Holiday Traditions (house, daughter, scene, red light)
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With the holidays approaching fast...I was wondering what some of your traditions are. It is always interesting to see what everyone else does to celebrate.
When we were kids my parents used to hide the pickle in the Christmas tree. Whoever found the pickle got an extra gift. It was always a mad rush to the tree in the morning. With me being the youngest my brother and sister used to let me find it almost every year! I think this is a German tradition, but I am not sure...
I have a Nativity set, (from a company in Italy), that I place on the fireplace mantle, every year. My grandmother started the set for me, some years ago, and I added a few more pieces.
I also have a red pillar candle, that I've only burned a few times, in all the years I've had it. Because it's wrapped up all year-long, it has this nice, very distinctive smell. My daughter is grown and married, with children of her own, but she tells me she wants me to leave her the candle, when I pass on, because it makes Christmas official, every year!
I always bake my Christmas cookies; those ones that are known as wedding cookies. I don't usually bake alot of other cookies, but those are a must! I also have to bake a cherry pie, and a pumpkin pie, from scratch. No frozen pies in this house! I'd probably be run out of town, on a rail, with a coating of Christmas goose feathers and tar!
When I was growing up we had that "open one present on Christmas Eve" tradition. I think a lot of people do that.
When I lived up north I always got a big, real tree and every year I got a new decoration with the year on it and every year popcorn was popped and when my girls were home we (when they left home it became me) would string the popcorn. I also always used the tree skirt that my family had used my whole life at home. Christmas Eve was always a big gathering with whatever family was in town and once I got a video camera I would always make a Christmas video for family that lived far away. Each video always included lip sinking a Christmas tune and I still do that for my grandkids--every year a different Christmas song--kind of a video Christmas card. I also still make sure I listen to the Christmas albums I grew up with--Spike Jones, Fred Waring, etc. Christmas music is a big tradition. I never get tired of it!....and, of course, the Christmas movies. Have to watch them every year.......wow, I'm getting excited about the season just typing all of this!
Location: Georgia.I rather be in GODS country Tennessee.Everybody knows Gods a VOLS fan.
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Originally Posted by dandevder
With the holidays approaching fast...I was wondering what some of your traditions are. It is always interesting to see what everyone else does to celebrate.
When we were kids my parents used to hide the pickle in the Christmas tree. Whoever found the pickle got an extra gift. It was always a mad rush to the tree in the morning. With me being the youngest my brother and sister used to let me find it almost every year! I think this is a German tradition, but I am not sure...
I look forward to hearing your stories too!
I'm still stunned by your find the pickle in the ole christmas tree tradition.
Well, for the past two years, we have decorated the outside of our house (garage doors to/and including front porch) with lights and a "moving" animated Buck Deer on our front lawn. We have put up an 8 foot artificial Christmas Tree in the front window of our formal dining room area and put up a 5 foot real tree in front of our fireplace (gas type). We have also decorated the fireplace and put up other decorations (Nativity Scene, etc.) in other parts of our house.
This year, we are only going to decorate around our fireplace and put up a real 5 foot tree in front of it. It has gotten to hard for us to put up all of the outside lights/decorations anymore.
On Christmas Eve, I set up both tripods for the video and digital cameras. Christmas morning, we are up early (5AM), I get a cup of coffee and my wife gets herself her favorite morning drink (hot chocolate), we turn either turn the TV on for some Christmas music or pop a Christmas CD into our computer, turn the video camera on (I have the remote), get the digital camera ready for "Christmas photos" and we start opening gifts. After all the gifts are open, we say a nice pray of "Thanks" and say "thank you" (on video) to the family who sent us gifts.
When I was growing up we had that "open one present on Christmas Eve" tradition. I think a lot of people do that.
When I lived up north I always got a big, real tree and every year I got a new decoration with the year on it and every year popcorn was popped and when my girls were home we (when they left home it became me) would string the popcorn. I also always used the tree skirt that my family had used my whole life at home. Christmas Eve was always a big gathering with whatever family was in town and once I got a video camera I would always make a Christmas video for family that lived far away. Each video always included lip sinking a Christmas tune and I still do that for my grandkids--every year a different Christmas song--kind of a video Christmas card. I also still make sure I listen to the Christmas albums I grew up with--Spike Jones, Fred Waring, etc. Christmas music is a big tradition. I never get tired of it!....and, of course, the Christmas movies. Have to watch them every year.......wow, I'm getting excited about the season just typing all of this!
(hi grammy!)
i love christmas music, too! i used to listen to the old stuff with my grandma- spike jones, perry como, bing crosby... now thats christmas music to me!
one of my fav songs spike jones did:
Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?
Yes! Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?
Well, for the past two years, we have decorated the outside of our house (garage doors to/and including front porch) with lights and a "moving" animated Buck Deer on our front lawn. We have put up an 8 foot artificial Christmas Tree in the front window of our formal dining room area and put up a 5 foot real tree in front of our fireplace (gas type). We have also decorated the fireplace and put up other decorations (Nativity Scene, etc.) in other parts of our house.
This year, we are only going to decorate around our fireplace and put up a real 5 foot tree in front of it. It has gotten to hard for us to put up all of the outside lights/decorations anymore.
On Christmas Eve, I set up both tripods for the video and digital cameras. Christmas morning, we are up early (5AM), I get a cup of coffee and my wife gets herself her favorite morning drink (hot chocolate), we turn either turn the TV on for some Christmas music or pop a Christmas CD into our computer, turn the video camera on (I have the remote), get the digital camera ready for "Christmas photos" and we start opening gifts. After all the gifts are open, we say a nice pray of "Thanks" and say "thank you" (on video) to the family who sent us gifts.
You just made me realize that I have never used the remote to my video camera that I have had for a year and a half. Have to check that out.
My family did the one gift on Christmas eve but it was a cheessy gift like socks. I am keeping the tradition going with my son but he can pick it out. Sometimes he will have to pick a different one but usually it doesnt matter because we always go overboard. And shockingly I think I am done shopping for him already!!! Well I have to get him a new kitchen but I already have it picked out.
When I used to use cassette tapes in my rack stereo system, I used to set a timer on it so we would wake up to the sound of Christmas music. I miss that.
i love christmas music, too! i used to listen to the old stuff with my grandma- spike jones, perry como, bing crosby... now thats christmas music to me!
Christmas just isn't Christmas without Bing Crosby's "White Christmas!"
Aside from the normal decorations (which I could easily get carried away with because I love Christmas), we have a few simple traditions. First, being from an Italian family, we always have to have a pasta dish for Christmas. So Christmas Day is usually manicotti or stuffed shells. We start with the appetizers, go to the pasta, move on to the meat (usually ham, sometimes turkey) with mashed potatoes, corn, string beans, gravy...you know, like a second Thanksgiving, then we do our salad (Italians always eat their salad last, as opposed to restaurants that serve it first, it "cleans the palate") and then dessert...oh and gifts. The tradition I have with my children is one my mom did with us. We always leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk (Easter Bunny gets an egg and carrot) and a note telling Santa how excited we are. Then we relax quietly on Christmas Eve (after doing dinner and gifts at my mother-in-law's...that's her tradition) and listen to see if we can hear the sleighbells. Sometimes we leave food on the lawn for the reindeer (oatmeal mixed with glitter). Then every so often up until bedtime, we check the windows to see if we can see them flying overhead. Usually we catch a glimpse of Rudolph's nose (it's actually the red light that blinks at an intersection...you can see it from my house now and you could see it from my old house when I was growing up in the next town...so that makes it more special). Then it's off to bed and in the morning, the cookies and milk are gone and as always, Santa never fails to leave a note to the kids thanking them and telling them how wonderful they were that year! I think I love this more than the kids do...I get so into it that yes, I truly believe Santa exists!!!
Ps. Yes, we must play our Christmas cd's every chance we get from the beginning of December until after New Year's.
We listen to this awesome chior on CD every year but this year they are being broadcast live on, Dec. 2nd, to movie theatres around the country. I have always wanted to see them in person but have never had the chance. I highly recomend checking this out. All the info and a list of participating theatres can be found on FathomEvents.com. See you there!
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St. Olaf Christmas Festival
We listen to this awesome chior on CD every year but this year they are being broadcast live on, Dec. 2nd, to movie theatres around the country. I have always wanted to see them in person but have never had the chance. I highly recomend checking this out. All the info and a list of participating theatres can be found on FathomEvents.com. See you there!
