What are your Holiday traditions?

Chriirstmas always changes around here, as an kid it was waiting for our yearly box of Christmas cookies from an older lady we knew..the Holiday was about the only one we knew in childhood for gifts..so I went all out when I got this house and we had all the relatives over and celebrated...one year we all pooled our electronic games and computers into my bonus room huggged around the wall, I had an Lottery balloon tree for each family to pop, and I made up 17 family packages of cookies, breads, and jellies, candy... the pool table was in the garage, the basketball hoop outside in the front of the garage, a tree in every room, we had an two type stocking Christmas contest...you could either wear the stockings or make one as an decoration and I gave away $10 gift certificates,,,and food and "BYOB" liquor stand. Someone wold take the kids out carrroling in the area, the house up from me use to be lighted with over 350,000 lights...it stopped as they passed away to more conventional looking decorations now.  Guys would hogged couple of comptuers for golf/football gaming. Mostly pizza's. and snacks and salads, I'd make a huge Turkey.. We couldn' t get everyone here at one time so we had this from 2 PM to 2 AM. Everyone pitched in with an pizza and pot luck something...usually salad or desert. But everyone has scattered as the 17 familes have grandkids now..and I think of going downtown to rent an room above Macy's Dept Store.(new hotel rooms above it) ..Kids always spend the night before Christmas Day at her folks house... we have been going to see movies that night before Macy's came to town. It's across from Pioneer Square and park block with one of my bricks in it..so is Portland's yearly Chrisstmas tree...(brick from year I was family reunion President). I usually do my "Christmas Candles" with the Pope on "Christmas Mass" for healings to others in the year ahead. Last year we walked "Peacock Lane" which is an street of house's all lit up in Portland. Get out an walk it. You can get horse rides though and hot chocolate.  It's tamed down considerably since I stopped having the house parties and everyone has went their own way growing up more or less. I still like making cookies and goodies though. Long time ago I use to have an parttime job making real holly wreaths from November to the second or third week of December...we shipped those back to Macy's every year in New York back then. I dont' knwo what this Christmas will bring. You people here going to help make it form me on-line?  I use to have an "Blue Star" Sapphire, just an tiny ring, as it awlays reminded me when I saw the star shining o fthe song.."Star of wonder of Star of Light, Star of Royal beauty Bright, always leading , always proceeding, guide me to thy perfect light" I could wear it without being hasseled about religion... so it was my little secret. I do things like that.

It seems something of a Christmas traditon to spend more than you planned. Whilst I like to treat myself to something special at Xmas,  I delay my Xmas until the sales start shortly after, for a significant savings here and there. Here, you can find several ways more to keep Xmas spending down-----

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/christmas-savings

We have a family Christmas too. My boys love it so much - it is a shame I am so busy working at Christmas time - blame the tax man for that! Of course Santa visits us very early in the morning!

We usually go to my Mom's for a buffet lunch with my sister and sometimes my step sister. This year my step brother and his family will be over from Hong Kong. It is usually chaotic - with all Mom's 5 grandsons and this year an extra two step grandsons with ages 3, 5, 8, 12, 14, 15 and 20! Later we come home for our Christmas dinner - Mom used to cook it but it was getting too much for her and my Stepdad to manage for all of us!

Trouble is with Christmas it can be a time of sadness for so many people - I try to build happy memories for my children to remember when they grow up no matter how I feel!

I love Christmas but won't start the celebrations until December 1st when the tree goes up and the decorations all over the ceiling    .

Christmas carols are a must, and I'll play them every day.

I always try to find an advent calendar, and we each take it in turns to open a door a day, though I have to open it on my birthday.

We are not big on gifts, usually two each, something we want and something we need.

We wake up on Christmas morning and read from the scriptures before opening our gifts, just so that we remember why we are celebrating.

I will make my traditional Christmas dinner of turkey, bread sauce, potatoes, peas, carrots and forced sage balls. Nobody likes Christmas pudding, so I make a small one and eat it myself covered in a sweet, white sauce. Nobody here likes fruit cake (except me) so I make a chocolate log and decorate it.

Either Christmas Eve or Boxing Day we will go over to hubbies Mum's house and have their traditional Christmas dinner which is Ravioli made from a recipe handed down for years on the Italian side.

 Of course I have a birthday right before Christmas so that means Lemon Meringue Pie too  .

 The tree and decorations come down on New Years Eve       .