Hi everyone!

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to run around shopping, spending, cleaning, decorating, baking, cooking, partying, drinking, eating...

So, after all the hustle and bustle dies down, when you're all done with the running around, what's left?

What's important to you during Christmas? How do you celebrate? What traditions do you follow?

I'm of German decent but I've lived in Canada most of my life.

In Germany St. Nickolaus comes on Dec. 6 to good girls and boys. You leave your polished boot outside your door on Dec. 5 eve and if you're good it will be filled with goodies come morning. Bad boys and girls get coal or sticks (yes, I've gotten those ;))

On Dec. 24 we used to go to church, then Oma's house, then back home. When we arrived at our house there were gifts that had magically appeared. They were brought by Kristkind (christ child). It never ceased to amaze me how my parents pulled this off without me guessing it was them. :)

When we moved to Canada I was confused about Christmas. You see, at school the kids told me that Santa Claus came on Christmas Eve and they opened their gifts on Christmas morning. I went home and asked my parents why.

So, to help me out, my parents decided to attempt a merge of beliefs and traditions. That Christmas (I was 4) they hired a guy to dress up like Santa and come to our door Christmas eve. He brought me a guitar (so much for all knowing, I don't play the guitar) and welcomed me to Canada. I yelled at him (yes, I was tenacious and temperamental even then) that he wasn't supposed to let me see him and he was supposed to wait until I was asleep and come down the chimney. And what was with the guitar? Reallly? Didn't he know anything? Jeesh! ;)

Now that my parents are gone and I'm no longer a church goer, we've changed our traditions once again (funny how easy it is). Now we stay home. On Christmas eve the kids, hubby, dogs and I all go for a nice long walk around the neighborhood (weather permitting, it is Canada!). When we get back home we have a nice dinner. As soon as it's dark the kids have a bath, get all snuggled in their new Christmas PJ's and then we sit around the tree to exchange gifts.

After all of that the kids are tucked into bed (loaded on suger, hyper and driving me crazy) and then hubby and I watch "White Christmas" together while drinking egg nog.

The next morning Santa has left one present each for the kids. This year the big guy isn't getting the credit for the big gift, we're giving them that! :)

So, that's what we do. What do you do?

Merry Christmas everyone! :)

Christmas Eve we always have chili... my mother's family had chili, I had chili growing up, and I have kept the tradition. It may be just chili, or chili hotdogs, doesn't matter... just somewhere chili is on the menu. Thing is, I don't know if there was any particular reason for it being started in the first place!

Hubby is from England so one thing we have adopted new to us are Christmas crackers... with the crowns and prizes inside.

Another tradition is that no one can open any gifts on Christmas morning until I ring a Christmas bell that we have. They can get into their stockings before everyone is up, but no gifts. It started when my kids were little and even now that they are grown we carry on that tradition. I still fill stockings for them as well... :) Naturally the kids used to wake up very early when they were little... now that they are much older, I have to wake them up as I am the one who is usually up first!

Love the Christmas tree lit up on a quiet morning before everyone else wakes.

Thanks for sharing that Doula. :)

My kids are still young, and even though they only have one present to open on Christmas morn, they get up very early to get to it. I used to make them wait until after breakfast, but I found I get to sleep until a reasonable hour if I let them open it as soon as they get up.

4 am really is to early to get out of bed! ;)

What an interesting story :-).. very interesting.
Our tradition when my sister and I was kids my Dad would go out and get a tree... my Mother and my sister and I would decorate it... we had so much fun. We always stayed on home on Christmas Eve . My mother would cook French fries ( we loved them) and she would make an exception and allow us to eat in the living room around the coffee table. My Dad would be so enthusiastic and filled with the Christmas spirit he would tell us that Santa was on the roof w/ the sleigh and reindeer... we would eat chocolates and hard candy then go to bed and try to sleep but end up getting up around 4-5AM... to see what Santa brought.
When I grew up and got a family of my own we done that similar tradition with our girls.
The family ( my sister's) and ours along w/ my parents would always get together on Christmas eve and share things we baked and exchanged gifts. For the most part that tradition still holds true.. but, my Father passed away several years ago and my daughter did as well a few years ago... but we still try to hold to the tradition. Getting togther w/ family is the BEST Christmas gift I receive.. :-)

As a kid...

We would always have beef fondue on christmas eve. My mom liked it because you couldn't rush through dinner :) after, we got to open 1 gift. Then santa would come overnight and we would open the rest the next morning (stockings first). Wake up time was 6am for my mom as long as we had the coffee ready! Lol

Now, with my son.. its similar.. my mom has passed but we carry on the beef fondue tradition. No present on xmas eve.. on Xmas... wake up is no earlier than 7:30 (lol) and stockings are last (my wife's doing)

This year will be exceptionally great. My wife's sisters are sleeping over so they can be here with my son in the am. He adores his aunts so it will be a lot of fun. Mimosas will be flowing right away cause the mother in law is coming first thing! Lol

Family is the common theme here, I think that's great.

Both my parents are deceased and both of my husbands are as well. I'm an only child, hubby has an older sister who isn't speaking to us. In other words, my family is hubby and the kids. :)

I do have an Aunt and Uncle that include us for Christmas dinner, but it always seems forced, like they're doing it because they feel they have to, not because they really want to.

This time of year is hard for me, in fact, tears are forming right now. I miss my parents so much, the joy we shared, especially around Christmas. I wish I had known then what I had when I had it. I would have taken that extra 5 minutes to sing carols around the tree. I would have taken a bit longer to open my gifts, to watch them open theirs. I would have taken more pictures, given more hugs, more kisses.

Gifts come and go, they're nice, but we forget them over time. Family is the constant, the one thing we never forget, no matter how much time goes by. Yes, the pain lessens with the passing years, but it's never completely gone.

Merry Christmas to all, especially those that must celebrate this year with loved ones absent. Light a candle, say a prayer or whatever is in your heart for those that cannot be with us this year.

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad, you are forever in my heart, always on my mind, and you are loved and missed.

For those that still have the joy of family, hold them tight, love them, enjoy every moment. Don't let petty things get in the way, because one day, the spot they occupy will be empty and they will be missed. Hold tight, for they are the precious gifts that cannot be bought.

Merry Christmas everyone, from my family to yours. :)

Hugs to you... this time of year can be bittersweet... Wishing you and your family a lovely Christmas and a joyous New Year... :)