Silly Christmas traditions you've continued

[Captain O]

We also stopped going to Christmas day family get togethers also to avoid the traditional Christmas family argument - been years since the cops were called, but that just means like the San Andreas fault - we're due for the big one sooner rather than later. My family is dysfunctional as they come, and almost every gathering winds up with someone pissed off, someone screaming at someone else, someone crying, and the rest trying to either play peacemaker, or GTFO before the cops get called, breakables get broken, or we get dragged into the drama. Since certain family members died, the big gatherings turned into smaller gatherings and lots of people with butt-hurt feelings over not being invited to dinner or what have you.

And people wonder why I stopped caring about any of it. No family, no "celebration" no muss, no fuss. Not only is it less complicated, but it's less expensive. There's no point in dealing with a commercial fuss over nothing.

There's something glorious about quietude.

 

[edslhead]

Lutefisk Not a tradition to look forward too.

 

[etrain16]

My birthday is in early December,and my Mom always waited til after then to get a tree..I guess to make a distinction.
Apparently I'm a bit narcissistic-I constantly have to remind my wife of the fact that the day after Thanksgiving isn't the correct time to get a tree.We MUST wait until after my B-day.
Even more narcissistic-I really think my birthday should qualify as a National holiday.

Thank you! Somebody else sees it that way.

My bday is the 12th and the RULE IS... NO TREE until after my birthday.

My wife's B-day is Dec. 27th, my brother is Dec. 21st. We usually celebrate them both in early January. For my wife though, she wants to do something special on her birthday, it doesn't have to be big: a movie, dinner, maybe a special breakfast. Since she grew up with her birthday so close to Christmas, she got used to sharing it with something else. She loves Christmas and in many ways considers Christmas special in relation to her birthday. That said, to keep it a bit separate, I wrap her gifts in birthday wrap, not Christmas wrap, and I get a birthday cake that's winter themed, but not Christmas themed. It took me a few years to get it all correct, but now it's pretty easy to keep her happy. Trying to get a birthday party together the week of Christmas - just about impossible, so we don't even try any more.

 

[etrain16]

My son is just now getting old enough to have a good grasp on Christmas more than just the gift getting part (tho, that's still the biggest thing to him) - this year he did a lot of the tree decorating. He put the topper on it for the first time this year too, so maybe some things I did as a kid he can be shown and do.

Save for one year when I was given two pre-cut trees as a tip from a customer, we've always gone and cut a tree at a U-cut farm. We did that this year, and for the 2nd year in a row we've gone to Parry's near Forest Grove and spent an hour trying to find the right tree.

Every year since my kid was born, I make a fresh cut on the tree bottom, and that round gets turned into an ornament to adorn the tree. Nothing fancy - I put our family name and our first names on it, hit it with a few coats of spray on varnish, drill a hole and thread in a piece of ribbon or paracord to hang it with.

The last few years we've skipped big family get togethers on my side of the family on Christmas day in lieu of staying at home on Christmas, and doing the family thing sometime before the 25th. It started because it's always a hectic time of year, and there's precious little alone time with out little family unit anyway. My wife shares only one day a week off with me - and the kid is in school this year - so we just don't see a lot of each other as a family unit. On her working days, my wife is out of the house before the boy and I are up. He's off to school by 8:30. They're usually in bed when I get home from work. So we spend Christmas at home, not rushing about and dealing with others. Mama makes cinnamon rolls to snack on. Kiddo opens presents, we play with kiddo and said presents. Mama makes a platter of assorted cheeses, meats, and veggies to snack on for lunch. Sometime in the afternoon I start cooking dinner.

My wife likes to get the kid a brand new set of jammies and have him wear them on Christmas eve, her parents always did that for her and her brother growing up, so she carries that one on.

We also stopped going to Christmas day family get togethers also to avoid the traditional Christmas family argument - been years since the cops were called, but that just means like the San Andreas fault - we're due for the big one sooner rather than later. My family is dysfunctional as they come, and almost every gathering winds up with someone pissed off, someone screaming at someone else, someone crying, and the rest trying to either play peacemaker, or GTFO before the cops get called, breakables get broken, or we get dragged into the drama. Since certain family members died, the big gatherings turned into smaller gatherings and lots of people with butt-hurt feelings over not being invited to dinner or what have you.

Tough when that stuff happens. We've been through a few Christmas separations in our families. Further back, it was my father's mother, who was really about the most unkind grandmother you could have. Really unpleasant to spend the holidays around her, so my mother cut that off years ago, to our benefit. Once she passed away, that made it even easier. Currently, it's my wife's sister's family - my wife decided a few years ago to completely separate herself from her sister and her family, which caused a huge issue with her parents - so now, holidays, such as would happen in a divorce, are handled with the grandparents in two separate gatherings. We'll my wife's parents mid-day on Christmas eve, then head off to see my family later and into Christmas day. Honestly, it's worked out better that way. Her sister has a big family, and it was costly to buy them all gifts, all for the privilege of dealing with their dysfunction every holiday. As tough as it's been to do the split, in the end, we've ended up with a more peaceful Christmastime for the most part.

 

[etrain16]

Traditions:

My brother and I exchange a book called "Cataclysms on the Columbia" that he was given by a co-worker some 20 years ago. He thought my brother would be just enthralled reading about floods in the Columbia river gorge - he was not. So one year he gave it to me, and so started that tradition.

A few years ago, an old can of hard candy with a Bi-Mart price tag entered into the mystery gift tradition. The candy was given originally by my great aunt to someone in the family over 30 years ago, and it still pops up from time to time as a gift from "Santa".

Others include me making my bacon, cheddar and onion scones to serve hot on Christmas morning. I made the mistake of making them one year, and instantly they were gobbled up and expected every year after. That started about 10 years ago. Going back almost 30 years are my chocolate peppermint brownies which are also expected every year - though I've not eaten one myself in about 15 years - they are too sweet and I just can't stand to eat them myself any longer. But, I'll keep making them for those that care to eat them.

 

[etrain16]

Thank you! Somebody else sees it that way.

My bday is the 12th and the RULE IS... NO TREE until after my birthday.

Happy Birthday today, BTW! Enjoy your tree...tomorrow

 

[mkwerx]

Forgot one - one that I am glad seems to have faded last year.

From the first Christmas I was with my wife - we were just dating back then - her parents got me a Christmas gift. Her dad would wrap it. In duct tape. Usually one whole roll - sometimes two, depending on the size of the box. One year he was especially ornery, and did little Russian nesting doll type affairs - wrapping each smaller box in duct tape. So of course the following year, I followed suit and we went back and forth with duct taped gifts. I once got him a gift card and did the nesting doll thing right back at him. We probably increased the value of whoever makes Duct Tape so much we should've bought stock.

It was getting a bit old, having to open certain gifts with a knife. Now that I say this - they'll probably rekindle that tradition this year.

 

[Mikej]

And people wonder why I stopped caring about any of it. No family, no "celebration" no muss, no fuss. Not only is it less complicated, but it's less expensive. There's no point in dealing with a commercial fuss over nothing.

There's something glorious about quietude.

Half of me envies a person that doesn't need to do anything special around this time. The other half of me feels I need to go through it partly for Wifey, (she is still pretty childlike with the whole tree, lights on the house etc....Snow REALLY light her up!) If we had kids it would be easier, and more exciting, but kids are a FULL time job, not just "Seasonal".

There's is SO much excellence in this thread! And, some sadness.

The only tradition I can think of, that is still followed other than the regular tree, house lights etc, is Bloody Mary's on Christmas Morning, after some coffee and gift opening of course, and breakfast. Christmas morning breakfast always had eggs, fried potatoes, and TWO kinds of meat, bacon and sausage links!

The one tradition that Wifey and I call our own....We get each other new slippers every year. When the new slippers are opened we put them on, open the front door, and throw the old slippers out on the front lawn! Some times they lay out there for a week or three.

 

[Baseacegoku]

Lutefisk Not a tradition to look forward too.

But one I would like to try just once.

 

[Medic!]

Oh, to be a kid again!

X-mass was always so confusing?

 

[that guy]

My family long ago gave up on a fancy Christmas dinner. Now we eat pizza and drink beer on Christmas Eve and have a great time!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Thank you! Somebody else sees it that way.

My bday is the 12th and the RULE IS... NO TREE until after my birthday.

happy birthday

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I had a few traditions, but with the passing of my grandma a month ago most of them went with her. I guess it's time to make some of my own.

I'm so sorry to hear about your grandma's passing. Grandparents are always hard! Blessings on her and your family!

 

[Captain O]

Thank you! Somebody else sees it that way.

My bday is the 12th and the RULE IS... NO TREE until after my birthday.

Happy birthday, Kiddo.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

But one I would like to try just once.

Please trust me! You wouldn't! It's basically, whitefish, packed in salt and lye, until it rots into a glutinous mass! To say that it tastes like AZZ is to insult azz! And, it tastes wonderful compared to the smell!!!

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Please trust me! You wouldn't! It's basically, whitefish, packed in salt and lye, until it rots into a glutinous mass! To say that it tastes like AZZ is to insult azz! And, it tastes wonderful compared to the smell!!!

My pastor used to say, "It is a cod that passeth all understanding."

 

[Brutus57]

Buying ammo, or making things go bang or boomy or all OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH flamie!!!

Brutus Out

 

[nammac]

Thank you! Somebody else sees it that way.

My bday is the 12th and the RULE IS... NO TREE until after my birthday.

Happy Birthday Amigo!!!!

 

[Captain O]

My pastor used to say, "It is a cod that passeth all understanding."

After it passes through your digestive tract, you can be truly thankful!

 

[edslhead]

Please trust me! You wouldn't! It's basically, whitefish, packed in salt and lye, until it rots into a glutinous mass! To say that it tastes like AZZ is to insult azz! And, it tastes wonderful compared to the smell!!!

Yep. I'm thinkin I may cook it outside.