What are your Christmas traditions?
Growing up the tradition was to go to church on Christmas Eve. Here is the funny part, Santa would come while we were at church. I don't have a clue why this is when he came. My parents were wonderful Christian people, very involved in the church so it seems strange to me that Santa came while we were at church. I guess I need to ask my dad this one! My father would sneak out of church and set everything up. When we came home and the tree was lit in the window it meant Santa had been there. Our Christmases were big and we were very spoiled.
With my own children we have done Santa on Christmas morning. Pretty much the normal tradition for most families. When we moved to California 22 years ago we would go over to my aunt & uncles on Christmas Eve to exchange gifts. Christmas day has always been just the four of us as we have no other family member here. Since my aunt/uncle passed away and the kids have grown we have done Christmas day here with a lovely family dinner. On Christmas Eve I go to church and watch It's A Wonderful Life. The kids go and spend the evening with their significant others families.
I work very hard putting Thanksgiving dinner together, decorating the tree, the house and baking a lot of delicious Christmas cookies. Not to mention all the shopping, wrapping of gifts and shipping all the out of town gifts to relatives. So last year when Christmas came around I made a decision that I wanted to enjoy Christmas day and didn't want to cook. We ordered some special Chicago deep dish pizza for the day and it was one of the most enjoyable Christmas days for me. We started a tradition with the four adult children decorating gingerbread houses so we will be doing that again this year. We open presents for hours with a few breaks in between. We are also going to be doing the Chicago deep dish pizza again too! I am thrilled that I will be able to enjoy the day and not have to spend most of it in the kitchen cooking.
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20 comments:
What an nice insight into your childhood and current traditions. It must have been great to grow up in a loving home and carry that over to your own family. You are blessed.
Sometimes it is best to break with tradition and follow your heart! Sounds like you have started a new lovely one that everyone gets to enjoy:)
I agree - it doesn't matter what the tradition is - if others agree or not - it is that is a tradition for your family to remember and enjoy and it sounds really great!
Another thing - My favorite movie is It's A Wonderful Life.
Sandie♥
My oldest brother does it more like your parents did! They don't get their tree until right before Christmas and when their kids were little (youngest is now 41) they would have it up and decorated when the kids got up on a certain morning.
Santa always came on Christmas Eve when I was a child and NOT until we were sound asleep in bed. Incentive to get us to bed!
I love the pizza idea!
Yeah on the new tradition of not cooking I so love it.. Have a great day..
i think not cooking is awesome. good for you to enjoy the day. i always try to talk my nana out of cooking.
My memories of Christmas as a child was hurried and hectic. We opened gifts at our house then raced to grandma's to open gifts there and eat. All the kids wanted to do was stay in jammies and play with our new toys.
I made a decision that our day would be peaceful.
Christmas Eve we go to church and eat a lovely meal. Christmas morning we bake cinnamon rolls and leisurely open gifts. Later in the day we eat leftovers and rarely get out of our pjs. I try to make it a point to take a bubble bath to prove to myself that it is okay to relax on this special day and not rush, rush, rush!
What a cool tradition! I think you Dad would have had to be extremely organized to have everything set up by the time you got home! What a sweet memory. We always seem to have to go somewhere on Christmas so it is always a very early morning. but when we decorate the tree we have to have Christmas music popcorn and hot chocolate.
Blessings, Joanne
I love that you have declared Christmas day a day off from having to cook! And pizza...it doesn't get any better than that!!!
In the last couple of years, my kids and I have added making gingerbread houses to our list of holiday traditions. We always have such a blast, listening to Christmas music while we each decorate our house. And it's so much fun to see the creations when they're all done! I was wondering if, as adults, they'll still enjoy this tradition and I was comforted in reading your post that your adult kids had fun doing it!!
I love your pizza tradition! That's so cool!
And you have enough presents to open for HOURS?
I like your pizza idea, Debby! I think holidays should be relaxful like this, time with family and not in the kitchen cooking away! Great traditions you all have!
betty
Who says that the best traditions are the old ones? Sometimes it's time for new traditions ... and it sounds like you've created some awesome new traditions! ;-)
I love watching It's a Wonderful Life!
I'm glad u are going to enjoy ur family and everyone loves the pizza so win win!! :D
I wonder how I can sell my family on not cooking for Christmas! It's so tiring!
Your Christmas traditions sound absolutely amazing. :-)
it is nice to start new traditions..or change them up...love that Santa came while you were at church...
I love that Santa came while you were at church. That's kind of funny!
I love traditions...even new ones!
Really like your new background!
I do love traditions but am all about new ones as well and have initiated a few myself. Our one standing tradition is a birthday party for Jesus each Christmas Eve. My children loved it and now I want my Grans to grow up loving it. Great post!
I remember you doing the pizza thing last year (has it really been a year already?) and how much your enjoyed it. It takes our family hours to open gifts, too - although that's because we have to ooh and ahh over all the wrapping and the bows and try to get the paper off without ripping it, etc.
Ahhh I love that your dad would do that! What a great memory!
I love pizza is part of it, everytime I order pizza I think of you :). XOXO
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