Traditions
By Kimberley
@mom210 (9037)
United States
December 12, 2018 11:30am CST
I never really stopped to think about it, until this year. I did not think we had many traditions until the Christmas season started. As the kids are getting older, the oldest three have girlfriends.
So when it comes time to pick a Christmas tree we head to a local tree farms where we have gone for thirteen years now. We head into their trees with the ax in hand on an adventure to find the perfect Christmas tree, each person gets to weigh in with their opinion. We always choose the largest fullest one they have usually in the 12-15 foot range. Once the tree is chosen each person takes a turn at the sawing so we have all had a hand in cutting it down. The oldest son starts it, then finishes it off. I take a picture of each one sawing. This year we added girlfriends into the mix, I never really thought of it as being something anybody, not in the family yet would even be interested in, but all three girlfriends wanted to participate.
Then came the decorating the tree the next day, again I never thought it was much of a big deal. I do get eggnog, make cookies and candy for us to eat on while decorating. We turn up an old CD of Christmas music that I have had since I was a little girl, called Santa and his rocking elves. They all like it or fake it well just for me. Again, the boys wanted the girlfriends to come along. So fortunately we got a tree big enough for 15 people to decorate, still took us a couple hours.
I am guess they will be there for our Christmas Eve celebration as well, the kids draw names and buy a gift for their person, that is the gift they get to open Christmas eve. It is always interesting to see what they think each other would enjoy. The gifts are entertaining to say the least. I make some more candy and cookies, we drink hot chocolate.
I remember what it is like to be the girlfriend so I welcomes the girlfriends coming to our events, they are all very sweet.
What kinds of traditions do you have for Christmas? When did you realize they were traditions?
How are you with including boyfriends or girlfriends?
Have a Beautiful day and a Merry Christmas!
Photo is of my eight year old.
21 people like this
20 responses
@Marilynda1225 (79571)
• United States
4 Jan 19
I really like your Christmas traditions. As the kids get older either boyfriends or girlfriends come along and become part of the family.
I always welcomed the boyfriends and girlfriends and felt the more the merrier. Plus it meant my kids were around for the fun and festivities and not spending as much time elsewhere.
2 people like this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
4 Jan 19
that is kind of how I am looking at it, I get my kids and their girls friends are all sweet. I do find myself kind of doing an inner sigh when they come because I would like to jut have my kid. I know it will happen more often as they get older though
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
8 Jan 19
@Marilynda1225 Thank you, yes they have done well with their choosing so far and hope it does carry through with the future grand kids.
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@Marilynda1225 (79571)
• United States
4 Jan 19
@mom210 It's natural for you to want your kid to yourself because the older they get the less time you get to spend with them. At least the girlfriends are sweet and not ones you aren't fond of. I'm sure the family bonding time you are creating will carry over into their future lives and the traditions will be fondly remembered. One day you'll be doing all that with your grandchildren and it's a wonderful experience.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
15 Dec 18
They grow up so fast. Having traditions the family will enjoy is always nice and will be passed down to the next generation.
2 people like this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
21 Dec 18
@mom210 Every family is different!
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
26 Dec 18
@PatZAnthony very true, I guess maybe her family when she was young did not o much, maybe that is why she did not do that much when we were little.
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
I hope they will pass them down. MY family really did not have any I remember from my childhood, except stockings. @PatZAnthony
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
13 Dec 18
My kids always had their friends in the house, Now they are adults and I still like them... They don't bring friends anymore, just their partners. They are all adults. They will all show up for Christmas Eve and spend the night. My husband puts up the tree and I decorate it. We leave it up for a while and then take it down by New Years. When I was a kid we had a trees farm that people came and cut their own Christmas tree, it was a 4H project, we planted a few thousand tiny trees and later they were big enough for Christmas trees. Now they are a beautiful forest. ( the ones that didn't get to be Christmas Trees)
2 people like this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
@PainsOnSlate I have actually been thinking about something like that at least for the family. We have several acres so it could be done.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
26 Dec 18
@PainsOnSlate wow that was a good set up, I need to investigate a little into that. It might work out for us too,
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
19 Dec 18
@mom210 because we were in 4H the state gave us the trees for free... There were three of us and we got 1000 per kid for several years until we ran out of space to plant any more.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246334)
• United States
14 Dec 18
That sounds like a lovely tradition. We always included our sons’ girlfriends and friends in every holiday. Now that they are both married, our family has grown and intermingled. We are so blessed to have such loving families and frequently get together for holidays or not.
2 people like this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
@KOLAMsegaran1 yes, I love Christmas very much and the traditions that go with it. It is such a loving time.
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
@a_jerobon Thank you so much and you have a wonderful one as well.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
12 Dec 18
i think we all have some traditions. your big family is going to have quite a time once they are all married or have girlfriends etc. take about half an hour to decorate then. 
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
@bunnybon7 We may have to get an even bigger tree then or one outside too.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
17 Dec 18
We got to church at 4 o'clock on Christmas Eve and for about the last 25 years at least one of my grandchildren was in the Christmas pageant. My daughter and her family come over and we have dinner and open presents. On Christmas day my daughter and my middle son come over with their families. Prime rib is the centerpiece. We have a family Christmas the Sunday before at our oldest son's house where we have a Yankee swap and exchange gifts with that son and his children. This year each family is bringing a soup to share. (our other two children attend this family christmas) So we have lots of traditions. We now are including the grandchildren's girl and boyfriends.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
19 Dec 18
@mom210 lol Yes grandparents never get off the hook and I start buying early in the year. You will have many more than my 10 grandchildren and 3 great grands no doubt.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
That is a good idea about the swap, I do wonder what on earth we will do when all our kids have kids. that will be a lot of presents to buy. I love those traditions, very cool about the girls in the pageant. @BelleStarr
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
17 Feb 19
@BelleStarr I may end up buying "family" gifts instead of for all the grandkids.
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@LadyDuck (457249)
• Switzerland
13 Dec 18
I loved our old time tradition of the Christmas Eve. We reached the Church at 11:30 in the night and at midnight the Mass ended with the announce that Jesus was born. We went back home, had dinner and opened the gifts under the lighted tree. If it snowed the night was even more magic.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (457249)
• Switzerland
19 Dec 18
@mom210 Where I live every Church celebrates at least 1 service every day of the week. The Christmas Eve all the Churches have a Mass at midnight, as they have on the Holy Friday before Easter. Those are the two most important celebrations for Christians.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
I wish our church did a service no matter what day of the week it falls on. I love when it is on a Wed or Sun when we already are going to church and we can be in church and start the day off right. If feels so much more meaningful. @LadyDuck
1 person likes this
@just4him (305415)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
7 Jan 19
Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas. Mine wasn't traditional in any sense of the word. Usually, I go to one of my sibling's home for Christmas, enjoy good food and company. This year, I went to my older son's for dinner and opened presents, then went to my younger son's afterward - they don't talk to each other. I went to my daughter's the night before because she always goes to her mother-in-law's for the holidays. It was different but also one of the best Christmases I've had.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
13 Dec 18
traditions that we have here are like: jumping so high when the bell tolls at the midnight of December 31.
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@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
That sounds terrific, I would have to practice year round to be ready though @ridingbet
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@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
20 Dec 18
@mom210 hahaha! i am so sorry to inform you that the practice of jumping so high is only for young kids so they gain more height.
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@mom210 (9037)
• United States
26 Dec 18
@ridingbet That is okay, I would not be able to keep up anyway.
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@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
My kids loved it and a coupe said they liked it better than the first one. @carebear29
@Juliaacv (48251)
• Canada
12 Dec 18
Its been a while since we've had a teenager in the house.
We always let him and his girlfriend plan what they'd like to do with each family, and then our son would run it by us and we'd approve or veto it.
Now that he's married, he's always asking us to spend time with him, his wife and her family. We're so blessed that we all get along so very well.
1 person likes this
@cintol (11261)
• United States
28 Mar 19
What a great tradition to have, sounds like there is a lot of fun and memories with it. Nice that the girls all want to be involved and probably more fun with such a huge family.
@KOLAMsegaran1 (4137)
• Bekasi, Indonesia
12 Dec 18
happy Christmas for those of you who have celebrated it
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9037)
• United States
19 Dec 18
Thank you, I am very excited this year. I have finished and just need to wrap now. @KOLAMsegaran1
