Quote:
Originally Posted by bradster57
Maybe I'm reading that wrong but do people actually decorate the tree on Christmas Eve?
|
We did when I was growing up. Dad would drag us kids out with him, and we'd tromp around looking for a tree, while Mom stayed home and most likely did some last minute wrapping. When we got back, there were always cookies/baking and hot chocolate waiting for us. We'd have some of that and warm up and then decorate the tree - when that was done, it was off to bed. It was always the most Charlie Brown xmas tree.
I changed that with my family/kids. We generally put ours up right about now and it comes down before/by NYE. The kids have received a new xmas ornament every year, which they got the day/night we decorated the tree. My oldest will get all of his ornaments as a gift this year, as he's now moved out on his own - that was the idea behind getting them a new ornament each year. I will do the same with the grandkids, whenever they show up on the scene.
We typically always went to my folks or my ILs for xmas, but a number of years ago, with ever increasing kid activity/involvement in this, that or the other thing, we ended up having a few years where it was just us. So we started a few traditions of our own, plus incorporated some from childhood.
We do a massive appetizer layout for xmas eve. Then we spend the evening playing board games/card games (Dutch Blitz must be played - it's our family 'law'), and snacking on all the appetizers. We also watch a handful of the old xmas movies that we own (the claymation/animated Rudolph, etc). The kids always open one gift xmas eve (even now, as adults) and it's always pajamas, which by law in our household, must be instantly donned. Just before midnight, we always go for a drive around town and look at xmas lights. Then it's home to bed - for the kids anyway. I still do stockings for my kids, even though they're grown, so I fill those before I go to bed. We used to have a camp-out/sleepover in the living room, around the tree - left the lights on all night and xmas music playing softly. The kids are 'too big' for this now, so I plan to start that up again when we have grandkids.
Xmas morning, I'm up before everyone else, starting breakfast. We always do fresh cut fruit with dip, pain au chocolate, cinnamon bun cake and mini-quiche. By the time most of that is assembled, the kids are up and we give the dogs their stockings - yes, we do stockings for the dogs. We learned a long time ago that if we stick a couple of new chewies/bones in there, they spend all day on those and stay out of the way and don't get into the kids' stocking stuff that inevitably get left laying around. Then the kids do their stockings while my husband finally makes his way downstairs haha.
We eat breakfast and then open gifts. I don't cook the rest of the day - there's always enough appetizers left over plus some of the breakfast stuff, so they nosh on that if they're hungry. I throw the turkey in the oven, as soon as gifts are done, and then I peel and chop whatever needs peeled or chopped and set it aside until supper time. We phone my husband's parents after that and yak about gifts and thank them for the stuff they sent us. Then I get to have a 2 hour nap with no interruptions before I get up and spend some time with everyone before getting started on the final meal prep. We do Christmas crackers at the dinner table before starting our meal and everyone has to wear their crown, lol.
Those are our xmas traditions now.
