This is the last week before the Fun Fact Friday Freebie Final Friday Giveaway! I hope you'll all join in next Friday, New Year's Eve. And don't forget to spread the word for an extra chance to win!
Today is Christmas Eve. My family has always opened presents on Christmas Eve, and so it's long been a day I look forward to. We generally went to the Christmas Eve candle-lighting service later on in the evening. Everyone in the congregation was given a candle, and when they were all lit, it was beautiful.
This isn't exactly a quilting question, but for today, I wondered: What will your family be doing on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? I know that some of you are from different parts of the world, and so I'm interested in knowing about your cultural and family traditions for these two days, if you don't mind sharing.
When I was a little girl and Santa still came to my house, we opened our gifts from one another--the ones under the tree--on Christmas Eve, and then Santa brought even more stuff on Christmas Day. I can remember waking up one morning, early, no doubt, and walking out into the living room. Before I turned on the light I could see silhouettes of things and the room seemed to sparkle even in the dark. It was a little toy-sized ironing board, as I recall, and my first Barbie doll! (That would have been 1962!) First and only, I should say. I had Ken and Midge eventually too, but only one Barbie. My mother used to make clothes for her.
When my husband and I got married, he thought opening Christmas presents on Christmas Eve was blasphemous somehow, and so he insisted we stick with his family's tradition of doing everything on Christmas Day. I went along with it, but it only lasted one Christmas. He was too excited to wait, just like any kid, and so the 2nd Christmas we were together, we did it the way my family always had done it. We continued that tradition when our kids were born, but when Santa no longer stopped at our house, we turned Christmas Day into the day of the big Christmas feast. It's sort of like Thanksgiving second-time-around, only I always prepare a big prime rib roast for Christmas.
As I write this, I still don't know if Matthew will make it home from college for Christmas. He's having car problems and so he doesn't want to leave until that's all resolved. We'll see him before his winter break is up, but maybe not until after Christmas. Erik and Mae will be with us for Christmas Eve, but they now spend Christmas Day with Mae's family about an hour south of where we live. Since Mae joined us, we have our big meal on Christmas Eve too. (It works out well for everybody that way.) It may be just Mike and me on Christmas Day. Sometimes, we spend Christmas Day taking down the tree! It's lost its magic a little bit, but I'm hopeful that there will be grandchildren eventually, and it'll go back to being the exciting day it used to be.
I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday and that I'll see you right back here next Friday for the giveaway!
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11 comments:
Christmas Eve is almost over here in New Zealand. It is not a big day for us. Most of us work right through until Christmas Eve. I finished work at 6pm tonight. We have had two of our granddaughters here this evening so their mother can put up the trampoline they are getting for Christmas. My husband has just left to take them home. It should be dark by the time they get home in about 20 minutes.
Tomorrow morning we will meet at one sons house to exchange gifts and watch the grandchildren open their presents from us. We are then going to my sisters for lunch with my extended family. As it is summer here we have ham and salads. My husband is a fisherman and always cooks whitebait fritters for gatherings like this. Whitebait are very small fish which are a delicacy in New Zealand. We will probably just have aquite evening at home tomorrow after all the midday feasting.
Wishing you all the best for the fesive season.
Christmas Eve is the big get ready day. When I was a kid we put up the tree with lights only-Santa decorated it. Now we eat Christmas Eve dinner at my house then go to a moravian lovefeast. After Mom, sis and I open up our Christmas pjs. I wake up early Christmas morning and drive the short distance to Mom and dads, sis spends the night and so does my Grandpa Jack. In our pjs we spend the moringin opening gifts. We give each other alot. We eat cookies and milk for breafast while opening presents. Mom has a turkey dinner around 1 or 2 and we open stockings after dinner. It is a day of neighbors dropping by in the evening and exchanging gifts. It is a fun low key, dress down, just enjoy sharing love with close family day. Merry Christmas!
I think Christmas Eve was more special when I was a child.. that was when we spent the day at one grandmothers house, and that evening..we got home to find that santa had come.. we opened our gifts. The next day we went to our other grandmothers house. Now a days we are all spread across the country. My girls are far away, but I still have my boys at home. We have a nice meal for Christmas Eve, so that we will be able to wait thru the opening of the gifts on Christmas morning.. til brunch. Then we make Christmas dinner and munch while we wait to eat the feast. We have a young single fella from DHs work coming to join us for the meal and Christmas evenings fun and games.. lots of games to play.
I am director of a charity, so I'm on call for any last minute help that is needed. We go to a party, the only one of the season, since I'm too busy till now. We get home early and finish up any loose ends, usually quite a few. Christmas is fairly quite, just family. We eat, and play games and just enjoy each other. Reading the blogs has actually made me miss the frenzy of shopping and decorating, but I remind myself I'm doing the right Christmas thing.
I have a sleepover at my Mom's on Christmas Eve and we listen to "The Shepherd" being read on the radio, and then watch It's a Wonderful Life".
On Christmas morning we eat, and then open presents... hang out together, and then eat again LOL
Christmas eve day for us was always the last big wait before Christmas Day. In the evening we'd go to church and would get to pick one present from family to open. Then Christmas morning we'd get stockings and the rest of the gifts, followed by Christmas dinner at 2 pm or so. This year our son is only 2 months old, but I'm really looking forward to next year when he's old enough to understand more of what is going on. :)
It is just my husband and me for Christmas this year. All the kids live far away and we are not able to visit this year.
We are having a pot roast for dinner tonight after I work a couple of hours at the quilt shop. Tomorrow we are going to a friend's house for dinner.
I have to work today, Christmas Eve, this year, but tomorrow we will be having a quiet Christmas morning at home to open presents and eat a big breakfast, and then later on we will be heading to a family friend's house for a big Christmas dinner!
Our traditions have changed since my father passed away and nieces/nephews are now married. We arrange a day around Christmas when all or most of the 4 generations can get together at our home (mother/I live together). We have a good mid-day dinner, exchange presents (adults draw a name) and low key, casual afternoon of visiting. This year it will be on 26th (some have to work Christmas Day). We now also attend my SIL's family's Christmas Eve seafood fest. We will be there tonight then leave before they exchange their presents. Christmas Day it will be my mother and I at home resting and preparing for the 18-20 family members who will be there on the 26th. Christmas Day is our day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. So, lite on presents and heavy on family.
Just me and my Honey this year. Cold and icy outside so we are going to stay inside where it is warm and cozy and eat, relax, watch movies, then eat , relax, and watch more movies. LOL
It's Christmas day here and our family is heading to my brother's for our big family lunch. I'm one of 5 and with spouses and children it's a large,noisy,fun gathering. Last night we went to the family Mass at our local church which we do every Christmas Eve. All our present opening is done on Christmas morning. My youngest still believes in Santa so we still have that excitement in the house. One thing we always have is a real tree. Happy. Christmas to you and your family.
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