Thursday, November 19, 2009

Sharing Your Holiday Family Traditions- What do you do?

I've been thinking a lot this week about our family traditions for the holidays, which ones we have and where we got those traditions. For instance, at Thanksgiving we always have a sweet potato dish that came from one of our friends from school and a cranberry grape salad that was my husband's mom's recipe. We go around the table after eating and say one thing we are each truely Thankful for from the past year.

On Christmas Eve we come home from church, everyone opens one package, it's never a surprise. It's always new pajamas for everyone. We put on our new pajamas, eat fondue in the family room in front of the fire, while we open presents in our jammies. The fondue tradition came from my family and the new Pajamas to open and wear on Christmas Eve came from my best friend's family. The tradition of Cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning came from his family, my family always had oyster stew for Christmas breakfast- Great for night but not for breakfast, I was glad to give that one up.

Here's my question: What are some of your family traditions for the holidays? Where did those traditions come from? Are there any traditions you'd give up or change if you could? Which ones are your favorites.  Write a post about your traditions and then link on up so that we can all read about them. Who knows, maybe we'll all gain a new tradition for this upcoming holiday season.

9 comments:

Lee said...

I love that!! We have a family Hanukkah on the first night. Light the candles, eat lattkes and the kids get a gazillion gifts.

Jo-Jo said...

We also open one gift on Christmas Eve. A few years ago I started making lasagnae for our Christmas meal because I can make it the day before and don't have to spend all day in the kitchen on Christmas Day. That is a tradition that I think we will be keeping.

The Crazy Coxes said...

One of our traditions is that YOU bring us cinnamon rolls. ;) Love you!

Menopausal New Mom said...

That's a great idea, although we don't really have any consistent traditions other than cherry cheesecake with Christmas dinner. Our family is scattered so I never know where we will be spending the holidays or if it will just be us.

Liz Mays said...

I wish I had thought to do the pajamas on Christmas Eve. We've never done that one.

The kids always open their stockings first and then they start in on the presents. I think that's the only tradition on Christmas itself.

Tracie said...

We open presents on Christmas Eve. The tree goes up on Thanksgiving Day. We always drive around and look at the Christmas lights in town on Christmas Eve before we open presents.

Unknown said...

i love the pajama idea! what a great memories you're making.

Unknown said...

We don't have many traditions, but we do love eating latkes for Hanukkah and lighting the candles together as a family...the kids get presents on a few of the nights, not every one.

Maybe I should start some sort of breakfast tradition like you describe. Are the cinnamon rolls homemade? I've never attempted that!

Holly Lefevre said...

Are you part of my family...we always did a gift on Christmas Eve and it is always PJ's..but the oyster stew is for Christmas Eve too...not for breakfast! I am going to do a post about this.