Holiday Traditions?

[KR Wordgazer]

My family goes out to the Oregon woods and cuts a Christmas tree in a U-Cut lot every year. We make cookies and fudge to give to friends and co-workers. My sister always flies out to spend the holiday with us.

On Christmas Eve we light all the candles in the house, sing Christmas carols and read the 2nd chapter of Luke and The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore. We have cocoa for the kids and mulled wine or Bailey's for the grownups.

On Christmas morning we each open gifts one at a time while everyone else watches. We go slow and drag it out, stopping for breakfast of bagels and fruitcake halfway through. We usually have either roast lamb or standing rib of beef for Christmas dinner. Then we call our relatives and thank them for what they sent.

What holidays do you celebrate this time of year, and how do you celebrate them?

[mdsimpson92]

My fathers side of the family meets together in Valley Falls, Kansas, have dinner, play a game called pink elephant where everyone brings joke gifts and draws lots for who gets to pick the gifts. Then we sing Christmas charols.


I will not be able to celebrate Christmas, as I will be in China and my final exams are the day after Christmas. Jerks.

[Metacrock]

wow that's too bad Miles. Maybe you can have a cybre christmas.

Christmas is not the same for me as it was. I loved Christmas with all my heart and my mother and I went into it in a big way. We used decorate the tree a couple of weeks in advance and my parents and I would sit in the dark living room for a few minutes each night, especially on Christmas eve and watch the lights on the tree. We also would drive around town and look at lights a few nights before. Another tradition I would have is being given chocolate cover cherries every time wrapped as a present under the tree. My mom started that for my brother and I when we were I don't know, 13 or so.

after they did (my Dad's big heart attack was on Christmas eve) I never celebrated Christmas again. I haven't had a tree since that time (1998). For a year after my mother died I would sit in the evenings near the time of Christmas day and look across the alley between the houses to a picture window of a house on the next street over where you could just barely their tree. that year I made out like that was my tree and I was watching their lights. At the same time i would drink coffee and smoke (I smoked then not now).

I do celibate Christmas in my heart. I just don't have a tree. I go to neice's house sometimes on Christmas day and she has a tree they put presents there. I bought a monopoly set for my great niece and nephew and they were real happy.

now I have Christmas at her house and in my heart and on PBS. I don't bother with my own decorations or tree or anything. I like to try and get presents for my nearest relatives. That's all I can manage.

I also like to read The Crucified God by Jurgen Moltmann.