December 3rd, 2015:
Congratulations to Rose Marie, winner of the SoftSpeaker Pillow Speaker.
Today’s giveaway: The Unit Plus LED Flashlight.
For a chance to win, all you have to do is comment on today’s blog question.
Today’s blog question: What was your favorite Christmas tradition as a child? Did you carry that tradition into your adulthood?
The winner will be selected in a random drawing and will be announced the following business day. One entry per person. Shipping only to the 48 contiguous states. Good luck and thanks for participating!
To get up before the sun. Must to my family’s dismay … it’s 61 years and going strong.
Waiting for Christmas morning to open presents… Still look forward to it!
decorating the tree
One favorite childhood Christmas tradition was getting up early to sneak a peak at the tree with the presents underneath. We were still in our PJ’s. But then we had to wait until everyone was dressed after breakfast to open gifts. Another tradition: the children were the “Deliverers.” Each of us picked a gift, read the To/From tag, and delivered the present to the recipient. This way, the focus was on each person receiving a gift, and we all shared in his or her enjoyment. Another tradition: one grandfather used to write doggerel poetry along with the tag to give a clue as to the content, intent, or use of the gift. Another tradition: our mother sat with scissors and a bag to save the ribbon and wrapping paper for another year. All of these are simple actions, but it made the gift-giving and receiving time special, a true celebration for all of us being together. Now in 2015, our family on earth is quite small, but the memories are to be cherished forever.
To plant a live tree and yes i do sometimes 3 or 4 trees get planted.
It was actually a Christmas Eve tradition of eating a meatless meal before attending midnight Mass. Traditional Slovak foods like pierogies, pea soup, lima beans and cookies (no meat in them). Still continue the tradition today.
Gathering everyone together to spend time under one roof… best way to keep the unity of a family… …schedules even more busy nowadays… but the effort is still there…
We had a wooden small Christmas tree that had little drawers containing ornaments to be placed on pegs as a countdown to Christmas….the pegs corresponded to Dec 1st through Dec. 25th….the ornaments were small red balls, candy canes, reindeer, toy nutcrackers, and more….of course the ornament for the 25th was Santa Claus in his sleigh.
The tree was stored unused for about 31 years until I had a son…we now bring that tree out and my son, Nicholas (no kidding) can’t wait to put the next ornament on the tree just like I did when I was his age….definitely a blast from the past and deja vue…it brings back my childhood too and the excitement of Christmas has returned for me through seeing my son enjoy this tradition as much as I did…..
My parents are European immigrants who loved America and came to this great country seeking a better life for themselves and for my brother and I who were born in latter years.
In their native Germany, our folks celebrated Christmas by opening gifts on Christmas eve rather than Christmas morning. As our parents would say: “On Christmas eve, it’s dark outside with beautiful lights decorating the exterior of the house with the colorful Christmas tree inside. There’s a certain beauty to celebrating this great holiday at night verses Christmas morning where celebrants are still in their pajamas and cranky from just waking up.”
Before opening our gifts, my family would attend a Christmas eve service at the Sweet Hallow Presbyterian Church in Melville, Long Island, New York where I grew up. (Isn’t “Sweet Hallow” a really nice name for a church?)
After the church service, we would have a Thanksgiving style feast with turkey and all of the trimmings and then we, as a family, would open our gifts.
What a fine manner it is to celebrate this wonderful holiday European style.
Now, I live way out west in Idaho where my wife, three sons and nine grandchildren carry on this great tradition in the same manner as our ancestors.
“Oh!, tannenbaum, Oh!, tannenbaum!”
Merry Christmas! — Bob Ziel, Rigby, Idaho
One of my favorite traditions, was mom always gave us new pj’s on Christmas eve..I carried on that tradition, and added books also 🙂
For me, it was waiting for Santa to leave me presents. Obviously that went away as I grew up!
puttiing up all decorations and yes i still do it
As a kid I loved the pine cone hunt that my Grand pa took us all on the morning of christmas eve. It was so much more fun than Easter egg hunt. I plan to organize the same one day for my own kids 🙂
Helping my Mom make cinnamon ornaments for our christmas tree. I remember the sweet smell that would fill our home when those were baking !!
Decorating the tree with my brother 🙂 We had so much fun and still do! 🙂
Going with Dada to pick the best tree and then decking it all up!! So blissful.
Opening the presents on christmas morning. I just couldn’t wait until everyone was up. 🙂 And that’s how my kids do it now at our place.
Making hand made christmas cards for all our family and friends. My brother and I had the artistic flair and it meant so much to us that our Mom let us design our own cards 🙂 I will encourage my kids to do the same once they grow up!
I used to spend hours deciding what to get for my dog and cat. My father let me have my fun at the pet store. I think it was great how that taught me to share the happiness with everyone who matters to us.
Holiday brunch at my grand ma’s house was always something we looked forward to! Now my Mom has taken up that responsibility and I can see that my kids have a ball too 🙂
Picking apples from my Father’s orchard. I used to wait for it as my grand ma (who was the best baker I knew) – bake dozens of apple pies for all our close family and friends for holidays. I miss the happiness that simple act gave to us as kids!
Being with Family together thankfull for Health
Going to Aunt Sophie’s house at Christmastime. She was widowed, with seven children, and lots of toys. It was insane! I kept up the tradition till she passed away!
My favorite memory from childhood , at Christmas , is that we could open one present on Christmas eve. I would always wait until my father came home from work, which was always after dark. I would watch the driveway with great anticipation and I knew that my dad always brought his present to me home on Christmas eve. I would choose that one to be my present to open. Yes , we carry on the excitement of a gift on Christmas eve just to let
some of the pressure of excitement of Christmas release a little
My favorite tradition was put out the Nativity set on Thanksgiving night. We did that when our boys were home as well.
My Mom put an orange in the toe of our stocking and then nuts in the foot part and an apple in the heel. This was in the early 40’s and things weren’t available like they are today. I did this for my children for many years but alas, all things change and all that stuff is nothing special today.
We have all you can eat Italian spidenie
My favorite tradition as a child was reading in the Bible the story of Christ’s birth. It is a tradition that I still cherish, and not only at Christmas.
Each kid got a different colored crayon and got to circle the things in the Sears catalogue that we wanted Sant to bring. I never figured it out.
Going into the fields to cut a cedar tree. Now we just buy a tree.
Hanging the stockings on Christmas Eve is the tradition that I still carry on. Each of us kids would go to the mantel one at a time to hook our stocking on the cup hooks that my father installed for this purpose. When they we up he would take a picture. Those pix are treasures now.
We used to get giant apples ans oranges in our stocking. My parents can’t find them so we just get regular fruit now.
Opening one present on Christmas Eve. It was always pajamas.
Midnight Mass, opening presents and Christmas dinner.
Us kids walking to our Uncle & Aunts house before daylight to show them our Hopalong Cassiday outfits we received from Santa.
We would not decorate the tree until Christmas eve (and it stayed up until 12th night) and yes, in spite of all the pressures from outsiders to get the tree up by Halowe’en, and take it down on Boxing day, we still maintain our tradition
The tradition that I grew up with was celebrating the Birth of the Baby Jesus with a little family Christmas pageant. Each of us drew the name of a character from the manger from a hat : There were six of us in the family – we then solemnly brought the characters down our steps to the tune of Silent Night, Holy Night – where we placed the characters around a Birthday Cake for Baby Jesus. My Dad read the gospel of Mark and after, we sang Happy Birthday to our savior. Then we began our Christmas Eve celebration ! Later when I was married and had children (4) of my own, we kept the tradition going.
Its so quiet on Christmas morning.. A wonderful to time to have a peaceful,delicious, intimate breakfast with my husband ,and to count our blessings.
Decorating the Christmas tree on Christmas eve! So fun!!!
Opening presents in order of age! It is very nice because you get to appreciate the presents more.
We have always opened presents in the morning! That way you can have fun with your presents in the afternoon or take a nap;)
When I was a boy, we would wait until the day before Christmas to bring out all of our Christmas decorations. Now, as an adult, we bring some decorations a few weeks before Christmas, but we still reserve decorating the Christmas tree itself to the day before Christmas.
My mom would make tamales, we would eat tamales all day and yes I keep the tradition my wife make them and we eat them all day for xmas
Eating Chi mi-changes after the midnight mass.
going to the firehouse to buy a christmas tree
My favorite thing was listening to the old time radio Christmas programs on WLW on Christmas Eve when I was supposed to be asleep!
Using electronic toys for the first time – – a reel to reel tape recorder. A stereo system.
Hanging a stocking. And yes, definitely still do it!
FRIENDS & FAMILY…..CHRISTMAS COOKIES…..LIGHT SNOWFALL……