How do you celebrate Christmas? (For those who do)

kuzurichan
kuzurichan Posts: 134
in Chit-Chat
So, it's early, but I'm curious - how do you guys usually celebrate Christmas, and/or what are your plans for this year? :) Here in Denmark, everything is celebrated on the 24th of December - we eat a nice dinner, dance around the Christmas tree (seriously, haha), and then, unwrap gifts together. :) If there are any food leftovers, we usually get together again and terminate them with another dinner. :P

Replies

  • Italianyc84
    Italianyc84 Posts: 192 Member
    I come from an Italian family living in America, we also celebrate on the 24th of December, with the Feast of the Seven Fishes. No meat is eaten, just all types of seafood. I cook the meal every year, and it's my favorite! Starts with an antipasti of cheeses, olives, breads; then there's a seafood salad with shrimp, calamari and scungilli or pulpo, mussels, baked clams, swordfish, stuffed shrimp, crab cakes, a few different kinds of pasta...lots and lots of food! I change it up every year and make different things.
  • katamus
    katamus Posts: 2,363 Member
    I celebrate Christmas by trying to run and hide. :frown:

    Ever see the movie Four Christmases? That's my life.

    Christmas is the most hectic and stressful event that I've ever encountered. We typically have obligations to visit AT LEAST three different houses, but it has gone all the way up to 6-7 in the past. My family is split, so we have to visit different places (and of course they live like an hour apart.. Close enough that I can't have an excuse but far enough to make it a pain in my rear) then we also have to visit my fiance's family. Then there's the pit-stops in between like my aunt's house and his grandparents' house. It's a nightmare. We fight every year (with each other and the family) and SOMEONE is always mad at us that week.

    I'd like to take a trip up to NY this year. It may or may not happen but it would be a million times more fun.
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
    We get together with the family, chat and order Chinese food. Nice and stress free.

    We don't really do presents anymore, everyone is grown up and broke ;).
  • Natashaa1991
    Natashaa1991 Posts: 866 Member
    I am orthodox Christian, my Christmas is on 7th January. Every year i am with my family, stuffing my face with food and all that :) but i study abroad, this year I will celebrate Christmas in airplane because my semester finishes on 6th of January.
  • LosinItAll2012
    LosinItAll2012 Posts: 238 Member
    I celebrate Christmas by trying to run and hide. :frown:

    Ever see the movie Four Christmases? That's my life.

    Christmas is the most hectic and stressful event that I've ever encountered. We typically have obligations to visit AT LEAST three different houses, but it has gone all the way up to 6-7 in the past. My family is split, so we have to visit different places (and of course they live like an hour apart.. Close enough that I can't have an excuse but far enough to make it a pain in my rear) then we also have to visit my fiance's family. Then there's the pit-stops in between like my aunt's house and his grandparents' house. It's a nightmare. We fight every year (with each other and the family) and SOMEONE is always mad at us that week.


    I'd like to take a trip up to NY this year. It may or may not happen but it would be a million times more fun.


    This is crazy!!! Yes Christmas is a time to spend with family, but if it causes you that much stress, I wouldnt bother... make them come to you this year!! :flowerforyou:
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    I don't really observe Christmas and I'm a single guy but I have a christmas ritual where I put on my PJ's, get some chocolate milk and ice cream and watch the Home Alone movies around Christmas time! In MI its usually snowing so idk why its really comforting to me
  • Cyngen
    Cyngen Posts: 557 Member
    Having grown up on a dairy farm, ours was non traditional in many ways. However we formed our own traditions that live on to this day, over 50 years later....

    Christmas Eve - Spaghetti with the sauce home made and simmered all day. That evening everyone gathers for the meal, and then gift exchange. The last couple of years we have decided against gift giving to each other. Instead we adopt a family or two to make their Christmas a bit better.

    Christmas Day - Breakfast is blueberry muffins and omelets. The rest of the day is do whatever you want from reading to hanging out watching great old Christmas movies.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    When I lived near my family, we would go to church on Christmas Eve to make my Catholic grandmother happy, then open presents and eat a light dinner at my aunt's house. Then Christmas Day, get together for dinner.

    Now that I live so far away, we usually do Christmas Eve or day with the boyfriend's mom and stepdad who live about an hour away and I'd make dinner Christmas Eve and Day. Last year, some friends came over Christmas Eve and then it was just the boyfriend, my daughter and me Christmas Day.
  • jcriscuolo
    jcriscuolo Posts: 319 Member
    We do a Christmas eve buffet dinner with my side of the family.
    Christmas morning we open gifts around a real tree, have breakfast with my Mom who comes over to help open presents.
    Then we do a Christmas dinner with my wife's family on Christmas night and crash on the day after Christmas.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    Christmas eve morning we do presents and brunch (mimosas, bloody marys, yummy fancy breakfast food) with my mom. Christmas Eve afternoon we drive 2 hours north for my bf's family Christmas. His mom has the black sheep of the family so it is awkward but manageable and the kids make out like bandits. Then we drive home 2 hours south, get home around midnight and do our little family Christmas morning. Then around 10am Christmas day, we go to MY dad's for presents, and spend the day eating and being lazy watching a Christmas Story.

    Lots of family to run around to and spend time with. Between me, my boyfriend and lots of divorced parents, we spend more time going to Christmas celebrations then being at home.
  • Teachinjen
    Teachinjen Posts: 88 Member
    No matter where I am we always have a Lasagna dinner on Christmas eve. Then because my dad was like a little kid, he managed every year to get us to open our gifts on Christmas Eve. For us, it was about spending quality time with family, and truly having a good time. We draw names every year and have a theme that you follow to get your person a gift. One year it was socks, one year it was gag gifts......you get the point.... We also have a "white elephant" gift exchange which can get pretty hilarious. This past year we also came up with "minute to win it " type games, and competed against each other. I have never laughed as hard as I did that night, and I have a clear memory of my dad just sitting back and taking it all in......

    This year is going to be hard for me. WE lost my dad in February after a very long battle with cancer, and he was the core of all things in our family. He truly loved his italian roots, and making sure everyone got enough to eat, and then everyone was having a good time. I will have lasagna on Christmas eve for my dad, but it won't be the same not sharing it with him.
  • thektturner
    thektturner Posts: 228 Member
    I'm an American. My family is comprised of all athiests and agnositics, but we still celebrate Christmas.

    My parents have been divorced for years, but neither of them remarried, so we still celebrate as a family. We get together Christmas morning (getting later and later in the day, but always before or at noon). We open presents and eat breakfast together: bacon and sweet rolls are the only staples. Sometimes quiche or savory breads are added. But always bacon and sweet rolls and orange juice. Since siblings started getting married and having kids, we all exchange names on Thanksgiving now and only have to buy one present each.

    When we were little, us kids (4 of us) would all get up early - I'm talking 5 am - and open our stockings. But we weren't allowed to wake the parents for presents and breakfast until 7am. They would usually put a move in one of our stockings to keep us occupied in the interim.

    This year, I also will be going to both my boyfriend's mother's house (on the 24th) for dinner and his father's house (either before or after my family's on the 25th) for breakfast as well. Too much eating!
  • JPod279
    JPod279 Posts: 722 Member
    I come from an Italian family living in America, we also celebrate on the 24th of December, with the Feast of the Seven Fishes. No meat is eaten, just all types of seafood. I cook the meal every year, and it's my favorite! Starts with an antipasti of cheeses, olives, breads; then there's a seafood salad with shrimp, calamari and scungilli or pulpo, mussels, baked clams, swordfish, stuffed shrimp, crab cakes, a few different kinds of pasta...lots and lots of food! I change it up every year and make different things.

    Um, I think I am coming to your house this Christmas! That sounds delicious!

    We usually do one side of the family on the 24th and the other side on the 25th.
  • testease
    testease Posts: 220
    Pretty basic.

    Drink a lot of coffee and Bailey's, eat a lot of food and sleep a lot.
  • LosinItAll2012
    LosinItAll2012 Posts: 238 Member
    We go to church on Christmas eve... visit family straight after...then my kiddies get in their pjs and we let them open one gift before betime... we have a relaxing night with them...then after they sleep, Hubby and I exchange our gifts, and relax around the Christmas tree....

    Christmas morning, the kids barrel out of their rooms and tear open presents...my parents come to watch and we cook a huge breakfast... then my whole family gets together for Turkey dinner...and we spend the day relaxing, watching Christmas movies and have family time... with a full belly and a full heart! :heart:
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    My husband and I both work in the hospital, so our Christmas celebration often revolves around our work schedules.
    We generally attend Christmas Mass together as a family. Sometimes it's on Christmas Eve, sometimes Midnight Mass, sometimes Christmas Morning. We open our presents up after Mass.
    We see extended family when we can, but when we can't, I cook a big dinner at home. I much prefer the Christmases where we stay home.
    This year, since I work weekend nights, none of the holidays fall on my work nights. :bigsmile: But hubby is scheduled for both Christmas Eve and Christmas. I'm hoping that since our baby is due right around Christmas that he will get out of working those days.

    Oh, food! Every Christmas, I make homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, rum cake, and fudge using my daddy's old-fashioned recipe. We sometimes have ham, sometimes turkey, sometimes a pot roast, but I always make squash dressing to go with it.
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    No matter where I am we always have a Lasagna dinner on Christmas eve. Then because my dad was like a little kid, he managed every year to get us to open our gifts on Christmas Eve. For us, it was about spending quality time with family, and truly having a good time. We draw names every year and have a theme that you follow to get your person a gift. One year it was socks, one year it was gag gifts......you get the point.... We also have a "white elephant" gift exchange which can get pretty hilarious. This past year we also came up with "minute to win it " type games, and competed against each other. I have never laughed as hard as I did that night, and I have a clear memory of my dad just sitting back and taking it all in......

    This year is going to be hard for me. WE lost my dad in February after a very long battle with cancer, and he was the core of all things in our family. He truly loved his italian roots, and making sure everyone got enough to eat, and then everyone was having a good time. I will have lasagna on Christmas eve for my dad, but it won't be the same not sharing it with him.

    Big hug to you. My Daddy was like a kid at Christmas, and it was hard to adjust to those first Christmases without him. I'm glad that you will still be having his lasagna...that will keep a piece of him there with you.
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    I'm a witch so I celebrate the mid-winter solstice on the 21st. Usually enjoy some time in nature like a nice walk and visit to a stone circle to soak up the energy. Then we have a nice family meal and give small gifts. I then perform my own rituals when my kids are in bed (I don't involve them in my faith, they will find their own paths when they are old enough to decide for themselves).

    We do still do the family visiting, presents and big meal on Christmas day. Mostly because I don't want my children to miss out on that just because of my religious path.
  • smiley245
    smiley245 Posts: 420 Member
    Things haved changed as we have gotten older. Generally on the 24th we go over to my bf's dads house, have supper and do a small gift exchange. Christmas morning the kids get home at 11ish (Hardest part of being divorced is not having my kids xmas morning :( ) we open gifts, have a special snack. Then were off to my parents place for a huge supper, tourtiere, ham, turkey and all the fixings, exchange a few gifts. We visit with the crazy aunts and uncles and stay up late :smile:

    Back when I was a kid we looked forwards to the "reveillion"(We're french Canadian)
    We would go to my grand parents house, and painfully wait til midnight so we could open gifts. Then we would feast on all sorts of goodies, Ragout de pate de cochon, boulettes, tourtiere and stay up til the wee hours of the morning. Go home sleep and come back to our grandmas house :happy: those are great memories :)
    I love Christmas time
  • scs143
    scs143 Posts: 2,190 Member
    Each year is different as we trade off inlaws, but this year is special because we will be home. With no craziness, no travel- just our kids around their tree. I cannot wait.

    Christmas eve is usually a big dinner and depending on whether or not we are with my family- we will observe and do a 7 fishes dinner. Tons of seafood italian style. I will take my oldest to midnight mass this year.

    Christmas morning starts early with present opening, coffee drinking, picture taking and then we have a big breakfast. We watch Christmas movies and then have a nice dinner. Some years we stay in our PJ's, some years we get dressed up. It all depends.
  • matthew67899
    matthew67899 Posts: 58 Member
    I am from a small town in Michigan. Growing up, my family always went to Christmas Eve Mass (we are Catholic) and afterwards we had a huge dinner with everyone from my Mom's side. She was one of 8 children in her family so there were many aunts, uncles and cousins to be with along with my Grandmother. Once we got home, we opened all of the presents we had bought for each other within the family.

    Christmas morning we opened all of our presents from Santa Claus and took it easy for the most part. My father's parents had both died when I was really young so he would call his brother and sister but most years we didn't make the trip to see them. We usually had Christmas dinner with just our own family.

    These days, being single, I make the two hour drive to spend the holiday with my sister's family on Christmas Eve. Dinner is first after I get there and then we go to Christmas Eve Mass. When we get back we'll usually play a board game or card game together. My brother-in-law has read "The Night Before Christmas" and "The 1st Christmas" stories to my four nieces since they were little and even though they are all older now, they are still read. Then, we turn out all the lights except for the Christmas tree and a few candles and have a Merry Christmas champagne/sparkling juice toast and eat some cookies. Everyone turns in for the night and Christmas morning is celebrated much like I remember from when I was a kid only my sister has started a tradition with cinnamon rolls for breakfast every year.
  • alvalaurie
    alvalaurie Posts: 369 Member
    As an adult things are much different - Christmas eve we usually get together with my brother & his family & I bake & decorate christmas cookies with my youngest nieces for them to leave out for Santa. Then we have a meal (sometimes ham, sometimes ribeye roast) and open gifts afterwards. Later that evening we are home (just us & the kids) and my daughter & I bake my grandmothers traditional stolen to have for breakfast Christmas morning. Christmas morning, we see what Santa brought (yes I'm almost 45 & he still brings me stuff too!) and spend the rest of the day relaxing or playing ping pong or board games. We usually have leftovers that night as there's usually PLENTY! Somewhere we squeeze in time with the BF's family depending on what day of the week everything falls on. At his family's place it's one big potluck. Afterward the kids all find a spot to sit & someone distributes the gifts, which the kids then proceed to tear into & in a matter of minutes we're all sitting in a pile of torn wrapping paper with shreeks of delight emitting from all; young & old! Happy times & good memories being made! Bring on Christmas!!
  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
    We eat dinner, open presents and sit by a christmas tree that we decorate.
  • givenshl
    givenshl Posts: 34
    I've always just wanted to relax on Christmas Day. I never understood why traveling from here to there was so important on this day. When I was a child all I wanted to do was stay home and enjoy my gifts but Mom would drag me out to visit so many people by the time we returned home I didn't feel like doing anything. My Husband likes to do the same thing, go here and there on Christmas dragging myself and our kids along.

    Well this year will be different. Christmas Eve will be our travel day and Christmas Day will be our Family home time to enjoy together. I have not planned a menu yet since I have not even gotten finish with Thanksgiving, I have to host the Family Dinner.
  • MARTYJOE48
    MARTYJOE48 Posts: 18 Member
    Oh my how the tears flowed when I read this. Much prayers to you - may you and your family have a great memory lane Christmas. Okay new to the posting part but the person who reads this will know who it's for. :0
  • Tannedtiffers
    Tannedtiffers Posts: 558 Member
    For the past 4 years we have went to Great Wolf Lodge for a Christmas Vacation :)
  • Silver_Star
    Silver_Star Posts: 1,351 Member
    Go to church ( well, when i was in India ) Here in the US , go to friend's home for a humongous lunch, then to another friend's home for a humongous dinner. LOL!!!
    Then come home and pass out on the couch. With my friends camping out throughout the house.

    The next day, my friends and I get together and open presents when we wake up.
    BIG BREAKFAST after!!!
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
    We bake cookies for our neighbors. My parents did this.but with Indian sweets...to all of our family and neighbors. We all get new outfits. (outside of hubby) and go to Candlelight service..then dinner..the the girls get to open on present. Once everyone is asleep...Santa puts out all is stuff around 3-4 AM..We get up around 9-10 (since the girls are now older) and open all of the stockings and Santas presents..we then change out of jammies into sweats..then a great breakfast..the we open presents under the tree.

    The cousins come over and we open more presents..then we eat...we switch off every year..one year..total Indian feast..the next a total American feast..that we we all get our comfort foods.

    Then we veg and play with our new toys..
  • mwitt07
    mwitt07 Posts: 77 Member
    We have at least 4 dinners starting about 1 week before Christmas to be able to fit them all in. On Christmas Eve we celebrate with my husbands family where there is a huge meal and presents for all the kids plus Santa. On Christmas morning our Church delivers meals to the needy throughout our neighborhood and then my last meal is with my mom and dad. It is very hectic and very busy but it is terrific.
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
    Christmas Eve we go to the pub with friends.
    Christmas Day morning me and my husband exchange our presents and then we go to either my parents of his mums for the day, swap presents and have roast dinner with all the trimmings, play with the kids and watch tv etc.
    Boxing Day we go to whichever parents we weren't at in Christmas Day and eat more food and do presents etc.

    I think that's a pretty standard British Christmas!!

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