Do you have any family traditions at Christmas?

Well, our christmas tradition is to go to our relatives and friends and enjoy the good food that they prepared. That is something that is hard to change. I can still remember during my early childhood that there were parties in our small community. I enjoyed those sumptuous food and I was thinking that if Christmas be everyday, then people will get bored and bankrupt.

I come from Uruguay [ South America] my parents came from European families so our tradition was very much European to us the main celebration was on Christmas Eve during the day we would set up the Christmas tree and decorate the house and mum would do the cooking in the evening family and friends would arrive and the festivities would start, at midnight we all had a glass of champagne and a piece of christmas cake to celebrate Jesus birth. Then it was bed to all for the next day our parents had to prepare a big roast[ lamb, chicken,pork] for friends and family whom would arrive at about 1 or 2 pm with salads and presents for the family, at that time we children did not get presents [ that was left for the 3 kings day] which is the day of Epiphany on the 5 or 6 of January when the 3 kings from the orient came to give presents to baby Jesus.Now today I live in Australia I try very much to keep my traditions but it can be very hard sometimes as family members are working and is dificult to get together on Christmas Eve but I keep trying and we mostly get together on Christmas Eve and Christmas day! thank goodness for that! magickat you will make your own tradition with the bit and pieces that you remember from your own childhood and that my friend would be the tradition you will pass into your family. No one said you can't create a tradition so just go on and create yours.

My family has also traditions at Christmas like any christian family. Decorating Christmas tree with plenty of ornaments, preparing gifts to children, going to chirch at night, having turkey and puddings,.. we have all. However, I'm now living far from my parents, so I don't have chance to join that ceremony. My partner is atheist, and I don't pull him towards my religion.

Hi magickat,

You know when I first read the title to this I didn't think my family had any traditions, then after reading your response I realised that we actually do

When I was younger there was the present opening tradition. We would all get up together and go downstairs to the living room and open, what I remember to be a veritable mountain of presents. I am sure there can't have been as many presents as I remember though because we weren't rich, But it was still amazingly exciting. I don't remember much else about the rest of the Christmas days when I was younger, but that present opening and the nerves the night before were fantastic.

These days the tradition is to go to my aunts families house and spend time there. We travel over on Christmas Eve and usually go home on Boxing Day since dad only gets those days off. It is fantastic though the present opening is less important to me now since I generally ask for money instead. Now the best part for me is the big Christmas dinner we all eat sat around a table. I adore that because it gives you the feeling that you belong to something. I don't normally get that so I savour it at Christmas time.

But yea, those are the Christmas traditions of this house and many thanks for sharing yours too

All the best,
Dranz