How do the Holidays work in your home?

[Dion]

Growing up we always had a real Chritsmas tree and would make the annual trip to the tree lot to pick out a tree. Later we would spend hours as a family decorating it. We all had a favourite ornament and as kids would fight over who got to put theirs up first. After that was cookies and hot chocolate by the fire.

Everyone had a stocking with their name sewn on it that was hung from the fireplace mantle. On Christmas eve we got whatever was in our stockings. It was our parents attempt at trying to get us to sleep but that usually never worked as we were always too excited with me being the worst.

Then came Christmas morning where us 3 kids would jump on our parents bed at 4AM telling them it was time to get up and open presents! Our parents would grumble and complain telling us to go back to bed until at least 8AM. That of course never worked. Dad would be half asleep in his favourite chair drinking coffee and mother would dish out the presents to everyone. By 7AM a feast of bacon and pancakes would be over with us 3 kids cleaning up and doing the dishes. Every Christmas would be no different as us kids would grumble bitterly when our relatives or our grandparents would sent us clothes instead of toys.

Today it's much different than the past. There is no real tree and just a small version with some lights and decorations. On Christams eve I drive my mother and myself into Calgary to spend the evening with her sisters and my cousins and their kids. It starts with a feast of prime rib and later with the opening of presents. It's always the highlight of my Christmas to see the kids opening their presents and the glowing smiles on their faces.

On Christmas day my brother hops a mid morning flight from Minneapolis to Calgary to spend Christmas week with me and my mother. That same morning I get on the phone and call my nephew in Anchorage Alaska and niece in San Fransico to wish them both a Merry Christmas. After that it's my sister in Denver. Later that evening my my brother, my mother and me settle down to feast of turkey and grasshopper pie. Conversations carry on into the wee hours of the morning as bottles are opened and drinks are poured.

[activeStick]

Large extended family dim sum on Christmas Eve at a restaurant with usually 20+ people. My parents treat as it's become a tradition that way do instead of hosting a Xmas dinner. Xmas night dinner with family at one of my aunt's house with a bunch of family and then another dinner usually on boxing day at another aunts place with another set of extended family.

The neat thing with one of these dinners is the dishes are the same every year due to the large number of people but while the dishes are simple, they've become tradition and we all agree we wouldn't want anything else. Dishes are (we're Chinese) - shrimp with scrambled eggs, beef with broccoli, curry beef shank, baked chicken drumsticks, roast turkey with cranberry sauce and gravy, some Chinese vegetarian dish with Chinese mushrooms and vegetables and rice.

[Sainters7]

As a kid we were allowed to open one on Jesusmas Eve, and we'd scrape off the pond by my aunt's house and have a huge all day Christmas pickup hockey tourney, that was the best. Then come in for hot chocolate, play with our new toys and watch a Christmas movie. Usually A Christmas Story, I actually had no idea that was such a beloved cult classic growing up. I thought it was just my fam that watched it!

[annasuave]

Aw, this thread really warmed my heart.

I was coming here to make a snippy comment about the busyness, the stress, and guilt that comes with the holidays, and how my tradition is hiding in the bathroom with a bottle of Gran Marnier.

...and I'm leaving with a better disposition about the holidays and a grateful heart for having family who love me and want me to come over and wear the damn paper crown, sing the songs, stuff myself silly on the turkey and be part of the "home for the holidays" ideal.

I think my heart grew three sizes today.

[FireGilbert]

Three different Christmas traditions depending on where I am:

-In Canada: On Christmas eve have a small dinner of bad frozen food from M&Ms then go for a walk to see lights. In the morning open stockings, have breakfast, open presents, then start prepping for a big turkey dinner.

-In Australia: On Christmas eve go out for a nice dinner. In the morning open stockings, have breakfast, open presents, go to the beach for a few hours, then have a big BBQ and seafood lunch.

-Overseas: Nothing special on Christmas eve. In the morning open stockings (small presents only when travelling), go out for breakfast, spend the day at the beach, then go out for a nice dinner.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

On Christmas eve, we keep the fireplace stoked and burning hot, making as little noise as possible, arming ourselves to the teeth while living in constant fear until the sunrise. That's when we are confident that Krampus has left.

[doctajones428]

Fake tree. Christmas Eve Chinese food and early presents for the kids at Grandma's. Christmas Day turkey dinner at home

[activeStick]

It's interesting that so many people are having Chinese food over the holidays... Chinese people or just something easy to order that the majority of people like?

[driveway]

As kids:

Christmas Eve: Big party at the Aunt and Uncle's place down in Bonavista. Skating on the lake, my Aunt's fantastic food, probably 12-15 kids there and 20-30 adults. Phenomenal party, mad games of mini-stick basement hockey.

Christmas Day: Wait upstairs until everyone is up (7:00 when we were little, 9:00 when we were older). Rush downstairs, kids get to open stocking presents first. Once all of those are open, we designate one person to be "Santa" who then pulls presents one by one out from under the tree, we watch each person open them and proceed until all the presents are opened. Then Dad cooks pancakes and bacon, we all hang out and play with presents 'till dinner time, and then full-on Christmas dinner.

As grownups:

Christmas Eve: Go see either a Tolkein, Harry Potter, or Star Wars movie.

Christmas Day: Wait until my siblings and their spouses arrive at my parents place (where I stay when I'm in town). One person is "Santa" and hands out presents one at a time. Everyone is expected to buy everyone else one present, Mom usually can't help herself and gets people two or three things each. After presents are open: pancake breakfast and then Christmas Dinner just like when we were kids.

The tree is always real, always from the Scouts. The house is covered in Christmas stuff, my mother loves Christmas. We even had those little bell-guys who would play 19 different carols when you plugged them in.

This goes for Christmas when the whole family is home in Canada, when we're in Europe there's no gift-giving (as the trip to Europe is the present to each other).

[bigtmac19]

Make ahead breakfast casseroles are the best for Christmas morning. The last couple of years, I've been making a French toast casserole, that I put together the night before and bake in the morning. It's ridiculously calorie laden but absolutely delicious!

[surferguy]

How much is a real tree at Ikea?

[Fuzz]

So, uh, anyone else have a Festivus pole? Just put ours out, as I had to re-make the stand. My wife broke it during the feats of strength on New Years. I guess I made it too simple, as it didn't take much to break it. It all started as a bit of a joke a few years ago when I grabbed an old shower curtain rod. Now it's fun to bring out every year.

We also have a menorah and a Buddha, because everyone should get some love this time of year

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by activeStick

It's interesting that so many people are having Chinese food over the holidays... Chinese people or just something easy to order that the majority of people like?

Chinese restaurants capitalized on the fact that they were the only ones open on Christmas eve, and now it has become a tradition for many.

[East Coast Flame]

Originally Posted by surferguy

How much is a real tree at Ikea?

$20 and you get a coupon to Ikea for $20. We got ours there a couple weeks ago and the tree looks great!

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by East Coast Flame

$20 and you get a coupon to Ikea for $20. We got ours there a couple weeks ago and the tree looks great!

Just a slight correction but the coupon is actually $20 off a $75 purchase in January or something like that (I haven't looked closely at the details but that is what it was in the past.)

Slightly off topic, but does anyone know where I can find bigger and thicker candy canes? I went to Shoppers, Coop and Superstore this morning and they only had the regular, standard candy canes. I want some that are more substantial and ones that don't readily break and crumble at the curved part.

[greyshep]

Originally Posted by East Coast Flame

$20 and you get a coupon to Ikea for $20. We got ours there a couple weeks ago and the tree looks great!

Are they a decent height? The last time we went to get one there (few years ago), they were all 5' or smaller.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by greyshep

Are they a decent height? The last time we went to get one there (few years ago), they were all 5' or smaller.

The one I picked up this weekend is a solid 7 feet and has a really nice spread. I think the majority are around 6 to 7 feet.

[zukes]

Fake tree, used to like real trees, but not worth the hassle.

Kids are allowed to get the presents that Santa leaves them under their little trees in their rooms before 7:00am, then are allowed to wake us up at 7:00am and go down and open their stockings, we open ours as well. Then it's breakfast and coffee and Bailey's, then presents.

The kids can open their present to each other on Christmas Eve.

More or less the way it was done at my house when I was kid, except we always had a real tree and no trees/presents in my bedroom. Replace Bailey's with copious amounts of rum and egg nog for my parents.

[Street Pharmacist]

Fake tree, open pajamas present from mom on Christmas eve plus one small gift, then presents Christmas day

[rubecube]

Die Hard, bourbon, and contempt.