Christmas Traditions

Do you have any cool or unique Christmas traditions?

Ours are pretty laid back and normal for the most part. But I always like to hear peoples different yearly ritual.

Every year on

Christmas Eve Eve,

we make cookies and eat dinner together. Do some frantic last minute Christmas or food shopping. Then we just hang out at home. If football is on, count on it being on the TV.

 

Christmas Eve:

We go to my husbands grandmas house, lovingly known as "Magraw". Which is so fun!

We go and all have dinner and eat. Then just hang out and watch the kids open their presents from relatives. I got so lucky to marry into such an awesome family!

Then after we all have eaten we do white elephant!

If you don't know what White Elephant is, you have to start it with your family!! It's so funny.

Every family, or person, brings a random present, it can be something that's just sitting around your house, it can be something you go out and buy, it could be something you make. The more random and bizarre, the funnier. Then how ever many presents there are, that's how many numbers you give out (so if there are 10 presents, you give each of the 10 people who brought a present a number - randomly picked from a hat or something). Then everyone takes their turn either picking a present, or stealing a present someone already opened.

My husband now has the reputation for bringing the funniest gift, so someone brave opens his gift every year, lol.

And once we all say our goodbyes, we head home. Two tired little pookies with us, and get them baths and into bed before Santa comes!

Then Mommy and Daddy stay up wrapping last minute gifts. And we usually exchange one gift. Mostly because I have such a hard time not giving him a present or two before Christmas, but he may be worse than me!

Christmas Day:

I normally wake up, get my coffee made, and start a special Christmas morning breakfast and hot chocolate of course! I think last year I made french toast casserole.

Then we open presents. This year is the first time we will have two little sweeties opening presents, but I'm sure it'll be lots of fun. My mom usually comes over and sometimes my little sister, but this year I think she'll be in Boca with her boyfriends family. And my older sister is almost always in New York with my brother in law's family.

So the girls will open presents from Santa, us, and their Nannie (my mom). Then we have a separate Christmas, usually firs weekend of January, with my family when everyone is in town so we can exchange presents and eat again, haha. And of course, play some kind of game, because my husband loves playing board games, and card games. Talking about Cards Against Humanity, here!

Then we'll either make enchiladas or lasagna or something to eat for dinner. Not very traditional. But it's fun and yummy!

 

Now, this year the day after Christmas we will be doing another Christmas at my in-law's house. They're normally in Tennessee for Christmas, but this year they decided to stay home! So, we'll all be hanging out at their house the day after Christmas, opening presents, eating food, and just hanging out.

 

It's kind of cool, because every year the traditions vary in some way.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! It's my very favorite time of year, and I look forward to it almost all year long. (I definitely prepare for it, finance wise!) And as the girls get older and understand more, the more fun it gets. I cannot wait for it every year. And a little part of me gets really sad the day after Christmas.

 

Although, after Christmas comes New Years. And there's always something very refreshing about New Years, and kind of starting fresh. I have big plans and big resolutions for this year! But that's for another blog post. Probably next week!

 

If I don't see you before then, have a very Merry Christmas!!

 

XOXO

Caitie B