Starting traditions

cleo123

i started a new tradition several years ago .
i thought how nice it would be to have a small bag of " little silly bits " for everyone after diner .
it was such a sucess everyone insistead we carry this on every year . the
only problem is the " silly little bits " seem to have been replaced with more expensive things .
so the message in this tale is beware of starting off new traditions , you never now where it will end !!!

fififoofoo

Christmas tradition in our house - for some strange reason is to all sit round the dining table and peal and prepare the veg for the next day. ALWAYS put out the mince pie and sherry for Santa (drink the sherry, and take just one bite out iof the mince pie for the morning) and dont forget the carrot planted in the front garden for Rudolph. (remembering to leave just the stump - as proof that he ate it!). An american friend came to visit us before Christmas and brought us a tree decoration - she told us it was traditional when visiting friends to take one along. Only after a few galsses of wine did she tell me she'd made it up - but I thought it was a nice idea anyway!

Rachie_B

just found another drawers advent "calendar" http://www.bakerross.co.uk/cat_id/XMSCALEN/product-Giant-Santa-Wooden-Advent-Calendar-U59.htm

stefejb

One of our traditions is the "jeffrey present". Years ago when i was dating the father of my youngest, if one of the older girls answered the phone he would say it was mum's other boyfriend Jeffrey. The girls didn't know whether to beleve this or not and so we bought an extra present for Jeffrey and have done so for the last 12 years. The rule is that if Jeffrey doesn't turn up by the time we have had dinner (he never does) then we open his present which always turns out be something the whole family can enjoy like a board game or a family DVD. This tradition has spread to other parts of the family who all have "jeffrey presents" after dinner.

piratess

Oh this thread is wonderful! ive been looking forward to xmas for about 2 months now! as this will be the first "proper" one with my partner as we now living together after 4 years ....

Our Traditions, when i lived at home we always woke early and it was me who sent my younger sister in to see if "he" had been yet! and mum always used to tell us no! ... Pressies would always be delivered in mum and dads bedroom and we would sit on their bed me on dads side my sister on mums, and open all our pressies upstairs!
We always got new jammies, dressing gown slippers and a teddy every year! and every year we also got an annual each (mine was rupert) for some bizare reason!
My gran and grandad would always arrive at 10amish we would have dinner then we always went for an after dinner walk down thro town and up along the prom, wearing new clothes or riding new bikes etc, then tea time my auntie and uncle would arrive ....

Ive since found out that my dad used to get so excited! that he would take a flask of tea upto bed with him!!!! and sit up most of the night waiting for us to sneak in ... i thought that was lovely when he told me!

Since having my own family santa still brings new jammies and dressing gown and slippers and teddy! .. i always put the tree up tooooo early! we always have the home made angel on the top that my 8yr old made when she was 3 ... and Xmas songs playing in the background.
Xmas eve i make a buffet for the evening and we sit and watch Xmas films and eat stuff lol ... then the kids have a bath and bed and then i start wrapping the last of the pressies with carol services on the tele and a glass of baileys, The kids always come into my room and ask if "he" has been and i have to go and check to make sure and i always get a photo of them all running down the stairs!
Xmas dinner last year was spent round at my inlaws which was nice but they dont open pressies until the rest of the family arrives which to me isnt normal!... but thats another story lol

This year im starting the tradition of buying a new xmas dec each for the tree, and also taking the children to a panto! ...

OH and we always go and look round at the houses lite up and go into town for late night shopping and sit in a cafe drinking hot choccy and watch the world go by,

OHHHHH im so excited! .... This thread is wonderful .. sorry my post is so long tho hehehe

mickeymumx

fab thread, our traditions are..... send 2 boxes of small gifts to Romania, the kids love this we put in glitter and bows make it really pretty,
buy a new decoration every year, buy the flat packed gingrbread house from ikea and decorate it on xmas eve, we then go to the local panto in the afternoon, home for dinner and bath, new pj's, disney xmas video, leave out milk and cookies and carrott , and then wake up as early as u can !!!! xxxx

Rachie_B

stefejb wrote:

One of our traditions is the "jeffrey present". Years ago when i was dating the father of my youngest, if one of the older girls answered the phone he would say it was mum's other boyfriend Jeffrey. The girls didn't know whether to beleve this or not and so we bought an extra present for Jeffrey and have done so for the last 12 years. The rule is that if Jeffrey doesn't turn up by the time we have had dinner (he never does) then we open his present which always turns out be something the whole family can enjoy like a board game or a family DVD. This tradition has spread to other parts of the family who all have "jeffrey presents" after dinner.

cant quite get my head round this ,but its early :rotfl:

purpleimp

There are so many things that spring to mind, when we were kids christmas morning was getting up hyper as you like, having the fire lit, having bacon sannies, opening the pressies and watching crap tv till lunch , huge spread for dinner, proper prawn cocktails with "real" prawns ,chicken and roast beef cos my dad didn't like turkey, all the trimmings and then pud, the rest of the day was for snoozing and watching the box.

Since DP and I have been together though we always had christmas dinner with his mum as she is on her own, then go to visit my parents in the afternoon.

This year though, as our first uear married I am having both sets of parents and immediate family, which means I can do xmas dinner my way!!( taking he best from each side of the family meals, prawn cocktail to start MIL always does melon or grapefruit which I hate, then turkey dad's agreed, my kind of stuffing, then pavlova and trifle)

on the run up to christmas we always have gluwein,keep toppin up the pan for weeks............ hic, and I''ll be doing that this year and will be decorating too, we haven't bothered for the last few years but I plan to go overboard this year!

I'm also doing panto again this year after a 4/5 year break, which is always fun andit get's me into the spirit of things so I'm really looking forward to it all now.xxx

lottee

Never ever heard of this until I met my OH, but more of a new year tradition. We all meet on New Years Day, have a traditional Xmas dinner. Then after all the washing up is done.....out come the 'TREE PRESENTS !'
Pain in the @ss really to be fair, but good fun in the end I suppose !!!
Little gifts, such as shampoos, toothpaste, calenders, tea towels, small toys, anything you can really think of ! Every year I say to my OH, 'Let's tell everyone we are not doing it this year' But he get's all funny, saying it's been done since he can remember, so I just know that I'll still be doing it in 20 or 30 years for my grandkids!!!

On a plus side, some of the toiletries comes in hand for January, when you are hanging for payday !!!

ashli_2

stefejb wrote:

One of our traditions is the "jeffrey present". Years ago when i was dating the father of my youngest, if one of the older girls answered the phone he would say it was mum's other boyfriend Jeffrey. The girls didn't know whether to beleve this or not and so we bought an extra present for Jeffrey and have done so for the last 12 years. The rule is that if Jeffrey doesn't turn up by the time we have had dinner (he never does) then we open his present which always turns out be something the whole family can enjoy like a board game or a family DVD. This tradition has spread to other parts of the family who all have "jeffrey presents" after dinner.

I love this.....brilliant!!!:rotfl: :T