what do you and your family..?

Question

what do you and your family usually do on Christmas Eve and day? any traditions?

Answer 1

on christmas eve day/night
my son (24) and i ritually do the following:
--get the car washed
--go shopping for the family dog
--buy pies for christmas dinner
--eat lunch at McDonalds
--purchase a bottle of wine for Christmas eve
--around 5:00 p.m. my wife and i open our present from our son and he in return gets to open TWO of his presents
--relatives from both sides of the family (usually about 30) arrive for a buffet style dinner

Christmas Day
--when we wake up, as a family of 3 (plus the dog), we sit around the kitchen table and enjoy breakfast together
--retire to the den to open our presents
--around 2:00 sit down with close relatives to a huge turkey and/or ham dinner
--after dinner and dessert-----crack open a 3 lb box of Boscov's chocolates
--talk and watch t.v. until 5-6 p.m.
--light meal (sandwiches, etc.)

these are all rituals that we've practiced since 1983. i'm sure part of them will be broken when my son marries and begins a new life with his wife (and child/ren). But, for now, we thrive on our times together.

Answer 2

I am newly married so we started a new tradition last year. We go to my dad's house have a nice meal, gifts for the kids (now 17 and 20), clean up, spend time with dad, leave early enough to make the 10:30 Christmas Eve Candle light service. Spend a bit of time after the service eating and drinking items left for everyone to enjoy talking with friends and catching up as we have not seen each other in a while. Drive around town to see the lights before we head home, pull out any gifts hidden after the kids have gone to their room. Head to bed.

In the Morning we get up open a few gifts and head out to my brothers and his home where there are three lively girls and his new wife. My brother cooks a meal, we bring what we want for a holiday dinner side(s) and anything else we may want. We then eat, talk a bit, drive home, call his side of the family, put gifts up, and the parents go into our room enjoying time with our spouse.

Answer 3

Christmas Eve we go to church and then to my aunt and uncle's house for egg nog and to just spend time with the family. Christmas morning we get up half an hour earlier than normal (4:00) and start chores. We normally have all of the cows milked and fed by seven. While my dad and I are doing chores, my mom works on breakfast, which is alway a Christmas sweet roll. After we're back from the barn, we have breakfast and then open our stockings. We usually either go to my aunt and uncle's house or have everyone come to our for lunch (usually just finger food). Then we open presents. We usually just hang-out in the evening.

Answer 4

Every year we used to all gather at my grandparents house on Christmas Eve for dinner (ham) and presents with my mom's family (about a dozen people). We sat around the tree and tore into the gifts.

Christmas morning I opened presents from my parents at home.
Later that afternoon we would go to my aunt's house and have dinner (turkey) and presents with my dad's family. We had to open presents one person at a time while sitting at the dining room table. It was a little weird and a lot more formal but it was a tradition.

These days, my mom and I go to my cousin's house on Christmas Eve for dinner and presents (there's only 4 of us left). My cousin has a one foot stuffed toy tree. We sit on the couch. Christmas morning I still open presents at home with my mom. I usually watch the 'A Christmas Story' marathon on TV. We don't see my dad's family anymore.

Answer 5

christmas eve we get together with my wife's family for a light buffet-mainly finger food-we open a few gifts, sing a few carols, someone will read the gospel account of Christ's birth...it's usually an early evening-then we watch some christmas specials that we have taped...after the kids go to bed, we add a few more presents under the tree-the kids wake us up WAY before the sun comes up and we open presents and have breakfast...then we jump in the car and visit with my family...then it's back home for christmas dinner...

Answer 6

Christmas eve we go house hoping. Most my aunts live in the same town. So we go from house to house and see them. It is really fun. They Christmas we stay home and enjoy a day with the immediate family.

Answer 7

At our house we do the same thing every year, and everyone enjoys it. Christmas Eve we go to our church and sing the holiday songs and light candles. On Christmas Eve night we are allowed to open one present and that present is ALWAYS a new set of P.J.s. Everyone wears their new P.J.s to bed so that when we wake up to open presents the next day we are wearing our new P.J.s. When we wake up we're not supposed to wake anyone up (but we always do...) and you are allowed to look through your stocking. When everyone is awake we separate the gifts and set piles infront of each person. Then we go from youngest to oldest opening one gift at a time. I enjoy our Christmas traditions. Everyone has their own way of enjoying the holidays and as long as your with family.... your going to have a great time.

Happy Holidays!!! Best wishes to you and your family.

--Bowski--

Answer 8

Christmas Eve, we normally open one small present.
Christmas Day, we open all the rest.
Yea . . . I don't really have an traditions.

Answer 9

On Christmas Eve, my children go out in the evening and sprinkle "reindeer" dust over our lawn for "Santa's reindeer"! They leave out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer too. My husband and I usually stay up late and watch the movie Christmas Vacation, although we now have a new favorite, Christmas With the Kranks.

Answer 10

Christmas Eve we have a roast dinner, then we go to midnight mass at our church - we open presents after mass. Christmas day we all sleep in and then I start cooking dinner again for all. We have a late dinner and watch football, play cards or talk, etc.