Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas: traditions

Dear QotD?ers,
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the cold front is here. 37ºF with a windchill of 30.5ºF. BRRR.
I need to make some additions to previous answers. Christmas treat: rosettes by Aunt Margaret. song: Santa Polka by Brave Combo
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This weekend I was in the audience at a talent show and I was forced onto the stage to perform "whatever [I'm] good at." Put on the spot like that, I posed like a supermodel. Tyra would not have been so proud!
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Today's Question of the Day? is:
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Do you have any Christmas or holiday traditions that seem unique to your family?
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St. Nick comes on Decebmer 6th to fill our stockings with a huge orange, a huge apple and some candy. Our Christmas tree stays up until the Epiphany. In the nativity set, baby Jesus isn't set out until Christmas day, at which point the 3 wise men start their treck from the eastern side of the house towards the nativity scene (they reach their destination also on the Epiphany). When I was younger, we would celebrate Christmas Eve at my paternal grandparents' house on the farm. The living room would be closed off and after dinner we'd open the doors to discover that Santa had already come! After opening presents we would pray and sing Christmas carols.
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Love,
The Asker

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

When we lived in Venezuela, we celebrated the twelve days of Christmas and Three Kings Day. I believe that we actually opened gifts on Three Kings Day as opposed to Christmas eve or day.

Once we moved back to the States, we opened gifts on Christmas morning, although my parents still argue about this. In my father's home, they opened gifts on Christmas eve after a meal. In my mother's home, gifts were on Christmas morning.

Now that I have my own family to further mix and match traditions with, our kids open gifts both on Christmas eve and Christmas morning! YIKES!! They get a big meal and celebration at EACH of their grandparent's homes, including gifts, stockings and sweets, and all with in a twelve hour period.

Honestly...it is too much and too big and too greedy, but you can't stop a grandma!! We have tried.

Anonymous said...

We each had our own wrapping paper design, which facilitated distribution. Opening was all at once, none of that silly one present per rotation thing.

Also, we each had a designated chair with our stocking. They came with lots of stuff like chocolate oranges and candy canes full of M&M's. I remember Dad making flavored coffee and pigs in a blanket.

And then we played...

Anonymous said...

You pretty much got out traditions.......
I love Christmas...
getting to see family.....decorations, the food,
the lights......

Anonymous said...

When we first married and our girls were born, Danny's Grandfather would dress up as Santa and go around to all of the children's homes that lived close by and deliver small gifts of fruit, candy and nuts. He did this every year for many years. The kids were always scared of him for some reason. He had 10 children and many lived close by so his evening on Christmas eve was long. He also visited local people who had children. After he died, no one took on the task. And most of Danny's family don't speak to each other now. Weird.