Off Topic Happy Christmahanukkwanzahumanaliasolstivus to all!

[Geoffrey Taucer]

What do you celebrate? How do you celebrate it? Got cool plans/presents/traditions? This thread is for kicking back, grabbing a glass of eggnog (or perhaps something stronger), and talking holidays.

I'll be flying back to the east coast to spend the holidays with the family, which typically involves gift exchanges, home-made tamales, the disappearance of a large quantity of wine, lots of terrible puns, and piano-accompanied Christmas carols (sung by a family of agnosts, atheists, and jews).

 

[onelittledream]

We are still young enough to have the Santa tradition going. So we put up a tree, but don't decorate it, and hang stockings on Christmas eve. We put out cookies and eggnog for Santa and carrots and celery for rudolph (sp?). In the morning DD wakes to a decorated tree and filled stockings and gifts under the tree. We eat roast and root veggies for early dinner and a few neighbors and ourselves then go Caroling through the neighborhood ending at someones house for snowman soup afterwards.

 

[MILgymFAM]

We celebrate a secular Christmas. We open our house to any single Marines or orphaned (family lives elsewhere) Marines. We typically host Christmas Eve dinner, as its traditional in my hubby's Italian family to do a big Christmas Eve 7 fishes dinner. We do a huge, overly decorated tree and hand drawn window decorations.

We don't buy or exchange gifts because we aren't into the whole commercialism thing, but this year I broke and bought each girl one gift. A new leo (have always had used practice leos) for ODD with Swarovski crystals I decorated it with, and a Harry Potter magic wand that is a remote control for YDD. They will both be THRILLED. We usually lead into the season by working toys for tots with the hubby.

This year we have made friends with our new neighbors and will be going sledding in Yosemite on the day following Christmas. This is a HUGE deal for us Northeasterners who haven't seen snow in years!

There is always a special showing of my favorite childhood Christmas movie, and lots of Moscato will flow. Right now we are in our last city, visiting friends, and my DDs are going to do some hours at their old gym.

All in all, I absolutely adore Christmas, and I have again been reminded of the incredible abundance in which we get to exist. Merry {insert your particular holiday here} Everyone!

 

[raenndrops]

We "do" Christmas in waves... go to our parents on Christmas Eve... eat and open presents. Then, on some other day, we will open gifts at our house with the girls (and their dad, stepmom, and sibs). No clue when that will be as we have to have both girls to do it!

We did finally manage to get the tree put up on Wednesday (My birthday... so I was able to get both girls). We hung our homemade cinnamon ornaments - and the girls smelled each one before hanging. The ones from 2010 STILL smell a little like cinnamon

 

[onelittledream]

I always loved those homemade cinnamon ornaments but could never find a recipe that worked. Mine always fell apart

 

[bogwoppit]

Our holiday is all about getting together with family and friends. Kids will all be home. Lots of big communal dinners. Hubby's family love sing songs, they are not my thing at all.

Lots of playing out in the snow if there is any.

Traditional dim sum and prosecco on NYE.

No santa stuff here, never sold that gem to the kids. We get them gifts that they need and a few stocking stuffers.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Nice to hear how others celebrate the holidays!

Here in Finland families gather together on Christmas Eve. In the morning we eat rice porridge with plum kissel or cinnamon and sugar. Then we decorate the tree and watch Santa getting ready from tv. Then at the noon we watch the Declaration of Christmas Peace from TV and after that everyone is supposed to be nice and friendly and no arguments are allowed.

In the evening we eat a Christmas dinner which consists of ham, traditional Finnish rutabaga, carrot and liver casseroles, rosolli (beetroot) sallad, gravlax, potatoes, peas, plums etc. Then the Santa visits families of little children but because we don't have any he just drops his bags on the porch and we have to take care of sharing the gifts.

In the midnight of Christmas Eve we go to the church and after that we go to sleep. The Christmas day is spent at home with the family watching movies in the pajamas, eating chocolate and leftovers from Christmas eve. On Christmas Day or on Boxing day we also go to the local cemetery and put candles on the graves of our loved ones.

 

[GymRays]

We celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice and Christmas (pagan family but grew up with the general Christmas traditions)....We have a fire in our fire pit, sit around it and talk about what we would like to accomplish in the upcoming year. It's a great way to welcome back the Sun/Light as the days start to get longer again. We also happen to go to a great poetry reading this Yule. It was full of great talent. For Christmas, We have our tree and we do stockings and Santa (kids are young still). We go to grandma's on Christmas Eve for dinner and presents, then Christmas morning at our house for Santa's gifts and our gifts, then we go to my sisters for dinner that night and do presents with the cousins.

Happy Holidays!

 

[onelittledream]

We celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice and Christmas (pagan family but grew up with the general Christmas traditions)....We have a fire in our fire pit, sit around it and talk about what we would like to accomplish in the upcoming year. It's a great way to welcome back the Sun/Light as the days start to get longer again. We also happen to go to a great poetry reading this Yule. It was full of great talent. For Christmas, We have our tree and we do stockings and Santa (kids are young still). We go to grandma's on Christmas Eve for dinner and presents, then Christmas morning at our house for Santa's gifts and our gifts, then we go to my sisters for dinner that night and do presents with the cousins.

Happy Holidays!

This year for the first time our family was invited to a Yule celebration by a friend of ours. Very interesting traditions and we came home with a Yule Log..........We may have to add Yule in the years to come who knows. We have been to a few of her Pagan events and all the people seem so welcoming and willing to explain everything. I cannot wait till Spring they tell me that is a very exciting event.

 

[auswi]

Usually the typical Aussie beer ( add in wine and kids soft drinks too ) and Barbi ( add in extra Xmas desserts, and some other special treats) , lots of family, fun and friends, way too many pressies and loads of sunblock....

Loved reading about playing in the snow Bogwoppit such a contrast !!

As this year is going to be cold - low 20's forecast we 're going to have a turkey too!!
Happy Xmas all!!

 

[poodlemomma]

We usually decorate our tree and house after Thanksgiving. Christmas eve, we do lots of baking and build a gingerbread house. We invite over friends, neighbors or other family who isn't doing much that day. We put the kids to bed and whoever has come to visit will often stay to help wrap the gifts from Santa. We unwrap gifts Christmas morning and then have a big breakfast. The family then just hangs out the rest of the day playing with new toys and relaxing.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Just wanted to add a lovely picture of my three dogs playing reindeer! You can also see how much snow we have around here! Isn't it beautiful! The days are starting to get longer but we still only have 3 hours of sun light a day

Happy Christmas everyone!

 

[Aero]

Three hours of sunlight? Where do you live?! You must be very far north, that's for sure. I love your beautiful doggies.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Three hours of sunlight? Where do you live?! You must be very far north, that's for sure. I love your beautiful doggies.

I live in the northern part of Finland, just 250 km away from Arctic Circle I checked and weather report says that today the day is 3 hours and 35 minutes long.

 

[Uglybetty]

Spent some time in Lapland (Finland) a few Christmas's ago....most beautiful place I've ever been to.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

Since my dad passed away, a little over 6 years ago, we've made a new tradition and my mom comes to stay overnight with us on Christmas eve..She goes to candlelight service with us and then Christmas morning she gets to be here while the kids open their Santa stuff and look through their stockings. Then we exchange our family gifts. My dh is going to rec tec chicken wings and a ham this year, and I'm hoping later in the day to go to the movies and see "Into the woods" well, us girls will go...I don't think the boys are interested.
No snow here in Az. Kids were out riding bikes today in shorts.
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone!