How do the Holidays work in your home?

[surferguy]

I was talking with my wife last night about how Christmas worked in her home growing up.

She said told me that her and her brother would get up and open all their gifts before her parents woke up. In my house we could only do stockings before my folks woke up - the gifts were then opened after breakfast.

It got me thinking that nobody really does this the same way. I have some Swedish friends that open gifts on Christmas eve - that always threw me.

So how do the holidays work in your home - what are your traditions.

Real tree? Do you go cut one? Tree lot? Charlie brown tree? Big? Small?

Fake tree?

What is your gifting process? exchange names? something for everybody?

Do you celebrate a different holiday? - What are the traditions for your holiday?

Lets talk about the Holidays!

[greyshep]

Real tree, always, usually tree from a tree lot. Kids can go through socks before everyone in the home is up and at it. Gifts are opened as a group.

[troutman]

I amicably share custody with my ex. She is European and likes to celebrate and open gifts on the evening of the 24th. My family opens presents and does a big turkey dinner on the 25th. The arrangement works out very well, and we still share a drink and give gifts to each other. #modernfamily

[calgarygeologist]

We also opened our gifts on Christmas Eve and my kids do that now as well but some gifts are also saved for Christmas morning.

Real tree for me from Ikea although I wanted to get a permit for a tree this year but with hockey and gymnastics and all the other stuff there just isn't enough time to head out to cut down a tree.

[WhiteTiger]

When I was as kid, it was much the same as yours, it seems. My brother and I were allowed to get up whenever we wanted, and could open our stockings without our parents around. Gifts waited until after breakfast. Either my brother or me would be selected to be "Santa" for that year, and we'd hand out one present to each person, then all would open in turn, then hand out more (I learned later, with mom taking notes for my brother and I, so we'd know who to send Thank You cards to...I always thought that she just magically knew/remembered somehow)

My family always had the same fake tree. We had it as early as I could remember, and Mom eventually replaced it about 10 years after I moved out.

Currently, my wife and I wake up, and have breakfast with home-made cinnamon rolls. Then we do our gift exchange from under our fake tree. We both have a lot of family in town, and so generally end up traipsing from one end of the city to the other (Her family is in the deep NW, mine's in the SE). My family tends to eat Christmas Dinner later, while hers tends to be a 'munchies through the day' sort of affair, so we usually start at her parents place, and then end up at mine for supper.

Providing I'm not working, of course. This will be the first year in the last 4 that I've not been working...and I'm kinda excited about spending it with family.

[Northendzone]

Airing of the grievances then feats of strength.

I then spend the next week complaining about the kids and the lack of quality gifts I received.

[Locke]

Usually its pretty tame until the Krampus walks in and attempts to wreak vengeance upon my children for their misdeeds...if they've been nice to me I make half-hearted attempts to fight him off...if they havent, well, theres more where they came from.

[FurnaceFace]

Now:
We traditionally get out of dodge and head for somewhere warm and go diving.
Secret santa thing with my sisters and their kids. I do a yearly calendar with pics I took from the year and send that on to all that want one.

As a kid:
Real Scotch Pine bought and put up. I hucked tinsel on the tree and tried to help my dad untangle the Xmas lights while he swore under his breath.

Chinese food from Lee's Choy Suey on Xmas eve.

I opened one gift Xmas Eve.

Xmas day we started with the Xmas socks and went on from there.

"wifesaver" breakfast/brunch supplemented with left over chinese food.

Played with your toys, went out into the snow, visited with friends, while mom and sisters madly got the turkey et al prepped.

[Fuzz]

Growing up we'd get a permit and get a real tree. Sometimes Charlie Brownish, but whatever. As kids we didn't know any better.

We were never allowed to open gifts early. Once the parents had coffee we would open presents until breakfast was ready, then do stockings.

Now I have a fake tree for myself, as we still do Christmas with my dad who usually buys a tree from the Scouts. My wife convinced me it was OK to open a present Christmas eve, but everything else about Christmas morning is the same.

Christmas eve is kinda my favorite now because everyone goes to Church and my wife and I sit by the fire and drink wine.

[GreenLantern]

Real tree, always. We got an amazing one this year from Home Depot of all places. It's so big we had to go buy more decorations.

How it worked for me growing up is that nothing was touched until everyone was up. You could start looking at your stocking pile but you weren't supposed to actually unload until people were sitting around. Then everyone went through their stockings, then we did one present at a time in a circle, moving at a pretty good pace.

How it works now is that we try and cram in 23423423 different stops into two days and basically end up passed out by supper time Christmas day and usually sick boxing day for the next week from pushing ourselves so hard/being around so many different people. One set of parents Christmas Eve supper, another set Christmas Eve night for a gift exchange, over to the sister in laws Christmas Morning for brunch usually have to be there by 9:30 to watch their kids open presents then over to my Dad's for Christmas Supper. It sucks. We get a few hours Christmas afternoon to open our presents for each other but usually we just nap. There used to be a third stop in there Christmas Eve at an Uncles but I kyboshed that. I'm actually getting angry just thinking about it. Oh and there is also another family get together on the 27th for extended family but I always plan an ice fishing trip that day well in advance, usually 364 days in advance.

But this is the last year as we are expecting. How it will work next year when we have our first kid, Christmas Eve at one families, Christmas Supper at the others, Christmas morning/afternoon we aren't going anywhere. If you want to stop by you are more than welcome but I won't be leaving my house until 4 PM.

[Lubicon]

Church Christmas Eve. Open gifts Christmas morning, the kids do their stocking first and then once we are up we exchange gifts. Breakfast follows and then my wife outdoes herself and makes a fantastic turkey dinner.

Her (wife) tradition growing up was opening gifts Christmas eve and really nothing special on Christmas day. My family (mom's side ) was very traditional european and also did Christmas Eve with a big dinner, gifts etc. My dad's side always did Christmas day. Growing up, both families were relatively close geographically so we usually went in to my Oma's house (later my aunts place) for Christmas and then my grandparents place for Christmas day.

Now we live in Calgary and our families are not close by anymore but our kids still like to be in their own place for Christmas so it is a small celebration, just the four of us most years, occasionally my mom will come to Calgary as well.

[MacDaddy77]

We have neighborhood friends over for Christmas eve and play board games and kids can ply just dance or whatever. Order Chinese food.

Kids each get a christmas eve box that has 1 book a small toy of whatever they're into that year and a new pair of Pj's that they wear to be that night.

wife and I enjoy the look on the kids faces so they're not allowed to go downstairs without us on Christmas morning.

[jeffporfirio]

Christmas Eve Mass, followed by traditional Central American dinner.
Presents are opened early (too early) on Christmas day.

and yes, fake tree.

edit: we also do the Elf on a Shelf ..thing..and also, yes, Santa does bring presents on Christmas Eve, and you have to be asleep by then

[surferguy]

These are good as we now have a one year old and Id like to start some of our own family traditions. Last year I bought my son "The Night Before Christmas" book and plan on reading that by the fireplace before he goes to bed from now on.

Ill be damned if he gets to open any gifts before I am out of bed like my wife did as a kid. That just sucks the fun out of it.

Nowadays we draw names for a gift exchange otherwise the spending gets out of control. Ive taken to making all gifts the last few years. Id rather build something specific than just pick up a random "gift" from Amazon.

We had a mix of real tree and fake trees growing up. Now its a real tree that we go cut down. Was supposed to go this weekend but I got sick and couldn't make the trip . Im gonna hit up the scouts lot this week and see what we can find.

Christmas day/boxing day is all about loafing about and doing a puzzle after a big turkey dinner mid afternoon on Christmas day.

Christmas eve is usually reserved for a few drinks and games with family or friends depending on where I am in the world.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by surferguy

She said told me that her and her brother would get up and open all their gifts before her parents woke up.

This is the craziest thing I've ever heard. Well, that may be an exaggeration, but still, pretty crazy.

My family's tradition is and always has been for the adults to drink too much on the 24th and then force the kids to suffer in anticipation until everyone was up and had eaten a big breakfast and had a screwdriver or three.

[N-E-B]

Stocking first, presents as a group. Usually too early in the morning and usually with a nice hangover to boot.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Stocking first, presents as a group. Usually too early in the morning and usually with a nice hangover to boot.

Champagne and Orange Juice to smooth that over.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by Locke

Champagne and Orange Juice to smooth that over.

Coffee and Baileys

[bigtmac19]

When my kids were young, they could do stockings if they were up early. The rest had to wait until we had our coffee! They were allowed to open one present each on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is always homemade pizza.

One son still lives at home, the other lives with his girlfriend. He and his girlfriend come over to my house very early and we do breakfast and open presents together, they leave to go do the same at her parents house, then back to my place later in the day for dinner.

It's usually pretty quiet.

And yes - both Coffee with Baileys and Mimosas in the morning.

[Peanut]

Rudolph leaves presents outside the bedroom door. Colouring book or something small to occupy them for an extra 10-15 minutes of sleep for us.

NO PRESENTS OR STOCKINGS without everyone awake and present. Not allowed at my house. Seeing what everybody got and their reactions opening gifts is the best part.

We do stockings before breakfast. Then eat a giant feast. Then open all the big presents.