With the Christmas season upon us, it strikes me that with so many members around the world, we all celebrate Christmas in different ways. How do you celebrate the holiday, and what kinds of traditions do you and your family have?
Well, we wake up in the morning and take a look at our stockings, then we go to church in the morning and then open presents in the afternoon. We used to have a game of backyard cricket (after all, it is summer during Christmas here), but since we moved our backyard isn't very good for that. We have a big lunch and swim in our pool. Lunch includes turkey (cold or warm) and my favourite, ham, as well as a few other foods (usually some seafood) and some delicous drinks, like sparkling apple juice! Apart from that, it is really a normal day on Christmas. But, of course, on Boxing Day there is the massive cricket Boxing Day Test Match in Melbourne, which my brother, dad an I never stop watching on Boxing Day. It starts on Boxing Day and to many Australians it is the biggest thing in December (truthly). Unless you know about cricket, it would be hard to explain. It's like as big as the Superbowl here, but it lasts 5 days. During summer here it can reach unbearable temperatures, so our fans are really going all summer 24-7.
This will be my Christmas this year: Christmas in Japan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmCrIZeob4w).
Like Daniel said, Australian Christmas is in the Summer, so my family usually eats cold turkey and ham and salad. We also always seem to eat prawns. We usually start the morning by opening presents and then we'll get ready for Christmas lunch, which is usually with as many members of the extended family as we can gather together. Lately we've gone to my Aunt and Uncle's house and I would spend the day playing with my cousins. :)
well at my house it goes like this me and my sister get up at like 5 or 6 and get our stokings and wait about an hour for the others to come out then we read the bible and pray then we go all crazy and start ripping wrapping paper open then we eat breakfast and play with our stuff then lunch and so on
No 'traditions,' except we always blare Christmas music from the radio as we put up the tree and decorations. No, I don't believe in Santa Claus, and yes, I celebrate Jesus' birth.
Quote from: Lily on November 30, 2011, 02:46:36 PM
This will be my Christmas this year: Christmas in Japan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmCrIZeob4w).
ROFL That's awesome....
For awhile we did the typical "beg and plead with our parents to let us open one present the night before, wake up early so we can tear through our gifts the next morning, sit through a reading of the "Christmas story" and then go crazy with our new stuff", but for a couple of years my parents decided we were getting to focused on the gifts rather than the giver (hm, I wonder what gave them that idea ::)) so we didn't do Christmas presents. Last year, my parents got us all a couple of presents each without telling us. I remember doing a double take when I came out and saw presents under the tree!
I think they know we're less focused on the present now and more focused on Christ.
Ooo! One yummy tradition we have is that every year we have Bubble Bread!....also known as monkey bread.
aaaaaaaah no preents :o :'(
Quote from: rakkety tam on November 30, 2011, 04:13:07 PM
aaaaaaaah no preents :o :'(
Apparently you missed the reason why. We totally lost sight of why we were celebrating in the first place! Now I think we get it (or at least I get it) and I wouldn't be heart broken if we did it again!
We wake up at 7:00-ish and see what Santa has brought. Then we open the presents under the tree! Later we usually go to a relative's house.
Quote from: Icefire on November 30, 2011, 04:15:49 PM
Quote from: rakkety tam on November 30, 2011, 04:13:07 PM
aaaaaaaah no preents :o :'(
Apparently you missed the reason why. We totally lost sight of why we were celebrating in the first place! Now I think we get it (or at least I get it) and I wouldn't be heart broken if we did it again!
i understand why but i just love getting presents and i was being a little sarcastic doesnt realy work with typing though
Well I wake up. Wait until 9:00 for my parents to wake, and we each take turns opening presents.
As of two years ago, I did away with decorating and present giving. I of course receive a few though. Too much madness, greed, and annoying obstacles and situations associated with both.
Generally, I'm not a fan of the Christmas period. For one thing, my preference would be not to have an entire month in need of being renamed to the holiday that occupies it. And radios being bogged down with the same exact genre of music is annoying. Gotta love Pandora.
So yeah, I treat Christmas the same as every day. Or rather the month, since its honestly been consumed.
We go to evening mass on Christmas Eve, and have a traditional Christmas supper with family. No meat, but we do have fish. We don't open gifts on Christmas Eve. We will in the morning about 7:30 or so. We'll watch the Disney Christmas Parade. We don't do much else, or go nuts over Christmas as we kids have all gotten older, I'm in my later 20s, and my youngest sister is 19. We like to sleep in anymore. ;D
well, our tradition was originally to get up, do stockings while listening to christmas music, and then do main present. but all my siblings moved away so idk wuts going on this year xD. probly the same, idk. but since christmas is on sunday, im going to church...-_-
We get to stay up late and go to mass on Christmas Eve. Some years we go to mass again in the morning, but not usually. We open presents and do stockings on Christmas morning. Later we have Christmas dinner.
High-five Lutra! We both go to evening mass!
personaly my fav part of christmas is christmas eve the excitement u go through i just love it it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy
Yeah, me too. ;D In my family, we're not allowed to opene the presents until we've eaten breakfast. Which is a bit of a problem for me, because I like to eat a speedy breakfast... ;D And we're not even allowed to TOUCH the tree until we're all finished.
Christmas is on a Sunday this year? How cool is that?! ;D
I LOVE Christmas church services. :)
Quote from: Tiria Wildlough on December 01, 2011, 03:30:34 AM
Yeah, me too. ;D In my family, we're not allowed to opene the presents until we've eaten breakfast. Which is a bit of a problem for me, because I like to eat a speedy breakfast... ;D And we're not even allowed to TOUCH the tree until we're all finished.
i remember like when i was 5 my mom or dad wouldnt let us open presents till my mom ate her boiled egg ;D
Every year, my church has a service on Christmas Eve. We all gather in the sanctuary with candles, then all of the lights are turned off, so the only light in the place comes from each tiny candle that everyone's holding. Then we all sing "Silent Night" in A Capella.