Christmas Customs

Oo ooo ooo oo!!!! Very important question: Angel/Fairy or star ?

I wonder what my little picture will be now?!!!

Star for me

We have a home made fairy which Cg puts on top every year.

We have a glass minaret - not sure its proper name. It German and WoodTrool always insists it must be on top, so my "angel" is relegated to just below it! The star is by her!!!

I'm getting the biggest kick out of reading all the comments in this forum. I love Christmas, and I'm a Christian, but I agree with everyone of you. It's too commercialised, too "gotta have it now" and stressful (which seems to be the general consensus of modern society) and I hate that. My husband and I have such different view points/beliefs when it comes to the holidays that it's becoming a bit of a strain in the 'doing the family thing' department. Thankfully, we're on the same page so that's a plus!

As for traditions, we wait until after Thanksgiving here in the US to put up the tree and decorations. And we love incorporating holiday traditions from other cultures. We try to keep Christmas as simple as we can: focused on the giving and the caring and the wonder of the season. We also make most of our gifts. It's more fun that way (and more frugal!). We also like to keep it quiet, really honor the season of winter as a time to rest, plan, incubate ideas and dreams for the coming year.

I like to put up the tree after Thanksgiving too. I'll be doing ours this weekend it looks like. But that doesn't mean the SHOPS don't get an early start on it. I'd seen Christmas items out and advertised before Halloween!!! Something's just wrong with that.

Well I supose it is time for the fairy story.
When DS1,2 &3 were small the fairies always put the room decorations up, & the cry would be "the fairies have been" up to OH & I who would still be in bed, so we would come down & be so suprised. This went on for many years, but there came a time when when DS 1&2 were away up until about the week before Christmas & the faries hadn`t come by the time they came home on leave.
Well they came home on leave & went out for the evening to there favourite watering places, OH & I went to bed. When we got up in the morning, with 3 sons who had barely made it bed before we got up, we went down stairs & had the great joy of calling up the stairs "the fairies have been, but they must have had a skinful before they got to us" It remains a mystery to this day how they actually managed to do the decorations without having an acident or breaking something, & they were very difficult to get down.

Doesn`t seem all that funny now, but at the time it was hysterical as everyone denied doing it and it brings back so many memories.

(Sorry Spar)

Ugh. I know! I like my holidays in proper order! Halloween, Thanksgiving, THEN Christmas. I protest with much grumbling the Christmas ailse while buying jack o' lantern pumpkins.

We thought we were going to have a quiet Christmas as my son was going to be in the UK but now he has decided to come over so instantly I start thniking oh no now we have to this and that, presents, cakes, puddings and trees.....but thats crazy. So I've taken a deep breath and am rethinking Christmas...

Good for you, Zoe. I think balance is key. Celebrate without stressing. Ah, what a balancing act!!

We have so much going on in our lives at the moment, that this year we are thinking of giving Yule a miss and just decorating the house

Well the Cherry Brandy is just about ready so that is one part of Christmas ticked off..... mmm just sampled it!

Just have to make sure we don't drink it all to keep the "spirits' up in this cold weather!! cheers!

polgara wrote:Well I supose it is time for the fairy story.
When DS1,2 &3 were small the fairies always put the room decorations up, & the cry would be "the fairies have been" up to OH & I who would still be in bed, so we would come down & be so suprised. This went on for many years, but there came a time when when DS 1&2 were away up until about the week before Christmas & the faries hadn`t come by the time they came home on leave.
Well they came home on leave & went out for the evening to there favourite watering places, OH & I went to bed. When we got up in the morning, with 3 sons who had barely made it bed before we got up, we went down stairs & had the great joy of calling up the stairs "the fairies have been, but they must have had a skinful before they got to us" It remains a mystery to this day how they actually managed to do the decorations without having an acident or breaking something, & they were very difficult to get down.

Doesn`t seem all that funny now, but at the time it was hysterical as everyone denied doing it and it brings back so many memories.

(Sorry Spar)

They seem to find my red wine supply every year no matter where I hide it & I normally end up having to replace a fair bit after they have visited...

Hmm...Christmas traditions.

A few years back we started doing 'Elf Holiday' where Santa sent an Elf to see how the children behaved leading up to Christmas (he would of course be found amongst crumbles from biscuits or he was up to mischief somewhere!) The children enjoyed it the first year but weren't bothered the second...so we won't do that this year.

Christmas Eve hampers goes down a treat with our children. I do a homemade hamper filled with snowman soups, chocolate, sweets, popcorn, a few films, pair of pjs each, a board game and colouring in pack. They love having a present to open and play with Christmas Eve, and it keeps them occupied so Christmas Day is less stressful

Next holiday for us is Thanksgiving next Monday, but I will be picking up the Longsuffering Spouse from the airport, so I think I will be grateful for a pizza, a cuddle and a bottle of wine

The time has come to ask if any of our newer members have customs they would like share.

it's proabably very different from where most of you are as the weather is totally opposite.

Christmas eve we have fish and chips as a picnic in the yard as we sit with all the xmas lights on outside. The kids get their PJ's on and we go for a short walk (hv to after fish and chips lol) When we get home we go for a drive to look at all the xmas lights in the area. There are a few HUGE ones and one has Santa there. The last few years dad has come for a drive with us and gets carried away so the kids are asleep by the time we get home

The kids sleep in my room and about an hour later, i head over to my friends place (where i have stashed everyones prezzies) i get a lift of course because we have a couple of drinks, come home and fill up the kids stockings which they keep at the foot of the bed they are sleeping in.

In the morning the kids have lots of fun going through their stockings and slowly wake everyone up and show them what Santa brought in the stocking.

After some prezzies. We have a big breakfast. The kids and i spend a few hours playing etc, whilst my parents go and visit friends.

Around mid afternoon, friends, parents, brother and partner come over which is followed by more prezzie opening.

We don't have a giant meal. We have cold Ham, Prawns, Chicken and salads. All of which is prepared the day before so all we need to do is cut up ham and chicken and it's all done.

A large part of it is the Hot weather. The other part is so that there is noone having to cook, clean and everyone gets to enjoy the day together. Not to mention that in our family most people drink a fair bit at this time of year lol

Sounds very nice to me