Christmas Traditions

[RZehr]

My family has no Christmas traditions, and I’d kinda like to starts something real simple. This is looking like the first Christmas that we have no plans at all. Not going anywhere. And no one coming over here, at least as of yet.

What do tradition does your family have?
What do you like or dislike about it?
What makes a good tradition for you?
Is it a food, or activity, or something else?

[AnthonyMartin]

One if my favorites was started by may parents. Every Christmas Eve we would watch "It's a Wonderful Life". We've done a number of variations on that over the years, but our Christmas Eve has always been just us and our children. Either a game or movie and then candy and talking. Often a lot of silliness and laughter.

Another one is keeping costumes around for the little children and acting out the Christmas story while reading both the Luke and Matthew accounts. We do this Christmas morning before eating or opening any gifts.

[steve-in-kville]

We used to do a lot more, but we haven't exchanged gifts in well over ten years. I buy the family a gift, normally something we needed anyway, typically something for the kitchen.

Only thing we really do is go to my parents Christmas Eve. Christmas day we just stay home. I have some vacation time after Christmas this year (Thursday & Friday) so I'll be out at my hunting spot at the tracks every morning before the family is up.

I do prepare a special meal. The past few holidays we've done brunch instead of a dinner. Planning to do my version of English Breakfast if I can get my act together.

[mike]

We make gingerbread houses, typically on Christmas Eve. You can get patterns online. My wife bakes the gingerbread in big sheets, then cuts out the pieces according to the pattern. We used to make a house per person, but these days we make one for every two children. A young child and an older child will go together on a house. Even the really young ones can help put the candy on. It's a general riot, and about as much gingerbread and candy get consumed as used for building materials.

[ohio jones]

We used to do a lot more, but we haven't exchanged gifts in well over ten years. I buy the family a gift, normally something we needed anyway, typically something for the kitchen.

Another toaster, huh?

[steve-in-kville]

We used to do a lot more, but we haven't exchanged gifts in well over ten years. I buy the family a gift, normally something we needed anyway, typically something for the kitchen.

Another toaster, huh?

She already got the toaster. Her slow cooker just arrived this morning.

[Wade]

My family has no Christmas traditions, and I’d kinda like to starts something real simple. This is looking like the first Christmas that we have no plans at all. Not going anywhere. And no one coming over here, at least as of yet.

What do tradition does your family have?

On Chritmas day: reading Luke 2 and singing. Letting the children talk over, decide whether they'd like to give food for a family, help an orphan, bibles for the world, etc., through CAM and then doing it. I'd like to be involved in more local activities too. We eat turkey(we've got 8 free turkeys in the last few months...). My wife makes homemade caramel(I don't eat candy...)
These things weren't on Christmas day and haven't been tradition but I'd like to make them: Letting the children pick out items each time grocery shopping to give to the food bank. Last year we visit a couple elderly and a widow. I like carolling but last time our one son got really sick and we didn't go last year or this year yet...

What do you like or dislike about it?

Someone said yesterday December is about bingeing and January about purging... Too often it seems to be about getting rather than giving.

What makes a good tradition for you?

A good tradition for me is one that shares the love of Christ in seeking out the less fortunate.

Is it a food, or activity, or something else?

To much feasting and giving to those that don't need just reminds of what Christ thought about it:

Luke 14: 12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

And so a good tradition to me is one of seeking out and blessing the poor, maimed, lame, blind, widowed, fatherless, and etc.

[Joy]

My sister and I began a tradition of going to a small nursing home out of town, for caroling and bringing gifts. We already go regularly to the local ones.

This Christmas I am scheduled to visit a friend behind bars--something I've never been able to do on Christmas. But no one else visits him at all, and that's a shame. But the Lord is with him, something he knows well.