. I really love the weather this time of year and having the house a little decorated for a few weeks (we don't do much). My church has a whole menu of activities going on every year throughout December which is always a lot of fun for the family and we get involved in a couple of charities that have specific 'Christmas' themed ways to participate.
And this year, the secret Santa on this forum is another plus ::

 

[spartan]

When I lived at home it was the opening of 1 gift on the 24th. And a little bit of rum and coke in the morning while we opened presents. The two dum dum parents are in the middle of a divorce and this will be the first christmas that we wont be together. Adult Dum Dums. :crazy:

 

[philip]

Adult Dum Dums.

Adults can be like that. I think it's their year-round tradition. Sorry to hear how it is affecting you, Spartan. Make the best of what you have.
As for me, I'm refusing to grow up.

 

[baronsamedi]

Here's an interesting bit from Wikipedia: == The Puritan view of Christma In Puritans at Play (1995), Bruce Colin Daniels writes "Christmas occupied a special place in the ideological religious warfare of Reformation Europe." Most Anabaptists, Quakers, Congregational and Presbyterian Puritans, he observes, regarded the day as an abomination while Anglicans, Lutherans, the Dutch Reformed and other denominations celebrated the day as did Roman Catholics. When the Church of England promoted the Feast of the Nativity as a major religious holiday, the Puritans attacked it as "residual Papist idolatry".[1]