https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:31:15 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211457 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:35:11 +0000 Alivoo01 1211457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I ALWAYS travel during Christmas because it's our only vacation a year. Maybe I'll start a tradition leading up to Christmas instead?? Didn't think about this prior to DS! Oops! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211444 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:32:54 +0000 mrsbookworm 1211444@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always open two presents on Christmas eve. One is pjs to wear to bed and the other is a family present, a board game that we play that night. On Christmas morning we do stockings first then take turn opening gifts. The kids who are old enough are in charge of handing them out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211433 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:30:26 +0000 shinymama 1211433@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The 9 days before Christamas we participate in a Latino tradition called "posadas." Each night a different family hosts the event which is a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter. We sing some songs, dress-up in costumes, pray the Rosary, and have dinner together. It makes for really busy nights, but I love that we get together with our friends and family and most importantly show our children that the holidays are about more than just Santa and gifts.</p> <p>The big celebration for us is typically Christmas Eve. That's the last night of the posadas, we also have dinner and exchange gifts with my side of the family, and usually stop by at another celebration too. Super busy {and long} night.</p> <p>Christmas morning we're up early to see what Santa brought, open gifts, and have breakfast. This is also the only time we get to celebrate as a family of four, and it's probably the most special to me. After that we all get ready and load up the car to head to my MIL's {about 2 hours away} for Christmas dinner.</p> <p>@swurlygurl: I was adament that my boys be in their own home on Christmas Day, and this chaotic schedule is the result. We're constantly on the go, but everybody wins. Kind of. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211432 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:30:18 +0000 rattles 1211432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our favorite self-started tradition is a Christmas campout. The night we put up the tree, we all camp out (in the living room) under its lights with Christmas movies and hot chocolate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211424 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:28:47 +0000 fancyfunction 1211424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We pick a Christmas movie to watch on Christmas Eve after coming home from driving around to look at lights. Christmas morning we'll open gifts and then make pancakes and hot chocolate. I also bought a plate for "Santa" at PBK this year. M will be a year old but I want to start leaving cookies out as a tradition maybe next year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211390 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:21:13 +0000 swurlygurl 1211390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: I think once I have to pay for a plane ticket for DD, we'll start staying home. I guess I could write up my 'old' traditions!</p> <p>Night before: Sis and I coordinate so we're wearing the same shirts in the morning, just different colors. One will wear red and one will wear green. We're cute like that. Haha<br /> 5:30 am Sis and I wake up ridiculously early and open our stockings together.<br /> 7:00 Mom and dad finally wake up. Dad makes a fire, Mom makes our breakfast quiche. Make a pot of coffee. Drink coffee while Mom and Dad open stockings. Eat quiche<br /> 8:00 Open presents.<br /> 9:00 - 12:00 Play and hangout<br /> 12:00 Start getting ready for extended family Christmas<br /> 2:00 Extended family Christmas (rotates houses each year between the 3 Aunts/Uncles &amp; 1 Cousin).<br /> 11:00 pm Home and in bed.</p> <p>It's a very nice day, no stress, no rushing, great family time :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211361 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:16:28 +0000 Mamaof2 1211361@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2 yrs ago I wanted to start a tradition of eating the same thing for Christmas Eve every year. My DH, step son who was 18 at the time, and my son who was 3 at the time decided milkshakes and waffles (with all kinds of toppings). At first I was like "No way!" then I caved and its been such a FUN dinner! I look forward to it and so do the kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211357 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:15:18 +0000 doodlepoodle 1211357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: oh man I wouldn't have even thought about that :(</p> <p>We do Christmas pjs and always watch Christmas vacation. Before bed we set out a plate of milk and cookies then open stockings in our bed as soon as we get up. Then tree gifts are after breakfast :) snacks (cheese tray and spinach artichoke dip) until dinner time with a ham etc. I cook so I usually stay in pjs and don't care if anyone else dresses up... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211347 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:10:36 +0000 LuLu Mom 1211347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: @jetsa: Thanks! The reason I settled on the 23rd was 1) I wanted her to open her first gift at home not at grandparent's house on Christmas Eve &amp; 2) I want her to get a good nights sleep on the 24th since we always have a busy day on Christmas. (and of course Santa comes on the 24th!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211343 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:09:25 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1211343@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Without fail...</p> <p>Christmas Eve we baked cookies and openedbup new PJs</p> <p>Christmas morning presents weren't opened until the coffee and hot chocolate was made.</p> <p>The tree lights were always on Christmas morning.</p> <p>We took turna opening gifts, but when it was time to open stockings who ever's turn it was emptied the stocking. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211339 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:09:07 +0000 mrskc 1211339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well traditions we had when I was a kid always included a day where we baked sugar cookies &amp; frosted them. We still do this and we call it cookie day. We always got new PJ's and slippers for Xmas. My mom still does this! And we always do our big dinner and open presents with family on Xmas Eve. Then do just immediate family Xmas morning. </p> <p>I hope to gift my kids PJ's, a book &amp; an ornament each year. We'll wake up and do stockings first then gifts then have a yummy breakfast. I need more ideas tho! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211334 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:08:22 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1211334@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rahlyrah: my dad and I used to do that!!!</p> <p>We are still cultivating traditions with C. We started staying home on Xmas eve after she was born and stay home as morning. We go to my parents house that afternoon.</p> <p>But we-<br /> Always decorate our tree the first Saturday in dec<br /> Hang stockings<br /> Open stockings before opening presents<br /> Bake sugar cookies &amp; decorate together </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211328 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:06:36 +0000 Honeybee 1211328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bake Christmas cookies for our neighbors on the 23rd. On the 24th we go to early Mass and then after dinner the kids get to open all their family presents (which include Christmas pjs and a new book). On Christmas we have snacks all day whilr opening presents, and then a big dinner with a ham. It takes forever to open presents because my kids have to play with everything as they open it, so we usually have several days of presents. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211325 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:04:46 +0000 cmomma17 1211325@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: I love hearing about other people's traditions :)</p> <p>We are starting our own this year too, but I'm not sure exactly what it will all look like yet.<br /> We will hang stockings (just ordered LO's today!), decorate a tree, put out cookies for Santa the night before, and will read "The Night Before Christmas" on Christmas eve (have my childhood copy). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211318 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:03:24 +0000 Ra 1211318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not a Christmas Day tradition but we always pick out a Charlie Brown tree together. I've loved ugly, unwanted trees since I was a little kid. Somehow, I was able to get DH on board. So, every year we go chop down our pathetic (but oh-so-cute) tree and bring it home and listen to Christmas music as we decorate.</p> <p>I'm hoping to share my love of ugly trees with LO! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211312 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:02:57 +0000 Adira 1211312@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LuLu Mom: I was just thinking about doing the slumber party on Christmas Eve and then I was like "Wait a minute - how will I sent out the presents if we all sleep in the living room???" I'll need to think about this some more... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211305 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:01:57 +0000 Adira 1211305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LuLu Mom: I &lt;3 that slumber party idea!!! I'm not sure Hubs will do this with me though... he can be a grinch sometimes, haha.</p> <p>@jetsa: I don't think it was purposely scheduled like that - it's just what always happened and I loved it! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211303 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 14:00:27 +0000 jetsa 1211303@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LuLu Mom: I love the slumber party idea, I wonder if I can get DH into that. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211299 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:59:45 +0000 jetsa 1211299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I like this a lot, a schedule but time to chill and play with gifts. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211293 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:58:52 +0000 jetsa 1211293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: growing up this is what we did. I always woke up Christmas morning at my grandparents. "Santa" even came there and we didn't have Christmas at home. Now that we've got a son, my DH and I decided we'd stay home and I'm clueless on how that works, how to make it "special". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211290 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:58:37 +0000 LuLu Mom 1211290@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are at my parent's house Christmas Eve night &amp; my grandma's Christmas for lunch &amp; then DH's aunt's for Christmas dinner. </p> <p>Our tradition will be on the 23rd, she opens her first gift (which will always be PJs, Christmas movie, &amp; popcorn/hot cocoa) and we have a slumber party in the living room as a family (this will happen when she's older!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211274 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:54:21 +0000 Adira 1211274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We haven't made any of our own traditions yet (we still visit family on Christmas), but growing up, Christmas Day always went like this:</p> <p>Wake up - open stockings<br /> Breakfast of Crescents!<br /> Open Christmas presents<br /> Play with new gifts while parents worked on dinner<br /> Big Christmas Dinner!<br /> Board games with the family! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211273 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:54:11 +0000 swurlygurl 1211273@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Agh, I don't know... Christmas is all screwy. When DH took me away from my family, my ONE thing was that I HAD to go back home for Christmas. It's been working out great so far, except... now I have a baby and I'm sad I won't be at our own home Christmas morning. I know DD will never know the difference, but it's kinda weird to wake up Christmas morning somewhere else. And to do 'Christmas' with DD a week before </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-traditions#post-1211264 Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:51:26 +0000 jetsa 1211264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are starting are own traditions this year and I thought it'd be fun to see what you all do and see if we want to do any of those things.</p> <p>So what are your Christmas eve and day traditions? We'll be staying home and most likely all grandparents will come visit at some point. </p>