Do you have lots of Christmas traditions?

[Heather in Neverland]

I am so frustrated. Growing up we never had many christmas traditions. The only thing we did consistently was open presents Christmas morning and have family over for dinner on Christmas day. That's it.

 

I REALLY wanted to develop some traditions around Christmas time for my family but they are totally uninterested. I have tried the Jesse Tree, the nightly story a la Jotham's Journey, a traditional movie on Christmas eve, etc.

 

They have no interest. The kids think the stories are boring. Tonight I mentioned watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas eve which we have done a few years in a row and they (including my dh) said no way, they are sick of the movie.

 

Only one of my kids has any interest in making cookies. There is no snow here so no sledding or anything like that.

 

So tonight I officially gave up. I am the only one cares about traditions and I seem to be forcing these on my family so I quit. It makes me sad.

 

That's all.

[Jenn in FL]

You just wait until that beautiful little lady of yours is just a smidge older... She will be your Christmas Tradition buddy! :001_smile: You will read, and reflect, and anticipate, and bake, and watch movies, and throughly immerse yourselves in the season. Here at my house, we call it "Girl Club!":grouphug:

[iquilt]

My family growing up held very few traditions but DH grew up with the overwhelming Christmas with driving all over for two days, hosting a massive Christmas Eve dinner serving homemade everything (made by his mom), etc. It has taken awhile to convince him that, while I love his mom, I will never be her nor be able to maintain her standards so we have finally, after 15 years, created our own traditions. We attend church on Christmas Eve ( I didn't grow up attending church), we have a favorite meal after church with whoever is visiting. We read the night before Christmas ( that's from my childhood), put out cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer and tuck the kids into bed. Then we get to put together the presents under the tree, enjoy a glass of wine and eat the cookies! Christmas morning will be relaxed with presents, chocolate, Santa pancakes and a big dinner in the middle of the day. This year my parents and my Grannie are coming plus my brother is coming for the day. We even cleared off the dining room table from our school stuff so we can eat there! Before children we drove all the way up to his mom and dad's and endured their traditions, even the first year with our first baby. We served our time and have figured out our own thing.

[In the Rain]

You still have hope! Maybe your dd will be interested in traditions. Both of my girls essentially want everything the same every Christmas. Even the stocking contents have to be relatively consistent from year to year. ;)

[lmrich]

We have lots - but they, too, evolve as the kids grow up. We have a big brunch on Christmas Eve. The kids exchange gifts with each other on Christmas Eve. We always attend Christmas Eve services although this year we are not attending the children's service. We hang the stockings on Christmas Eve right before bed but after cookies have been eaten and left for Santa. Christmas morning the kids open presents - this year all presents will be wrapped as Santa is no longer part of our Christmas. Then we wait for my sister's family to arrive to open the presents from them and my parents who are always here by the 23rd.

 

New traditions:

 

My sister's family watches A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve and orders Chinese food.

 

My dad and son play golf on Christmas Eve together.

 

This year we are going to have a spoons tournament on Christmas day and give the winner a special plaque.

 

 

You can always create a tradition just by starting something new and keeping it up every year.

 

Merry Christmas!!

[MariannNOVA]

We have lots BUT they are the ones that I have developed since dh and I were married (16.5 years ago). The kids never seem to embrace them right away, but I'll know if they mention them during the year or ask if we are going to do thus and such that we have a winner.

 

Just plug away at it -- we call them traditions......not instant successes. ;)

 

Hang in there! Some stuff works -- some stuff doesn't.

[LND1218]

The best traditions just happen. Try to find something that speaks to them. I have a friend who watches It's a Wonderful Life every year while putting up the tree. I would don't like that movie enough to watch it every year!

 

But we always open a present on Christmas Eve - that's a tradition my kids love. We also watch a movie, but it's not always the same movie.

 

Let them help you decide what they want to do and you will find some traditions that stick.

[ProudGrandma]

these are our traditions: I buy a special ornament for each kid each year that reminds us of something about each kid...a sport, an activity, a new adventure, something they just like etc. Setting up our tree, nativities, and Christmas villiage. Watching the Chrsitmas specials as they appear on TV (not the long movies...but the 30 minutes specials), we go to church on Christmas Eve, come home, put the kids to bed, dh and I put the gifts under the tree. In the morning the kids (as they wake) can come down and open only their stocking while they are waiting for the others to wake up....then we open gifts. This year becasue Christmas is on Sunday, we will open a few gifts, go to church and then finsih opening after church. Those are our traditions.

[learning2gether]

We have a few Christmas traditions that my girls really look forward to, but the one they are most excited about which is a tradition carried over from my childhood is being able to open one gift one Christmas Eve. It is always pajamas, but they like to do it anyway. It even helps on Christmas morning because everyone is already in their Christmas PJ's for pictures.

[Cinder]

I didn't grow up with any traditions. The ones we have now are adopted from dh's family. We bake Merry Christmas Cookies (substituting anise extract for the lemon, as mil did) and spend Christmas Eve decorating them together. We open gifts one-at-a-time so gift opening lasts awhile. We take turns picking gifts and the giftee gets all the attention for that moment. No gift-opening free-for-all here. (BTW stockings are a free-for-all, then we deliver sticky buns, then we have the "real" gift opening while we eat breakfast.)

 

Some traditions are new-ish. We bake sticky buns and deliver them to a couple of friends on Christmas morning. We started this about 15 years ago when I found a fabulous recipe. We also have a junk-food-fest on Christmas Eve, which we adopted from a friend who says Christmas Eve is too busy for making food. So she just picks up frozen junk food and pops it in the oven as the evening goes on.

 

Some traditions have been dropped. We used to put up our tree on Christmas Eve, as dh's family did when he was growing up. Then as our kids came along they wanted to enjoy the tree longer. So we'd get the tree mid-Dec. Then dd came along with a mid-Dec b-day and we'd be sure to get the tree after her b-day. But now that she's old enough to express herself, she's told us she likes having the tree earlier. We don't have to wait until after her b-day. So we got the tree earlier this year. We'll still leave it up until Jan 6, according to dh's family tradition.

 

We don't do other holiday traditions. No particular movies or books that mean Christmas to us. But these are the traditions we've developed over the years.

[Farrar]

We have lots, but it's true that they change over time. And they don't have to be solemn or sweet or anything. We always do performances on Christmas Eve. They used to be really serious - everyone would read something like a poem or the bible story and when we were little, we'd organize performances that were silly, but we took them very seriously. Then one of my first years with dh, he decided to do this madcap performance and now we often do really silly things and people organize games for their "performance."

 

Before we had kids, it was dh and my tradition to go to the movies on Christmas afternoon - we'd usually go see something big and dumb and fun and I was thinking that soon that may come back now that the kids are old enough.

[Jaz]

I see as mine get older that they don't adore the traditions anymore. We're slowly letting go of some here too.

 

I'm keeping a watchful eye to see what they like this year so we can "make" it a tradition next year. Perhaps your boys have something they love to do that you could join in on at Christmastime? Like a Nerf gun war? :D

[2_girls_mommy]

We always do an "X" present on Christmas Eve right before bed. It is always new pajamas. The kids get to only open that one. They know it is new pajamas. But they look forward to it. We call it the "X" present, because it is always marked with an "X" so they know which one they get. My mom's parents started that with her when she was little and she did it with us. Now all of us do it with our kids that have kids.

 

There is always an apple and an orange in the stockings, the same as there was for my mom and for me growing up too.. From the days when it really was a treat to have them on the prairie..

 

We read Twas the Night Before Christmas before bed on Christmas Eve. I used to include reading from the Bible, but now we go to Christmas Eve service.

 

Baking cookies and such.. there is no particular time or day that we do it. But we do it. I can't imagine that your 7 yr old and 2 yr old don't like to go crazy with the cookie cutters and sprinkles on some sugar cookie dough! Mine have always loved that. I don't try a bunch of fancy recipes. They love doing the same thing every year. Sometimes I get started on my own making them, but they soon figure out what I am doing and drop what they are doing to come in.

 

That's it for traditions I guess. I mean we have certain relatives we see each year and do things there. We usually look at Christmas lights on our way home from church on Christmas Eve a little.

 

We don't make a big deal out of these things. We just do them. I don't think it is too late. I bet your teenager is just at that age when nothing is cool. But she really likes it :)

[MamaT]

Our traditions have changed some as the kids have gotten older. Some we will always do, like reading the Christmas story before we open gifts, and baking cookies. The last few years we have all gone to a movie Christmas afternoon, but we split up. Boys (and men :001_smile:) to one movie, us girls to another.

[SailorMom]

We have one that they might like - the Pickle.

On Christmas Eve, a small (and I mean small) pickle ornament gets hidden on the tree, and whichever kid finds it gets a prize. The prize is usually something we can all enjoy that night, like a board game or a card game, sometimes a big puzzle.

So - we then learn the game and play it, while listening to Christmas music. Kids are teen boys now and still love the Pickle. :)

We watch The Christmas Story every year. DH and I still watch It's Wonderful Life, and sometimes the boys watch it with us, but they always watch Ralphie, and we all crack up even though we've seen it so many times. So - perhaps a movie less serious to watch every year?

[OrganicAnn]

There is a form or suggestion on the http://www.organizedhome.com website that they suggest that you ask your family before Christmas. It basically asked each member what about Christmas is important to them. They suggest that so often what the parents think is important - movie or Christmas carols, might not be so important to the kids and something completely different is - setting up the tree with dad or having waffles on Christmas morning.

 

Anyway, it is a good way to uncover your Christmas traditions.

 

I think ours include - making Christmas cookies to give as gifts, have Belgium waffles on Christmas morning, taking turns opening presents (no free for all), that's all that I can think of.

[Tigger]

My parents and DH's parents had their Christmas traditions (and still do), so DH and I have some we continue and some we've created for us.

 

Stockings - always have an orange, an apple and some nuts, along with the small stocking stuffers in them (continued tradition)

 

Tree - we put ours up early and decorate before Christmas Eve (our tradition; my parents did it after we were in bed on Christmas Eve, DH's parents did it on Christmas Eve as a family)

 

Christmas Eve - we all open one gift - pj's (our tradition)

 

Advent Calendar - DS has one each year and loves counting down to Christmas (our tradition)

 

Christmas Breakfast - always pancakes and sausage (continued tradition) - we don't normally have pancakes for breakfast, so it's a real treat here

 

So far as where we go and who we see - we vary it year to year, which is a huge departure from the traditions we grew up with, both DH and I usually spent Christmas day running around to see family.....for us, some years we host my parents, some years his, and some years we've opted to go away for the holiday and invite our parents to join us if they want to. It's nice not being tied to the same thing each year, but we do still see everyone, we just spread it out - so if we don't see his parents Christmas day, we'll see them another day, same with my parents and my sister and her family.

 

This year we introduced a sort-of Elf on the Shelf - we call it Santa's Helper and he migrates around the house.....DS likes looking for him everyday.

 

Depending on what our day looks like for Christmas, we'll either go to Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning - usually works out for Christmas eve.

 

On Christmas eve we usually watch a movie - we alternate movies each year so we're not tired of them....things like the Grinch, Rudolph, etc. right now are the types we'll watch, they'll change as DS and the baby get older.

 

ETA: since DS was born, he gets an ornament each year that will be his to take with him when he's on his own; now with the baby, we'll continue that for him too.

[TravelingChris]

We have lots of traditions, and the majority has to do with food. One Christmas Eve is always almost the same. Our Christmas morning breakfast is either one of two things- multigrain pancakes with cranberry maple syprup and Canadian bacon or Cranberry multigrain muffins. Our desserts are traditional- bon bons are always made and I used to make them as a child so I have had them for at least 42 years. Other non food traditions include looking for the first star on Christmas Eve, lighting luminarias on Christmas Eve, some things in our stockings- always fruit and nuts along with candy and small gifts. We always go to a Christmas light display or two- whether at a park, in a downtown, in a nearby neighborhood or our neighborhood or on a river or harbor where either houses or boats are decorated. We usually do go to a movie in the CHristmas time as a family- this year it will probably be War Horse. We have a New Years Tradition of always having ham and black eye peas and everyone getting a calendar.

 

So some of our traditions change and some stay the same. I don't have littles but even my teen and adult children love our traditions.

[MrsMommy]

We have tons of traditions, but it's mostly just because I've worked really hard to create them.

 

I think some people just really like traditions, (like me!), and for some people, it doesn't matter as much. DH for example. Growing up, he had nice Christmases, but not many specific traditions. So, when we got married, I don't think he really understood my need for traditions. And while he does love our traditions now, I'm pretty sure that if I didn't do something one year, he probably wouldn't notice. ;)

 

My children are big into traditions, too, and not just at Christmas. If I don't get Lucky Charms for St. Patrick's Day, they wonder what's wrong. If I don't make beef brisket for the Fourth of July--problem. They are very tradition and routine oriented, just like me!

 

So I really think that some people are just wired to "need" traditions, and others just don't really care one way or the other. But if you keep doing something year after year that's important to you, it may catch on!

[rwjx2khsmj]

Here are some of the traditions we have:

decorating the Christmas tree and the house

baking and decorating Christmas cookies

giving Christmas cookies to neighbors and friends

advent wreath

reading Christmas stories

Christmas carolling

annual Winter Solstice Party

tea/dessert party on St. Lucia Day

watching Christmas movies

going for a drive to look at lights

Christmas Adam

Christmas Eve dinner

Christmas Eve church service

Christmas pancake sundae breakfast

Christmas night pizza dinner

 

I do traditional things because I enjoy them. The kids and dh are welcome to join in at anytime but no participation is required. Thankfully, there is usually at least one person that enjoys each traditional thing we do. Sometimes everyone participates.

 

Some years things fall through the cracks. This year we didn't celebrate St. Lucia Day and we haven't been Christmas carolling. We almost never get the advent wreath lit regularly but every year I put it out hoping that we'll figure out how to make that part of our tradition.

[redsquirrel]

it is very hard to institute traditions with 13 year olds. They are right at the age where they start to reject tradition only to return in about 10 years or so.

 

With your 7 and 2 year old you are at the perfect point. I think it is best if you don't tell them it is a 'tradition' and just create it yourself. Traditions are supposed to feel organic, not like something you act out because you should. I think it is best if the kids don't even know they are participating in one.

 

Here are a couple we have:

 

The kids get a stocking on their bed from Santa. Along with the stocking is a book that is meaningful in some way. Usually it is to remind ME of the child at that age. This year, my elder son is getting Coralline, by Gaiman. He is almost 12 and is so close to being a teenager. He will find Gaiman very appealing for the next few years. My younger son is getting a hard cover Seuss book. I am guessing this will be the last year for picture books, so it had to be by his favorite author.

 

We write a small note inside all christmas books and the date. Those are books that will never get passed on. When they get older and established in their lives (not moving every year) we will give them all their Christmas books.

 

We have a tradition of the kids open stockings in my room while daddy goes downstairs to 'check the tree' AKA make coffee. No kid goes downstairs to open presents until mama has her coffee.

 

We have a tradition of going together to cut down the tree. I wonder how long that will last. I am fully prepared for my elder son to refuse to go in about 5 years or so. We will carry on.

 

We make lots of cookies every year to give to friends. I think that is now a tradition.

 

We have a bit potluck on Christmas day. We have so many friends who live too far from family to visit, so we have them all over for a VERY laid back evening. The kids go insane while the adults huddle around the food and drink. It is fun. It will be fun to see how it changes as the kids get older.

 

Mostly, the traditions we have are things that DH and I do. We just make the kids come along for the ride. We figure until 3 or 4 or so, kids don't really remember. From 4 to 11 or maybe 12 they will participate willingly. After that, it their time to pull back and get ready to move on. At some point they will sigh and remember what Christmas was like 'when they were little' and it is going to be what happened between 4-11. So it is really only a couple years worth of work, lol. So, we do work to make a little Christmas 'magic' for them and it makes us happy.

 

I am looking forward to having two cynical teenagers who only want to sleep in on Christmas morning. That will be nice. But, we will still give them their Christmas books, still cut our tree down, still have our potluck, still have ooooooodles of cookies about.

[justamouse]

ipy.

 

I am looking forward to having two cynical teenagers who only want to sleep in on Christmas morning. That will be nice. But, we will still give them their Christmas books, still cut our tree down, still have our potluck, still have ooooooodles of cookies about.

 

You'd be surprised how much those cynical teenagers still want mom to do ___ just like last year, though. I swore mine never paid attention, but all I ever get is are you going to do ____, or you aren't doing____?

[bry's-gal]

We were a military family growing up. Our tradition was that it was different every year! I still look back fondly on that and never knowing what to expect! ;)

[Shellers]

I make tamales on Christmas eve just like my Grandma did when I was a kid. My kids look forward to tamales as much as they do presents.

 

We always watch "A Christmas Story".

 

DH buys the girls pajamas every year for Christmas.

 

DH gets pocket knives in his stocking from Santa.

 

My mom has all her grandkids over to her house for a Christmas party and sleep over the weekend before Christmas. The party is hosted by her cats. Lol. The kids are getting older 11 - 21 but they all still love and look forward to the party at Grandma's.

 

The kids all get up around 3 or 4 am to open their stockings. They aren't supposed to wake us up but they do.

Edited December 23, 2011 by Shellers

[redsquirrel]

You'd be surprised how much those cynical teenagers still want mom to do ___ just like last year, though. I swore mine never paid attention, but all I ever get is are you going to do ____, or you aren't doing____?

 

I guess that is how you know it is a tradition, right?

 

Every Christmas, my mom made this weird frozen fruit thing with mini-marshmallows and canned fruit cocktail. Well, one year she decided it was just too weird and gross to make it any more. After all, the 1970s were over. My sister freaked out! I remember the resigned look on my mom's face when she realized she was going to have to make that thing every year.

 

Well, guess what I make every year? My kids call it Dr Seuss food :lol: . We have a Christmas potluck and every year, that thing is gone at the end of the evening.

[Guest]

We look at Christmas lights every year (we are going tonight), church, Christmas movies, cookies, we open a few gifts on Christmas Eve, Christmas books and music, etc.

 

Just try different things every year and see what sticks.

Edited December 23, 2011 by Jinnah

[redsquirrel]

My mom had a tradition that we all got new pajamas as a Christmas Eve gift. That way, we all looked good in the pictures :lol:

[DaffodilDreams]

We have some:

 

advent wreath

 

advent calendars

 

advent storytime (I've collected Christmas themed books of all sorts and we read at least one a night from Thanksgiving to Christmas. As our collection has grown, we've started reading two or three books a night the closer we get to Christmas - my friend carries this to another extreme: she wraps all of the books so her daughter doesn't know which story she is choosing)

 

Christmas movies throughout the month leading up to Dec

 

only Christmas music or Jim Weiss's A Christmas Carol allowed in the car's cd player

 

christmas cookies of some sort must be baked

 

new ornament for dd chosen each year

 

one present opened on Christmas Eve

 

Christmas Eve candlelight service

 

Hope dd sleeps in late on Christmas morning (doesn't seem to work - maybe we should try praying)

 

Stockings opened first on Christmas morning, then coffee and little snack from stocking while we get breakfast in the oven, then Santa presents - everyone opens one gift at a time - yes, Santa brings for the adults, too - starting with the youngest, breakfast, then family gifts also opened one at a time starting with youngest. This whole process takes a long time, and we do have almost mutiny during breakfast, but dh and I like this tradition too much to change it.

 

After presents, we play, watch movies, eat dinner, etc.

 

 

 

Heather, it took us awhile to find our groove. None of this happened overnight. Dh comes from a large family with deeply ingrained traditions. My situation was more complicated. When we became parents, we realized we had to tweak things/say no/start our own traditions in order to preserve and create the memories we wanted to have with our child. I agree that your dd might be more appreciative of your efforts towards fostering traditions, but I also think that if having traditions are important to YOU, you should keep on keeping on. Chances are, one day, the boys will get it. And they'll have those memories. And they'll have a basis for forming their own traditions with their future families.

[8circles]

Why don't you ask them what they'd like to do? Traditions don't have to be "traditional".

[myfunnybunch]

You'd be surprised how much those cynical teenagers still want mom to do ___ just like last year, though. I swore mine never paid attention, but all I ever get is are you going to do ____, or you aren't doing____?

 

This.

 

Keep doing the things you love. Decorate the house, watch the movie at a time that's relaxing and peaceful for you, make the cookies if you want to. Let them choose a movie for a Holiday Movie Night. Don't worry about whether they always make cookies or not. (Although a heart-to-heart with dh might be in order about maybe choosing one or two activities to do with you just because it's important to you.)

 

My eldest often acted "meh" about Christmas traditions. She's my stepdd, so that added another layer of "meh" to the whole season, iykwim. But now when she comes home for Christmas, she is delighted to see the tree, the stockings, the gingerbread houses. She wants to participate in everything and see the little things that she remembers.

 

:grouphug: I've had Christmases like this. Gosh, come to think of it, when my girls were mid-teens, I felt like an elf in a house of...well, not even grinches, because at least the Grinch cared enough to participate, lol.

 

Oh, Christmas Eve eve (you know, the eve before Christmas Eve :tongue_smilie:) bowling, wearing Santa hats, was a fun tradition for us for a while. Nothing to do with Christmas really, other than the hats, but bowling is something we all enjoy doing together as a family. Maybe a non-traditional tradition would help get them involved?

 

Cat

[myfunnybunch]

Every Christmas, my mom made this weird frozen fruit thing with mini-marshmallows and canned fruit cocktail. Well, one year she decided it was just too weird and gross to make it any more. After all, the 1970s were over. My sister freaked out! I remember the resigned look on my mom's face when she realized she was going to have to make that thing every year.

 

Well, guess what I make every year? My kids call it Dr Seuss food :lol: . We have a Christmas potluck and every year, that thing is gone at the end of the evening.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

My sister did not bring this same salad or a very close variation (unfrozen, though) for Thanksgiving one year "because it's gross." True, that. It is gross. There was almost as much moaning and groaning as the year my mom decided no one really liked mashed potatoes. :tongue_smilie: But that salad is always gone by the end of the meal. Every Thanksgiving, we look at the salad, say "Oh man, this is so gross," and ladle up a huge spoonful or two. ;)

 

Cat

[Jean in Newcastle]

Christmas Adam

 

I know Christmas Eve, but Christmas Adam?

[scrapbabe]

We give each of our boys a board game that they can open on Christmas eve. We have a fun dinner...sometimes turkey and mashed potatoes, sometimes ham, sometimes bacon eggs and pancakes. This time we're having pizza. Then we read the scripture story from the bible. We open our board games and play until its time for bed. They also get a new ornament for the tree to open before the board games. So each year we get to reminisce about Christmases past when we put up our tree.

[Cinder]

I know Christmas Eve, but Christmas Adam?

 

Christmas Eve Eve

[Pippen]

I am so frustrated. Growing up we never had many christmas traditions. The only thing we did consistently was open presents Christmas morning and have family over for dinner on Christmas day. That's it.

 

I REALLY wanted to develop some traditions around Christmas time for my family but they are totally uninterested. I have tried the Jesse Tree, the nightly story a la Jotham's Journey, a traditional movie on Christmas eve, etc.

 

They have no interest. The kids think the stories are boring. Tonight I mentioned watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas eve which we have done a few years in a row and they (including my dh) said no way, they are sick of the movie.

 

Only one of my kids has any interest in making cookies. There is no snow here so no sledding or anything like that.

 

So tonight I officially gave up. I am the only one cares about traditions and I seem to be forcing these on my family so I quit. It makes me sad.

 

That's all.

 

I used to feel a great need to use December as a time of increased spiritual awareness/teaching, but it just didn't work for us. If it's part of your life the rest of the year, I'd give yourself a break and create traditions and memories that do work. Also, I found that for our family I needed to flex because what worked at one age didn't go over well later on.

 

We did Advent for some years when they were little--a fun keepsake craft on the Sunday evenings, along with a short Bible reading and special snack or dessert. I used to give an ornament a year but we've tapered off now that their teens. Sometimes I still pick something up for my daughter who cares more about that. They've been losing interest in putting them up and packing them back up, but his year I hauled out all of their ornaments for my upstairs tree and bought some glittery plastic ornaments to sparkle it up.

 

Maybe try for some traditions that are more suited to their ages now. Think flexible traditions instead of doing exactly the same thing every year.

 

We do an appetizer and cookie spread on Christmas Eve that my teens will take any day over another sit down meal. There's usually a movie going on (it changes every year) downstairs while I'm still in the kitchen working on food. It's relaxed and fun for them.

 

One year we went to see a movie on Christmas Eve and I really enjoyed that as I was able to finally relax.

 

I let each kid request a type of cookie or candy that I will make, or that they can make with me or for me.

 

I usually serve my uncle's roast beef sandwiches around the holiday--sometimes on Christmas Eve, sometimes New Year's Day.

 

We have a ridiculous big Garfield gift bag that makes an appearance every year on someone's gift.

 

Try changing your approach. Instead of saying "Who wants to help me with these Christmas cut out cookies?", say "I need half of these cookies to decorate for Christmas, but you can have the rest to decorate as storm troopers". Instead of asking for help wrapping gifts, challenge them to get creative and disguise brother's gift in a way he'll never figure out what it is.

 

Most years I knock myself out making Christmas milk. ;-) Take some Christmasy glasses, add milk, drop in some food coloring, let them stir with a straw.

 

Every year I belt out "Blue Christmas" with Elvis, much to the dismay of my children.

Edited December 23, 2011 by Pippen

[justamouse]

I guess that is how you know it is a tradition, right?

 

Every Christmas, my mom made this weird frozen fruit thing with mini-marshmallows and canned fruit cocktail. Well, one year she decided it was just too weird and gross to make it any more. After all, the 1970s were over. My sister freaked out! I remember the resigned look on my mom's face when she realized she was going to have to make that thing every year.

 

Well, guess what I make every year? My kids call it Dr Seuss food :lol: . We have a Christmas potluck and every year, that thing is gone at the end of the evening.

 

The one a friend makes has a creamy layer, and nuts, and I can't say on this board what her family calls it. :001_smile: But it's also gone at the end of the night. :D

 

And that face your mom made? I know exactly of what you speak. :lol: Sometimes starting traditions needs warnings, like you WILL be doing this the next 50 years whether you like it, or not. Press one if you accept.

[PrincessMommy]

I am so frustrated. Growing up we never had many christmas traditions. The only thing we did consistently was open presents Christmas morning and have family over for dinner on Christmas day. That's it.

 

I REALLY wanted to develop some traditions around Christmas time for my family but they are totally uninterested. I have tried the Jesse Tree, the nightly story a la Jotham's Journey, a traditional movie on Christmas eve, etc.

 

They have no interest. The kids think the stories are boring. Tonight I mentioned watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas eve which we have done a few years in a row and they (including my dh) said no way, they are sick of the movie.

 

Only one of my kids has any interest in making cookies. There is no snow here so no sledding or anything like that.

 

So tonight I officially gave up. I am the only one cares about traditions and I seem to be forcing these on my family so I quit. It makes me sad.

 

That's all.

 

I'm so sorry. BTDT. I didn't grow up with many traditions either - opening presents and my mom did play Christmas music from Thanksgiving until Christmas... that is it. None of it was religious at all - even though we were Christians and regularly attended church.

 

Anyway, after my kids were older (I think my oldest was about the nearly same age as your oldest) we started attending a church that observed Advent. We tried doing the wreath - we tried doing Jotham's Journey.... we also hit some walls. Since then we've tried the Jesse Tree and other things. You're right, sometimes it just feels like *I* was the only one interested in doing anything.

 

I would encourage you to find the tradition YOU enjoy and stick with it. This year we're doing an Advent Ring with candles - Since We're Orthodox it has 40 candles instead of the traditional 25.... but you can find them with 25 for sure. Anyway, I like candles and it turns out so do the kids. Its the ONLY one in 10+ years that at least some (not all) of my kids will say "Can I light the candles tonight??!!" :D Anyway, I also do a short (very short) scripture reading to go with it.... that usually produces the glazed over look, but I'm sticking with it.

 

So, all that to say - you'll find something - keep trying and look for something you know you'll enjoy doing, even if the kids are rolling their eyes.

[Liz CA]

1. Advent Wreath with four candles anticipating Christmas by lighting one candle on each Sunday preceding Christmas.

 

2. Setting up the nativity scene

 

3. Decorating tree

 

4. Baking and eating

 

5. We also have a special Christmas Eve dinner that came from my grandmother's side of the family.

 

6. Something special done for someone, i.e one year we sent a box to the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, next year Angel Tree, etc.

 

Be persistent. Eventually it will stick and become "how we have always done it."

[Rosie_0801]

We don't have many, but we are only a young family. My unsophisticated littlies don't even realise there is such thing as Christmas yet.

 

But we always watch the Muppets Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve (and walk about for the rest of the Christmas period going "We're Marley and Marley, WOOOOOOOO" at each other. :D

 

I always make my batik cake, which I've been making since I received the recipe in high school. Then I share it with anyone who comes past because I love the flattery. :tongue_smilie: And because the recipe makes 2kg. When you have 2kg of cake, it really, really needs to be shared!

 

We always make pasta salad with tinned peaches in it. It's really not that special, but dh likes it and it has become a Christmas food. He also thinks beggers chicken is a Christmas food. (Wrap chicken in salt dough and bake for 4 hours.) I won't cook it at home any more, since we have no fridge and are supposed to be mostly vegan (not that my batik cake is vegan either...) but it didn't take much to persuade to get my aunt to make it :)

 

We do our thing on Christmas Eve. My brother comes down if he's not working, and my father and sister usually show up without telling me. Last year they didn't get fed, which bothered me far more than them. This year I know my sister isn't coming because she's in Kenya but I've heard rumours that Dad is coming. I guess I'll find out. :lol: We will open presents in the morning, then when we feel like moving, we'll trundle up to my aunt's place, which is two and a half hours away. If there was any pressure to be anywhere at a certain time we wouldn't go at all, but we all prefer to mess about on our own schedules and if anyone is late for dinner, they get cold left overs (and plenty of them.) :)

 

Next year my toddler should be more civilised, so we'll start having a tree. I'll also have my advent calender finished, with a decoration for each of them to hang for each day. Maybe next year they will have actually noticed what's going on before it happens. :)

 

Anyway, that's enough bleating. I'm just waiting for dh to bring some breakfast home to recharge my house cleaning battery!

 

Heather, do whatever you want to do and take your little girl along with the ride. Never mind the fellas, they'll drift in as long as food is provided. :tongue_smilie:

 

Rosie

[rwjx2khsmj]

I know Christmas Eve, but Christmas Adam?

 

We call the day before Christmas Eve ... Christmas Adam because Adam came before Eve. Get it? :lol:

 

It's one of those quirky things that we started years ago and it helps us keep the days straight. We also have a list of things we do on Christmas Adam.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We call the day before Christmas Eve ... Christmas Adam because Adam came before Eve. Get it? :lol:

 

It's one of those quirky things that we started years ago and it helps us keep the days straight. We also have a list of things we do on Christmas Adam.

 

Special things or "Ack, I have too much to do before Christmas!" things?

[rwjx2khsmj]

Special things or "Ack, I have too much to do before Christmas!" things?

 

Special things. We go out to lunch as a family and take the kids to do their Christmas shopping for each other and for us. We really splurge on that and take them to the dollar store where we give them $5 for their shopping. It's a highlight watching them run around the store to find just the right thing. Sometimes the gifts are serious and sometimes just plain silly but they are always affordable and keeping in the true spirit of the season.

 

After the meal and shopping we drive around to look at lights then watch Christmas movies and snack on food left over from our Winter Solstice party.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Special things. We go out to lunch as a family and take the kids to do their Christmas shopping for each other and for us. We really splurge on that and take them to the dollar store where we give them $5 for their shopping. It's a highlight watching them run around the store to find just the right thing. Sometimes the gifts are serious and sometimes just plain silly but they are always affordable and keeping in the true spirit of the season.

 

After the meal and shopping we drive around to look at lights then watch Christmas movies and snack on food left over from our Winter Solstice party.

 

That sounds like a really nice time.:001_smile:

[Heather in Neverland]

These are some awesome ideas ladies. You all have such nice traditions. Maybe I will make a list of all of the things you all do and do a poll of my family of which ones sound good to them. You know, approach it scientifically.:D :lol:

[Alessandra]

I also grew up without a lot of traditions, so I introduce them. But we do not follow an exact recipe for the season. The constants are: decorations, special foods, religious aspects. We observe the season from Advent to Epiphany. It is actually easier than a big build up to Christmas -- you can always bake cookies, give extra presents, etc after Dec 25.

 

Some of our traditions stay the same -- roast beef, buche de Noel. There would be a rebellion if I skipped those. But other 'traditions' are new -- for example, this year we are having the Italian 'Seven Fishes' on Christmas Eve. For me, it's fun to see what other cultural traditions do and explore a bit.

 

I have found a lot of good info on the St Nicholas Center site, on catholicculture.org, and in some of the holiday books used in Waldorf education.

 

Are there any Malaysian traditions you could adopt? I should think it would be great to have one custom from each part of the world you have lived in.

[Danestress]

As mine get older, I think, "what are the things I am doing even when the are grown and have moved out?"

 

Cinnamon Rolls

 

Stockings

 

A tree

 

Church on Christmas Eve

 

Sausage Casserole Christmas Morning (which I don't really care for, but DH loves it so we will do that)

 

A big box of Sees "nuts and chews"

 

Presents for the dog

[Pippen]

These are some awesome ideas ladies. You all have such nice traditions. Maybe I will make a list of all of the things you all do and do a poll of my family of which ones sound good to them. You know, approach it scientifically.:D :lol:

 

Be careful what you ask for. ;) You may wind up with your boys' favorite memories being of gathering around the table decorating an clone army and dashing up the stairs fighting each other to be the first at the table for Christmas milk.

 

Speaking of Christmas milk, I pulled out the glasses last night at supper. There they were--my three teens and a friend all blowing bubbles in their red and green glasses of milk at the supper table. It was a festive sight.:lol: