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Post by finnmom on Dec 3, 2003 11:09:19 GMT -5
HI I was wondering, since it is already the 3rd of dec.  What kind of a christmas tradition´s do you have  do they demand immediat action at the 1st of dec. Or which is the day you usually make the decoration ready for christmas? I know there is huge variety of answer´s to this one, but still... (wasnt it curiosity that killed the cat ;D) Like me: usually I get the light´s and decoration´s on at 6th of dec. (that is our Independence day BTW) Then we bake coocies and make most of christmas-food´s ready for fridge somewhere around the 13th. We do not decorate the tree until the 24th, wich is also the first of our christmas day´s. It´s a holiday, the day when Santa Claus is coming to visit, (he actually come´s to visit us  ) My very own thing as a mother of our family is to read a little christmas story for kid´s every day. Otherwice, the main thing about those 24 days of december is to relax, enjoy of candel´s and cookie´s and that lovely feeling that´s tickeling everywhere: IT`S GOING TO BE CHRISTMAS SOOOOOON!!!!!! Any other way´s to use those 24 day´s, anyone??? Marja |
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Post by camismom on Dec 3, 2003 13:22:31 GMT -5
Marja, Tradition in my family is to have the tree and decor out and up by the day after Thanksgiving. Me and my husband are both lovers of Christmas and can't wait each year to put things up. I can sit in the dark and silence for hours at night just gazing at my pretty tree!! I know you're in Finland, but have you ever seen the American show "Home Improvement" with Tim Allen? There is a Christmas show where he has so many deocrations out he blows his power! That's my hubby! We have a yard full, but it attracts folks from all around to see, and we enjoy it. Anyway, we start right after Thanksgiving and do as much "Christmasy" things as we can during the month. We are church goers so we get involved in our church's production (I'm in the choir) and we try to attend as many other productions at other churches as we can. There is a place in the country called the "Farmhouse" where the owners have several acres of land. They decorate immensely every year and have a poolhouse with their own Santa inside and give out hot chocolate, coffee, etc. free of charge. It is a tradition to go there every year. We actually went there on our first date (Dec. 10 by the way!). Of course for Christmas itself it's spent with family. My father's side Christmas Eve day and night, and my mom's side on Christmas Day itself. I love to look forward to it coming but it saddens me when it arrives, because I know when it's over the decor comes down and everything is just cold and ugly again. hehe Take care up there, get over your flu, and have a wonderful, blessed Christmas!  |
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lofo
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Post by lofo on Dec 3, 2003 14:12:41 GMT -5
Let me see, we have traditions and yet they are not set in stone by dates.
End of Nov.: We get our Christmas pic taken by a friend so that we may send them out as cards. We decorate the outside of the house the weekend after Thanksgiving if the weather makes it possible. We decorate the church around that time.
Early Dec.: We try to follow a children's advent calendar day by day if possible. We decorate the inside of our house closer to Dec. 5, but I haven't gotten there yet since my littlest has the Panama Flu Virus. I usually make fudge or some Christmas candy and wassail.
Next on the list is visiting a Walk Through Nativity Scene in Oklahoma City, "The Journey to Bethlehem." It is wonderful. It is more like a 30 minute play you walk through with a narrator /tour guide and even a Roman soldier searches your group when you approach Bethlehem. My children really can grasp what Christmas is about with the living imagery complete with camels, donkeys, goats, and even an infant in the stables.
Mid Dec: We still visit Santa for the novelty. We drive around to a few places to see Christmas lights. We give gifts for a needy child through the "Angel Tree" program. We try to attend only a few Christmas parties since this is supposed to be a family time.
Dec. 22-23th are big food prep days.
Christmas eve: We attend a Christmas candlelighting service at church which really sets the mood for the season. My husband and I always have a special ornament exchange.
Christmas day: DH cooks big breakfast. We eat, visit family, and give presents. We alternate yearly btw my family and my inlaws for Christmas. This year we are in town. Yeah!
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Post by finnmom on Dec 4, 2003 4:02:20 GMT -5
Thank you both! Camismom; yes, I do know that show, we have so many american show´s going on in here. That is really the reason for my question, I´ve seen all those christmas movies and show´s that I want to know if that´s how it really is done!? One other reason is, I read john Grisham´s "Skipping christmas", (from 2001, I believe) last christmas-time, It made me giggle ;D In here christmas-time is more like getting ready for celebrating the birth of Jesus, getting in the mood(at least it has been like that, and is that for me) I like to think it as quiet time for getting inside of yourself, sitting in candle-light all in peace getting closer to it´s reall meaning. Sorry this got really deep here but that´s how I feel. Thank you for your reply´s. Now I have much clearer picture of an american christmas. I love to know more about other people´s live´s, even more when I feel like I do know all of you in some level because of our situation with adhd. Iám not just trying to be nosy, but really interested. I wich you a great time decorating  marja |
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Post by camismom on Dec 4, 2003 8:46:48 GMT -5
Marja, I didn't take your question as nosy at all. I too find it an interesting topic to see how Christmas is celebrated around the world. The different traditions and such. And now, you didn't get too deep, I agree with you. Christmas has gotten a lot of "commercialism" and sometimes with all our decor and shopping and such we forget the true meaning. That is why I sit in the quiet and dark and gaze at my tree. I reflect on what this season is all about and as I look at the presents underneath, I realize I'll never be able to top the present we ALL were given that fateful night in Bethlehem!! "Jesus is the reason for the season!" God bless you and yours and have a Happy Christmas!! |
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Post by adhdtimes4 on Dec 4, 2003 18:52:39 GMT -5
At our house, we try to preserve as much Lebanese Christmas tradition as possible. We end up with a fun mixture of the two. I HATE to decorate, so much of our Christmas atmosphere has to be generated by music and by the many, many Christmas books I've collected throughout the years.
On December 1, we put up a Lebanese Advent calendar that has little places to put the name of someone you will pray for each day leading to Christmas. Our Creche is from Lebanon, and the Baby isn't attached to the manger; Jesus is not put into the manger until...well, wait and see! We don't put up our tree until the Sunday before Christmas; in Lebanon the tree traditionally goes up on Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Eve we go to Communion. (If we were in Lebanon we would go to Mass at midnight.) Then we come home, and the kids put out grass for the reindeer and ask my husband what he thinks Papa Noel would like to eat that night. (Once steak, once pizza, and last year CHEESE...) Then the boys hang up their stockings, and Papa and Mama Noel spend a LONG time wrapping up lots of little stocking stuffers that have been on clearance throughout the year. We also set out the 'big' Christmas gift for each child.
On Christmas morning the boys aren't allowed into the living room until we get up. (They have only cheated twice.) We all sit on the stairs in the foyer, and recite the Christmas story from Luke. When we get to the part "and she brought forth her first born son...and laid him in the manger" one of the boys puts Baby Jesus into the empty manger. Then we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, my husband says a prayer, and one by one we let the kids in to see what they got! (It's torturous for them, but hey! We paid for the stuff.)
THEN we have a Lebanese breakfast and later we have Lebanese stuffed turkey...rice and meat and almonds...and taboulli and hommous...
We don't undecorate the tree until Epiphany.
My youngest son Ash just wrote a beautiful story called "Fadel's Christmas". It's about a boy in Lebanon, and I'm going to try to post it on the web. If I do, I'll give you guys the link. It talks about the fact that if you go high up in the mountains in Lebanon on Christmas Eve, the ancient Cedars kneel and worship Christ.
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Post by Dad2Brooke on Dec 4, 2003 22:27:38 GMT -5
Gee, our traditions pale in comparison to all of yours... The tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving and the house get decorated inside an out as well. The decorations come down after New Year's. We go to Brooke's Great Grandma's church for the Christmas Pagent.  Christmas morning is usually at Brooke's Grandma's house, were Santa leaves her presents.  Finally, and Brooke doesn't get to participate in this one, the adults always watch Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation. It always makes my extended dysfuntional family feel really good about ourselves. That movie is hysterical.  |
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Post by camismom on Dec 5, 2003 8:47:30 GMT -5
ADHDtimes4:
Those are all such beautiful traditions! I think I may want to come live with you at Christmas! ;D I think I may have to pick up on some of your ideas and put them to use! Esp. the reading of the Christmas story from Luke in the morning. That is truly special! Sounds like Christmas at your house is a beautiful and fun filled event!
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Post by eaccae on Dec 5, 2003 8:52:02 GMT -5
Ours alternates every other year. On the odd years (like this one) we stay home. We usually get a tree mid December and decorate it. DH's family on both sides are third generation Italian. Everybody gets together on Christmas Eve (30 people) for a giant seafood feast. And Christmas morning, Santa has left presents under the tree and then we head off to inlaws for dinner and the rest of the present opening. On the even years (my personal favorite) we go to my mom's house (as do my sister and brother-in-law). On Christmas Eve we go to church, have a light dinner, read nativity stories - finnmom - you may know one of these stories but we read them EVERY time we are there - "The Tomten and the Fox" and "Christmas in the Stable" by Astrid Lindgren. We then place the baby Jesus in the already set up the nativity and light a circle of candles and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. The next morning we check the presents under the tree from Santa and open a few others, then break for a big breakfast, open the stockings and then return to the rest of the presents. And we always have a big dinner. I think it is fun learning traditions. I know just from my husbands family and mine - that traditions can differ greatly even in Santa gifts. Many people wrap the Santa gifts under the tree (his family) and many have them all set up and unwrapped under the tree (our family). I once took a poll and it seems pretty equal on both sides. And I won't even get into the stocking stuffers . . .  |
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lofo
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Posts: 47
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Post by lofo on Dec 5, 2003 9:03:25 GMT -5
Oh Elizabeth,
I would love to have a seafood feast!
I live in Oklahoma so all our seafood is
mostly shipped frozen. (We do have
wonderful barbeque and Mexican food)
Sounds like a wonderful time.
I love seeing the traditions of others.
May each of you all have a glorigying
Christmas season filled with evidence
of God's unconditional love for you!
Lori
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Post by finnmom on Dec 5, 2003 14:48:16 GMT -5
Elisabeth I love Astrid Lingren, although I dont think I´ve read those you mentioned, I have to look at those from library, thank you of that i´dea! adhdtimes4 Sound´s so lovely!! You mentioned that in lebanon the tree goes down at epiphany, would that be the day when those 3 wice men saw Jesus-child? Around 5th or 6th of jan? If so, then that´s the same in here, I forgot to mention it. We keep our christmas-decoration´s and tree on until that day, some keep it on even longer, up until the 13th of jan. We get our present´s from the actuall Santa, who´ll come knokking on our door on christmas-eve. That´s for kid´s, love it when I see those face´s This is great!! I love to read these stories. Thank you!! Marja |
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Post by adhdtimes4 on Dec 5, 2003 14:57:25 GMT -5
Marja,
Yes, Epiphany is the traditional day that the Wise Men came - the 12th day of Christmas.
K
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Post by finnmom on Dec 5, 2003 15:10:10 GMT -5
Adhdx4 I love your word better than finnish word for that day. Roughly translated it might be something like "finishing", the end of the christmas-season, I prefer Epiphany and you´re right it´s 13th of jan. Marja |
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Post by aimee30 on Dec 5, 2003 22:45:09 GMT -5
We will be putting up our tree this weekend. I usually put it up the first weekend that my two oldest aren't gone to their Dad's. As we are decorating the tree, we listen to a Christmas album I have from when I was young that has Red Skelton's "The Littlest Christmas Tree" on it. The weekend before Christmas we go to my MIL house where we exchange gifts and have lots to eat. My MIL always makes lots of candy, the Cream pull candy being my favorite. She always makes chili and potato soup for supper. On Christmas Eve the kids and I sit down and read the Christmas Story from the bible. Then we make homemade cookies for Santa and a special oat treat for the reindeer. They are also allowed to open one present of my choosing. Always new pajamas so they look nice for pictures in the morning. We also watch The Santa Clause with Tim Allen. Santa only leaves one gift for the kids (usually the one thing they really want). The other presents are from DH and I. As the kids don't get any presents other than on their birthday and Christmas, they are very excited Christmas morning. I fix a big breakfast of biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage, and bacon. Then we go to my MIL house again for a huge dinner. Turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. Sometime during the day I try to watch A Christmas Story. "You'll shoot your eye out"! I love that movie. The day after Christmas the tree is down. I don't think I could stand it much longer than that. This year will be a little different though. My ex asked if he could pick up the two oldest Christmas day at noon.  I will definately miss them. He is keeping them until the 4th of Jan. Won't know what to do with myself. This will be the longest time I've ever spent away from them. |
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