Our only 'tradition' is that no matter what is going on, no matter where we will end up on Christmas, we ALWAYS have Christmas Morning at home. Doesn't matter after gifts are opened and breakfast is cooked and eaten what we do, but we go to bed on Christmas Eve in our own home and wake up to our own Christmas Morning. We live 3 hours from my inlaws, and 6 hours from my parents. We usually trade years between them... this year is my parents turn, so we will make the drive AFTER we open presents...
I do have some other 'tradition-like' things... like my brother (who isn't the most social butterfly in the group) comes over a couple days before Christmas and helps me wrap gifts. I could do it without him, but I really enjoy the once a year interaction with him. I provide the tape, the wrapping paper, the munchies... he provides the razor blades (I'm telling you it's the only way...lol... the first year we did this, I pulled out the scissors and he looked at me like I was nuts... he says to me (he has no children mind you) "What? Scissors? Are you a rookie?"...) and eggnog.
Other tradition-like stuff: calling and talking to each of my siblings (4), my folks (even if we are on the way there...lol), opening one gift (of choice) from under the tree on Christmas Eve (but Santa doesn't come with the 'load' until after everyone is asleep so the big gifts aren't up for grabs until the morning)... OH! I know!!! Ever since I was a little kid, my mother always had a whiffle ball set ready for Christmas afternoon. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, plays a game of Whiffle Ball in the street. Our neighbors (okay, most of the families on our street...lol) have become a part of this tradition as well...
My tradition was actually printed in the newspaper the year my son was born. My mother worked graveyard when I was a kid and being an RN, she often had to work the holidays. So generally it was me and my dad after she left for work and until she got home the next morning. Also, I spent a majority of my time anyway with my father who was a stay at home dad in the 70's. Not exactly a common thing then.
So my mother would be leaving for work, just as I would be getting ready for bed and she would pull out these old little Christmas books that I never saw the rest of the year and she would read me the Night Before Christmas. (this book even had the pipe in Santa's mouth animated, something you don't see in the newer books because it isn't PC) This was a big deal for me and so when my son was born, I continued the tradition. We also would open one gift that evening and the rest would be opened the following morning but now, my husband's family tradition is to open all of their gifts except Santa gifts on Christmas Eve, so we have absorbed that tradition as well and open all of the gifts that we have at their house and have dinner that evening there. We leave our presents from friends and my family until the morning and don't open a single gift when we get home. You have to compromise a little.
We also travel to grandparents' houses but luckily they live close(less than 30 minutes). We alternate each year going one year to my husband's parents on Christmas Eve day and mine on Christmas Day then the opposite the next year with the exception that my parents come to my house when it's our Christmas Eve together.
On Christmas Eve(the night), we read the Christmas story and Polar Express and maybe watch the Grinch(the animated one).
The kids are still young enough that they like to get up early. I get up about 5:30 and make homemade cinnamon rolls. By the time they are rising on top of the stove my family is rising out of bed.(This year my son who's 9 has said he wants to get up and help me make the rolls which sounds like a nice new tradition). We all sit down and open gifts, then I put the rolls in the oven while the kids play and my husband assembles. We have breakfast and get dressed then head to grandma and grandpa's. the kids get a good couple of hours to play so they aren't too distressed.
I guess I look at the fact that our parents are getting older and we may not have that many holidays left to share in this way so I let them enjoy it. My biggest fear it that the families will not all get together every year once parents can't host(have some lazy siblings). My plan is that as soon as one set of parents or the other says they can't do it anymore that my husband and I will bring the celebration to our house. We've done many celebrations with both sides of the family filling our house and I love it.
I guess we have little traditions leading up to the holidays too. I give the kids each a new ornament on Thanksgiving and we decorate on that weekend. We bake cookies and breads together and always watch for the Christmas Story so we can laugh at Ralphie in his bunny suit. Look for the small things that you can do together even if it's singing Christmas carols in the car on the way to the grandparents house!
Anyone have any holiday traditions that they choose to share? I just love hearing what other families do.
When I was a kid we didn't live near any relatives, so it was just our family of 4. We had family time Christmas Eve and ordered pizza for dinner, which was a big deal for us. Each person got to open ONE present from under the tree. It was so much fun painstakingly checking out each and every wrapped gift trying to decide which one to open. Christmas morning was exactly like in the TV movies. Family, presents, gift wrapping everywhere, and eventually a big holiday dinner.
Now I'm the grown up - for whatever good that is. I hate the way we do Christmas, but it's out of my control as our wants take second place to grandparents who would be crushed if we didn't visit. It's great to see everyone, but I just wish we could stay home and ENJOY Christmas.
We spend two days trying to please various family members with a precise schedule any train conductor would envy. It was much harder when my kids were little and we had to hurry them along to open gifts because it was time to leave for somewhere else. Heaven forbid they actually had time to PLAY with a present! (And yes, it is possible to go out of town Christmas morning, spend the morning with family A and then return and prepare an entire Christmas dinner for when Family B arrives that afternoon. Not fun - but possible...)
Actually, now it's pretty funny - especially since my kids are old enough to have a sense of humor.
