[Jane]

What are some of your family's Christmas traditions that you like best?

Every year, my kids and grands (16 of us now!) get together on Christmas Eve and read Luke 2:1-20, passing around the bible. Even the children that can't read very well get a turn, with a grownup's help. Then DH Neal will put on his Santa's hat - this year it's Mickey Mouse ears, with a small Santa hat attached, lol - and he'll read T'was The Night Before Christmas, with all 8 grandchildren surrounding him. After that, we will open gifts - one at a time. Then we'll eat. This year's menu includes a birthday cake for Jesus, and we will sing Happy Birthday to Him. Later, most of us will attend the Candlelight Service at church. I don't know why, but that service always makes me teary-eyed.

What does your family do that is special to you?

[Jane]

Aww come on! Don't be shy! Surely somebody somewhere has SOMEthing they want to share.

[retiredone]

Hi Jane. I just saw this thread.

When our kids were living at home we always opened our gifts on Christmas morning but each child and adult was allowed to open one small gift on Christmas Eve. And although I've never thought of it as a tradition, we always have new pajamas for Christmas. Each year I say to myself that I'll not get everyone pjs this year but almost without fail we all end up with new pjs.

We also keep our tree up for the traditional 12 days of Christmas ending on January 6, although we always have our tree up much earlier. It just seems wrong to take it down until January 6th.

[Bobbolink]

I just saw this thread too, sorry Jane! I don't spend lots of time on 3FC's, so going straight to my thread is all I do. Our Christmas tradition is opening our gifts one at a time. I'm from a large family and we all tore into our gifts at once when I was little. After I got married, that changed because hubby is an only child. His family choose a gift, let that person open it while everyone watched. I thought that was kind of weird but it prolongs the fun of opening the gifts. Now we do that every year, we all get to see the expressions on everyone's faces, so much more fun.

[Carolis60]

Hello Jane,

I don't remember us ever having a tree at our house. Sad huh? But we'd take off for our trip to my grand parents over school vacation, so that's the tree I remember mostly. It had bubble lights. Oh, how I loved those bubble lights!!!

Grandma would make huge breakfasts starting out with oatmeal and going into ham slices, eggs, and home made biscuits with homemade jam.

I think we just dug into the presents. There were 7 of us opening presents at the same time. All us kids would sit around the radio and listen to what ever program was on. No tv in those days. We were so deprived, we had to make up our own fun! Lots of games and interaction with cousins. Those were the best times!!

For our family, on Christmas Eve for many years, our oldest daughter would play the piano for Christmas Carols since she was taking lessons. The two girls would be able to open one gift. We printed legal music off the computer and made 1" binders so all could have the music. This year she took her portable key board up to dh folks and we sang songs after dessert on Christmas Day. So much fun and a lot of laughing with family. Hope to do that again. I think singing songs has become a tradition for us.

Since the oldest daughter has 4 girls, they open one present at a time. I like that. Yes, you can see what their expressions are. Must better than ripping into the presents. They make the round and start over. hehe

Everyone have a super weekend!!

Carol