Christmas Morning Traditions

[Mizar]

I think Holiday Traditions are Interesting, because they vary, so much, from Family to Family, yet seem to get passed down, from Generation to Generation.
I think every Family I know, Opens at least One Gift on Christmas Eve. Does this mean all the Gifts are already under the Tree? On Christmas Morning, does the first Person up, run and Open all Their Gifts, even if no one else is up? Are all the Gifts, passed out at Once, with People taking turning Opening them, or is a Free for All?
This is the way we did it. NO Present went under the Tree, till Santa, brought it after Midnight on Christmas Eve. ( this was a bit of a Problem, when my Kids got to be Teenagers and didn't come Home till after 12, I called it Tradition, they called it Dumb.) Christmas Morning, I got up first, made Coffee, and then put on the Record Player, ( yes, that's Record Player ) to blast out, " Hark the Herald Angels Sing " We took our Coffee and the Youngest Child, who could Read, passed out the Gifts, One at a Time. We all watched as that Gift was Opened and then on to the next One. The Passer-Outer, always made sure the Last Gift was for them. LOL.
The whole thing took Hours and Hours. My Children are all Adults now, with Their Own, Children, but I see some of the Traditions, being passed on. What are Your Traditoins?

[Bajanne]

I don't really celebrate  Christmas, but it was so interesting to hear of your tradition, because in my family, the last child got to share out the gifts (and of course, that was me!)  it quite brought back those days (nearly 50 years ago).

[kitkatz]

Now that the kids are adults, we usually have breakfast and tea or coffee, then sit around the living room while gifts are opened one at a time and shared with everyone. Pictures are taken, Of course the IHD.com secret santa box is left until last!

[paris]

The youngest is our gift giver.  And we open one at a time, oohh and aweing over each thing.   Then in the evening we open family gifts----those that were sent by relatives, siblings gifts to each other and one gift each from Mom and Dad.  It literally takes all day and I cherish every moment.   But, Christmas Eve midnight service is probably by favorite tradition.  I sit in the pew thinking that Christians everywhere are doing the same thing; singing hymns, sitting with family, and then lighting candles and singing Silent Night.  I cry every year, remembering all the past holidays, those we have lost and the year past.  I can hear my Mother's and Grandmother's voices and see my grandchildren learning the same songs.  It fills my heart.    Ok--I am tearing up. 

[Mimi]

First one up wakes the rest of the house up.  We make a pot of coffee and one of the
boys gives out the gifts.  We all open our gifts and do the oooing and aaahing.  Then my daughter
and I make a big, big breakfast.  Eggs, bacon, sausages, grits,  bisquits and more coffee.
A good time is had by all.

Mimi

[lola]

We spend Christmas eve with my mom's family and do gifts there, then we go home and after the kids are asleep Otto and I put all there Santa gifts and gifts from us under the tree, there is one rule NOBODY can come out of there rooms till we are up and have the video camera rolling I like to see there faces when they see all the presents.

[skyedogrocks]

Christmas Eve is a huge event in my family.  All of my brothers & sisters families (I have 2 sisters and 3 brothers) gather at my sister Barbara's house and have great time.  We are Italilan, so we celebrate the 7 fishes (actually we don't eat all of them, so it's more like 4 fishes now).  Music fills the air, I'm with my family and some family friends and the kids are the most excited.  After dessert is passed out the kids are nearly climbing out of their skin to open gifts from their Aunts/Uncles/cousins.  It's such a great time! 

We started a Christmas Morning tradition with my son last year since it was the first he was with us (we are in the process of adopting him).  Brendan gets up and runs into our room and we all head downstairs to see what Santa left.  I brew some coffee and Rob gets out the video camera.  We start with our stockings first and then to the gifts.  The last gift opened is the one Santa left in Brendan's room.  Afterwards, we head up to Rob's parents house which is more subdued than mine (just one sister who has one son).  We look to see what Santa left at Nana's house and the kids get to open their gifts, youngest first.  After that it's eating time!  Usually an Italian feast.

Christmas is so much fun now that we have a son.  I think this is his last year of believing in Santa, he's 9 1/2 and already questioning if he truly exists  .  We got him a Wii, so he'll be super excited! 

I love this time of year and spending it with family and friends.  It goes by way too fast!

[willieandwinnie]

Christmas traditions started with me (no family) so when I had my children I started one. Christmas Eve we would go to church and then ride around looking at lights and go to a local farm that is all decked out, carriage rides, lighted fountains, Santa giving children stockings, all kinds of games and even a snow machine to really put you in the mood, and we always go to the lighting of the boats. We would then bring the kids home and they would get to open one gift that had been put under the tree from us (Santa never arrived until they were asleep). Billy being the baby, was always up early (like 4 am) and would go get his sister up no matter what time it was. It was like a free for all and everything getting tore into at once. I miss those days. Now my children do pretty much the same thing with their children and it is fun to be part of. We can never get up early enough to see them Christmas morning but we always get to see videos of them. We have Christmas dinner together and listen to the kids fighting over who is going to play with what. The adults always waited until Christmas evening to open their gifts and the kids would get excited all over again. I am so looking forward to Christmas. 

[kellyt]

When I was younger the entire family, along with some friends, would gather on Christmas Eve for shrimp gumbo.  We would sing carols (my Father played the piano) and sometimes play games.  We would open gifts just from Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Friends.   Our Santa was the "oldest NOT married".  We had one cousin who we joked would be Santa forever!

Christmas morning everyone was with their own family, but we all gathered again at our home for lunch/dinner - usually turkey, dressing, blah, blah, blah.  Desserts for miles!  On Christmas morning we opened from Santa and immediately family members.

Now adays (and has been for the last 10 years at least) it's just the immediate family who gets together and we let the young children open from Aunts and Uncles Christmas Eve.  Christmas Day we open from the Family.  Food is pretty much the same, although we don't do the Shrimp Gumbo any longer.  I wasn't a huge fan anyway.  We play cards and dominos.  Loads of fun!!!!

Now that my middle brother has divorced I'm guessing things will change.  My husband and I are never on the top of the list with his daughters.  They always get pulled to the Mother's house and/or the in-laws.  We just go with the flow.  Last year my husband and I had Christmas dinner at Jack In The Box!!!!  It was horrible!  But my brothers were with their in-laws.

Oh yeah, the holidays with my family are every other year.  We're trying to start the same tradition with the daughters and Charles' family, who isn't as close.  I'm working on that.