Christmas traditions

[Giovanni Schwartz]

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/75408/

When we were growing up, every year, my mom would do something similar to the code names thing, except she would do it with numbers instead. However, as we got older and the presents got fewer (although, granted, more expensive), my mom would still label the presents with numbers, but they weren't actually anything. One year, I think she did "each person gets a different type of wrapping paper." Although most of the time it was "That one goes to _________." So that was fun.

We also do a Christmas Eve set of pajamas and a new book every year. It's a very nice tradition.

[Violet]

My mom tried to label creatively one year, but then she forgot the system and ended up unwrapping one of everybody's gifts on New Year's Eve to figure out whose gifts each were. I guess it worked to alleviate the peeking, but we've gone back to just labeling by names.

[Whistler]

We'd always go to the Oakland temple to see the lights, usually on Christmas Eve. We'd sometimes stop to hear some of the many live performances going on, or at least look in at the vistor's center to see the Christus statue and the nativity they put up. On the way there and back (it was about a 40 minute drive) we'd sing Christmas carols. The same night we'd go caroling to a few neighbors/friends and bring them a plate of cookies (50% of the time no one would be home).

My mom would bake lots of traditional Christmas treats, and one of my favorites is Stollen. I remember thinking that it was a family tradition handed down for generations, but really it was a Martha Stewart recipe my mom liked. I'm happy to continue the tradition though . I also like to make Wassail (I heat up apple juice and put in spices like cinnamon, cloves, and pineapple juice).

I made Christmas elves out of pipe cleaners two years ago (and gave some away), and I enjoy hiding them every now and then... it's just too bad my husband doesn't feel as playful about it as I do, but I hope my future kids will appreciate an ongoing game of hide-and-seek.

As a child I was a big fan of the Nutcracker ballet, and my mom recorded a version of the ballet with an actual ballet company (Borishnikov?). I have the DVD now and I like to watch it every year.

[Whistler]

also, I love the idea of writing the code names on the back of a jigsaw puzzle.

[Portia]

I'm super not-enthusiastic about the breakdown in our family traditions this year. My brother is gone (and my mother permanently), and now my dad's soon-to-be-wife has thrown a wrench in things.

The way it's supposed to go is that we all stay overnight at my grandma's. It would be about this time of year that we'd decorate her ginormous Christmas tree. We have a traditional ham dinner. We also open one present.

I'll be the last one to roll out of bed Christmas morning, and my dad makes a huge breakfast, and we all open our presents at once. Then we'll rest and read, and then go on a walk or go sledding.

It's also traditional for my brother to go skiing on his birthday, which is the 22nd.

I hate changes. >.< Next year we will all be together, if that fates allow ... until then we'll have to muddle through somehow ...

[Dragon Lady]

I may not have Thanksgiving traditions, but I do have Christmas!

We always had a live nativity scene we put up the day after Thanksgiving. It always had a donkey and calves. Sometimes there were sheep or goats. One year we had llamas! Whatever animals local farmers were willing to let us use for a month. My mom made mannequins for Mary and Joseph and my baby doll Sally was baby Jesus. (But I'm not supposed to tell that baby Jesus was played by a baby girl. Shhh.) We'd set up rows of straw bales in front. Then we put up an old power poll up front where we put a giant star with lights, then draped Christmas lights down to the nativity. All month long people would drive slowly by our house, looking at it. Sometimes they'd stop and get out, sit on the straw bales, and just sit and ponder for awhile, then leave. Usually they were strangers. I loved peeking at them out my window. It brought such a spirit of reverence to me all month.

Then on Christmas Eve we'd replace the mannequins with real people for a program and invite anyone. We'd have people drive 2-3 hours. One year in a blizzard when even our neighbors down the street didn't want to come out. Every year the program was a little different. Sometimes put on by other people. Afterwards we'd have hot chocolate and homemade donuts (always provided by a friend who lived 30 mins away and *always* came) and a small gift to give everyone who came.

Then when everyone left we'd go inside with my grandparents and second cousins and have a big Christmas Eve dinner. Ever since I was 7 we did an ethnic dinner based on wherever a family member recently got home from a mission. (That's when my brother got home from S. Korea.) It's usually a pretty big production. The last few years we've run out of missionaries. So I did a Chinese one, an Israeli one, helped with a Spanish one when we got married (that's where Yellow went on his mission) then a couple of years ago we did a Harry Potter one. We've had a couple of repeat years of ones we really liked when we didn't have a new place to do. (The year my brother and second cousin got home from their mission to Colorado, we had Mexican food. Apparently there's a large Hispanic population there and that's what they ate the most of!)

Christmas night we would all have to sleep in the upstairs bedrooms (the tree was in the basement of our split level). Christmas morning we'd wake up, then wake up our parents. My dad, who can normally get ready, including showering, in 5 mins or less, would take at least 20 mins to get ready. It was horrible. Then he'd try to convince us that we had to go out and do chores before we could go downstairs. To much protesting. Then we'd all sit on the stairs and my mom would take a picture while my dad would look downstairs and declare that Santa didn't come, so we should all go back to bed. Finally he'd relent and we'd go downstairs. Santa presents weren't wrapped. We'd just each have a pile. So we'd have to figure out which pile belonged to who. My sister (9 years older than me), often got more practical gifts. Like a sewing machine. So many times she couldn't find her pile, thinking that mom just left her stuff out. We'd all play with the stuff in our piles for awhile, then we'd open all the wrapped presents from each other, our parents, grandparents, and whatever other misc. presents there were.

Then we'd sit in a circle and we'd all get a wrapped box. My mom would either read a story or we'd play a game so we'd pass the boxes around and around. Finally we'd be done and we'd unwrap our own box of cereal. Which was a big deal. We never got boxed cereal. Ever. And we'd have our very own box! And my sister *always* got Cookie Crisp. Always. Even the year that my mom decided to be sneaky and switched the contents. She got something else and was so excited! And then she opened it and poured out... Cookie Crisp. It was amazing.

Also, a Norwegian tradition that started when I was a teenager. Christmas Eve while we sleep, my mom hides a pickle ornament on the tree. The first person to spot it Christmas morning gets a prize. We've since all got our own pickles, so I did it with Yellow's family last year. It was really fun just waiting for it to be noticed. "Why is there a pickle on our tree?"

I love Christmas.

Sadly, the nativity burned down (during the summer, so no animals were hurt) during a freak spontaneous combustion of a haystack in our pasture. My parents decided they were too old to keep it up anyway, so they didn't rebuild, even though half of the community offered to help rebuild it. I still mourn it every Christmas Eve.

[Portia]

Wow. That's really cool, DL, especially the hot chocolate and doughnuts, and the pickle.

[Portia]

And I mourn the nativity with you. :-|

[Dragon Lady]

Y'know, we poor farmers didn't have a lot growing up. And I remember being jealous of my cousin who got presents like a trampoline and a Nintendo. But honestly, memories like those top those presents any day. I just didn't realize it as a kid. Which is why I try to make traditions for my family now.

[Portia]

Do you get your girls Nintendos or trampolines? How do you feel about living in a more consumerist area?

[Dragon Lady]

I really want to get them an indoor trampoline this year for Christmas. But there's simply not enough room for it. I definitely don't live like my parents did when I was growing up. I'm far more of a consumerist. And I'm actually ok with that. I just try hard to keep it in check. And find a balance. My in laws are well off and we get much more costly presents because of it. Now that I'm grown, I find myself having an ever-growing sense of gratitude towards them. And somehow their kids have (mostly) grown up to not be completely entitled. But I think that's largely due to the fact that his parents are very, *very* generous. And their kids know that. One year for Christmas we had a family meeting where they presented the idea that we give up half of the money they'd normally spend on us and choose a charity to give it to instead. Everyone, including the one still in high school, agreed without hesitation.

I want to find that kind of balance. I'm still working on it.

[Portia]

My likely future in-laws are much worse off than my parents were. It's been eye-opening for me, the opportunities I've had and things I take for granted that just weren't a part of my boyfriend's life. I would not consider myself materialist-oriented (well, relatively), but I freely admit I am experience oriented. My family went to the ballet, we listened to good music, we went to good schools ... I want to raise my future children with good taste, which seems to necessitate at least some money ...

[wryness]

Portia, I think with the Internet it is a lot easier to help your children find good things to experience and learn about and thus have good taste. It's also really easy for them to watch Spongebob episodes all day. So, a double-edged blade. (I do love me some Spongebob occasionally, though.)

My family does the code names thing as well, though we don't use a puzzle; we just label the presents. We always use a theme. This year we have decided to use names from Studio C skits, like Lady Shadow, Dr. Eckelstone, Shoulder Angel, etc. Fun times.

[Katya]

I want to raise my future children with good taste, which seems to necessitate at least some money ...

Good taste only costs money if you define having good taste as partaking of those things which only the rich can afford. (I will allow that it's tough to be a snob on a budget, but snobbery isn't the same thing as good taste.)

[Marduk]

Most of the excellent literature in this world is free.

[Portia]

snob on a budget

Uh oh. I may have found a blog title.

[Katya]

snob on a budget

Uh oh. I may have found a blog title.

Serious question, here: I would never, in a million years, want to be described as a snob. What do you find appealing about that term? What does it mean to you?

[Giovanni Schwartz]

Have you MET Portia?

But in all seriousness, I feel like Portia probably sees a snob as someone who demands quality, and won't accept less (maybe even to the point of being annoying about it?)

[Katya]

Have you MET Portia?

But in all seriousness, I feel like Portia probably sees a snob as someone who demands quality, and won't accept less (maybe even to the point of being annoying about it?)

To me, the word "snob" screams "I think I'm better than you," and that's not an attitude that I want as part of my my worldview, but I'm trying to give Portia the benefit of the doubt.

[UffishThought]

This tradition started just a few years ago, with most of the kids in high school or older, but my Dad's been creating scavenger hunts that lead to whatever our biggest and most impressive present is. They're usually 1-or-2 line riddles or lame jokes or memories that lead to the next location and clue. I guess after Santa phased out, he had too much time on his hands. We love it, but this may be losing traction--with 6 people to do clues for it's a lot of work, and many of the locations are being used over and over again.