ereks mom Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 (edited) I know that for a lot of people, Christmas is over by noon -- or at the latest, by 11:59 PM -- on December 25, and they take down their tree and other decorations as soon as it's over. However, we're just getting started by then! We celebrate with my family (just my mom & 2 siblings & our kids) the weekend before Christmas. We have Christmas at home on Christmas Day. But the BIG family celebration with all the cousins and in-laws, etc. is always on New Year's Eve & New Year's Day at my MIL & BIL's house. Everyone brings food and we exchange gifts and play games and watch football and so on. For us, it's still Christmas until then. I still have baking and gift-wrapping to do! :D Anyone else? Edited December 26, 2009 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Well, we had our big family Christmas celebration yesterday BUT they do it again as a big family New Years celebration on New Year's Day!!!! :willy_nilly::party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 yes, my kids get their gifts from us on New Year's day. :D New Year's eve we have a special dessert and play games, watch an old movie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Yes, the Christmas season, Christmastide, is Dec. 25 to Jan. 13 in the Catholic Church. Liturgically, the Christmas season doesn't start until Dec. 25 even though most people consider Christmas season to start around Thanksgiving. We celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with gift giving. There are gifts everyday for each child. My children get their big gifts on January 6, Epiphany. I mail out cards on Dec. 24 so that they arrive during the Christmastide not before Christmas (Although I did not do cards this year.). Louise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Yes, the Christmas season, Christmastide, is Dec. 25 to Jan. 13 in the Catholic Church. Liturgically, the Christmas season doesn't start until Dec. 25 even though most people consider Christmas season to start around Thanksgiving. We celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with gift giving. There are gifts everyday for each child. My children get their big gifts on January 6, Epiphany. I mail out cards on Dec. 24 so that they arrive during the Christmastide not before Christmas (Although I did not do cards this year.). Louise This is a nice tradition. Growing up, we opened presents on New Year's Day from the afternoon until midnight.. Of course... the biggest one was at midnight.... Carrie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 We celebrate til the 7th. Coptic Orthodox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibrarianMom Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 We also open gifts until Epiphany. My daughter this year asked why couldn't we open all our presents on Christmas like normal families. My husband told her normal is overrated. I like continuing to celebrate as our entire family if off school and work. I think opening throughout Christmas helps our kids to enjoy each specific gift for at least a day before setting it aside for something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 The kids and I (my dh always has to be here to work at least one day that we're gone) go to my Mom's over New Years. :) We open gifts from her the night we get there (usually the 30th) and then have a fun little NYE party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 We celebrate from Christmas on Dec 25 to Epiphany on Jan 6 -- and Old Calendar Xmas on Jan 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill- OK Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 (edited) We decided this year to leave everything up until Twelfth Night...with the Wise Men traveling around the house until they make it to the rest of the Nativity. :001_smile: I read Jan Brett's Twelve Days of Christmas today (beautiful book), and we talked about the old tradition of it being bad luck to enter someone's house empty-handed during this season. (We don't believe in "luck", just thought it would be a good way to celebrate; taking cookies/candy with us wherever we go, until Twelfth Night.) We also have one birthday during the Twelve Days, and one on Epiphany. So. Still plenty of celebrating. Edited December 26, 2009 by Jill, OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Yes, the Christmas season, Christmastide, is Dec. 25 to Jan. 13 in the Catholic Church. Liturgically, the Christmas season doesn't start until Dec. 25 even though most people consider Christmas season to start around Thanksgiving. We celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with gift giving. There are gifts everyday for each child. My children get their big gifts on January 6, Epiphany. I mail out cards on Dec. 24 so that they arrive during the Christmastide not before Christmas (Although I did not do cards this year.). Louise :iagree: We put the tree up a few days before Dec. 25th (this year we did it on Christmas Eve) and leave it up until after Epiphany. I tease my friends that decorate right after Thanksgiving and take everything down the day after Christmas, that they have a Advent Tree. We do open all our presents on the 25th, but we have family outings and traditions that run for the following week. We also usually send out cards after the 25th but that is just my disorganization, not due to any theological reasoning. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 We do the Twelve Days of Christmas so we're just starting :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 my whole family was here for dinner today, and we will get together with our good friends / kids' godparents on new year's eve and do gifts with them then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvbnhome2 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Us! We have had our Christmas within our own little family and also with my inlaws on Christmas Day. It was wonderful, quite, and laidback. We celebrate Christmas with my grandmother, mother, brother, neice, and nephew on New Year's Eve. It is LOUD, crazy, and FUN! It has worked out best for us this way and we really enjoy it. It also helps with that after holiday letdown feeling that usually affects me more than my children!!!! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto5 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 We too begin our Christmas celebration on December 25 and continue through the feast of the Epiphany, which on the Catholic calendar for the United States falls on January 3 this year. Our Wise Men have been upstairs and begin their travel to the stable on the 26th. Each day a child is given the responsibility of moving the Wise Men a little closer. On the feast of the Epiphany, the Wise Men arrive with great fanfare. We have a party where we decorate crowns, reenact the Christmas story, eat a King Cake, and say a blessing over the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kat19 Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 We haven't celebrated Christmas with my in laws yet. We have about 18 inches(or more) of snow on the ground. Not sure when we will get together, my father in law is sick with the flu right now also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 We had nasty weather, so we rescheduled Christmas w/my parents for Tues the 29th. The dc's birthday is the 30th. On Jan 1 we get together w/my father's family for Christmas lunch. On Jan 2 we get together with dh's mom's family for a Christmas brunch. Then we are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangearrow Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 We're doing the Twelve Days this year, for the first time. I've always disliked how rushed and overwhelmed Christmas Day always is, so we switched it up this year. So far, I'm a much happier, calmer woman. :) I'm even thinking, next year, of sending out "Happy New Year" cards instead of Christmas cards. I love sending the cards out, but always get so stressed out about it. I think if I were working on them on Christmas Day, I'd probably enjoy it a lot more when I'm mailing them out a couple days later! We celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with gift giving. There are gifts everyday for each child. My children get their big gifts on January 6, Epiphany. I mail out cards on Dec. 24 so that they arrive during the Christmastide not before Christmas (Although I did not do cards this year.). Louise I think opening throughout Christmas helps our kids to enjoy each specific gift for at least a day before setting it aside for something else. :iagree: The kids opened presents from MIL/FIL on Christmas Day and just a couple gifts from us. They have played and played and played with their gifts. Usually, they're just frantically opening packages and playing for a minute with this... a minute with that... This year is noticeably different. They got a few gifts today from my parents and it's the same thing. They really paid attention to what they received. (and all this gift-giving didn't take the normal 12-full-hours to do! LOL I like spreading it out! LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 For us, it's still Christmas until then. I still have baking and gift-wrapping to do! :D Anyone else? My brother and his wife and five kids couldn't come for Christmas. They're coming on Tuesday, and staying through the New Years weekend. We'll celebrate Christmas all over again with them! We will re-do Christmas dinner (though we'll probably change the menu). I still need to shop for their gifts, and do some more baking before they come! Thanks for the reminder! :willy_nilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 My dh's birthday is on Dec 29th and mine is on Dec 30th. I hate it when the Christmas stuff is up during our birthdays. I love (love love love) to celebrate (any holiday! Easter, July 4th, New Years), but I don't like my holidays to overlap. So, we get Christmas out of the house asap (that means today), and then throw a huge birthday party. I'll have 90 people in my house for our birthdays. (It's a small house-gulp.) I'd probably do the 12 days of Christmas, if the birthdays weren't in the middle of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I will be wrapping gifts for the inlaws today and then going to stay with them for three days for Christmas. My ds birthday is on the 30th so will do birthday as well. He is getting a bearded dragon as his main gift so at least I don't have to wrap anything! Then we will come back and see friends for New Years! I hate to admit it, but I am looking forward to the peace of Jan. 4th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 We start with Hanukkah, do 3 Christmases, and end at New Years, so we're still going strong here! Christmas #3 today, which is Christmas at my house with my brother and SIL (they live in the area) and my mom (she comes down from 2 hours away and stays from now until New Years). It will be the biggest gift-giving event for my kids in which Grammie spoils them relentlessly ;) On New Years we have a huge party with friends, and the Russian Santa comes that night and leaves each of my kids a gift. Good & busy times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted December 27, 2009 Author Share Posted December 27, 2009 My brother and his wife and five kids couldn't come for Christmas. They're coming on Tuesday, and staying through the New Years weekend. We'll celebrate Christmas all over again with them! We will re-do Christmas dinner (though we'll probably change the menu). I still need to shop for their gifts, and do some more baking before they come! Thanks for the reminder! :willy_nilly: You're welcome! ER's girlfriend is coming Tuesday to visit through New Year's Day. She's from a broken home where mom usually has to work on Christmas & dad lives someplace else. She's 20yo and doesn't remember ever having a "normal" Christmas, as she calls it, so she is looking forward to spending time with us. She loves that our family has traditions and enjoys being together. ER wants her to have the full effect of Christmas with a normal family, so while she's here, we'll do some baking and crafting and shopping and wrapping, and then we'll go to the big family Christmas get together at MIL & FIL's house on New Year's Eve & New Year's Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 Our family and friends gathering lasts at least a full two weeks. There are some done, some still to come. Dh has a rather large family and we have party- animal hser friends. We started early as well. Hannukah & Christmas didn't overlap this year. Our last family gathering is Jan 9th. Few of these are gift-giving events, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 We have to do Christmas in January for financial reasons. :angelsad2: We moved the week before Christmas and everyone took turns clearing out our bank account. :tongue_smilie: It is hard to explain that to relatives, though...especially relatives with no children who live in apartments and only buy food for one person (yes, all our siblings!). :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenS Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I do 12 days. :) We celebrate Advent, usually starting with putting up our tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving, since that's usually about when it starts. Then I *insist* upon twelve days of Christmas, with the tree not coming down until Epiphany, and school starting back the day after that. So far so good. :D This year especially, we've spread out the family celebrations. We're Methodist, so we're the only ones I know IRL that do this, but hey, I gotta shake up my church family sometimes. LOL. (We're the only homeschoolers too.) At least our church does do a lot for Advent. They used to have a Watch Night service too, on New Year's Eve, but that's always depended on whether or not our currrent pastor is a night owl. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.