Christmas Traditions
I’m very saddened that I just learned of “Festivus” yesterday…the “airing of the grievances” would have been a hoot here.
I digress…
Many people have family traditions on Christmas Eve and Christmas day…share them if you feel like it.
Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas day?
Will you attend a church service?
For those not in families, what will you do to get through the holidays?
Our family has some kind of Mexian food every Christmas eve. It started when our kids were babies and, after a few years, we realised we had a “family tradition.” My kids have passed it on to their families. Tonight hubby and I had our Mexican dinner….just the 2 of us. It’s not quite the same without our kids and grandkids, but it’s a tradition and it a special connection to our family.
Tomorrow morning we will attend a Christmas morning service at an Anglican church, since our church doesn’t have one.
May you all have a happy, holy Christmas. I appreciate you all.
Where have you been that you’re just hearing of Festivus?
London,
I don’t watch much tv or movies…I’m completely out of touch with pop culture for the most part.
My true calling was “hermit” but it didn’t work out… 🙂
I plan on taking in an inspirational movie, strolling through various known neighborhoods that does the all out outdoors reflection of the wonders of Christmas, while remembering loved ones I once shared Christmas and so many other lovely memories. Haven’t decided if I will dine in or out, but will dine and give praise to Him and He who sent Him.
And all the while will be wonder what the next year will bring my way.
our family’s traditions are food oriented, too – it wouldn’t be Xmas without our ultimate gingerbread cookies (not your average gingerbread cookie) and our best in the world, corn chowder on Xmas eve… my youngest granddaughter just asked for the corn chowder recipe, so she could make it for Xmas… gulp
i’ve been hungry for real, made by a Mexican mama, tamales since visiting Sarah’s Small Rain over on Linkathon
A very joyous Noel to all… my Christmas will be very quiet (& cold) this year, but one of the great wonders for a Christian is the older they get, the more joyous The Faith is
Festivus for next year? A chance for old people to grumble about their pains and aches?
God keep
For those not in families, what will you do to get through the holidays?
—-
Clarification… did you mean this to sound so depressing and negative? Honest question, not a dig.
-mike
I didn’t know what Festivus was until Guitar man posted it on FB yesterday. That is a new one on me.
Merry Christmas All…
Growing up my family was pretty non traditional. My parents only bought cards that said Happy Holidays. lol my eyes rolled even as a non believer back then.
As a single person for the holidays, I embrace it all. The glitter, the look-book-shopping, the crowds, the music and rejoyce in the birth of my savior.
My family (4 in total) is attending church together at 6, then coming home and I’m preparing Cuban sandwiches.
This year is unique. My older son has avoided the Faith as best he could, but he seems to have noticed the difference it makes in the lives of his younger brother and parents. He has begun reading the Bible and has been asking his younger brother questions about what he’s reading. His brother just gave him a book, Basic Christianity, by John Stott.
We have also invited a young man to church with us and then for dinner. He’s had a challenging life, but my wife and I really like him.
So I’m praying that this evening, when the good news of Christmas is preached, that this young man and my older son will both believe that Jesus and his gospel are real, true and offered to each of them. I would appreciate it if any of you here would mention James and Chris in your prayers this afternoon for a Christmas gift of faith. I can’t think of a better gift.
Praying for your son, Jean and that young man. No greater joy that to see our children walk with Jesus. Calling out their names to Jesus. Lord, you know the need in the hearts of James and Chris. Meet them, Jesus.
Hi Nene!!!! We miss you!!
I remember one Christmas when I was for all practical purposes homeless and it was one of the best Christmases of my life. Everything was stripped down to the bare essentials, which I think is a good thing. The Christmas after that, I was in boot camp (US Navy) and that was a a great Christmas, too. I think I was married the Christmas after that and we lived in a very dumpy apartment and that was also a wonderful Christmas. All the Christmases after that involved our kids, also good. When you recall that Christmas is not *our* birthday but rather, the Lord’s, it take all the bitterness and resentment away. Or it should.
As you all know, my Church is on the Old Calendar so the feast of the Nativity is January 7th. On that day, we will attend Liturgy in the morning. This day ends the Advent Lent and when I get home I always drink a glass of milk and eat some fried eggs, as I miss those foods more than meat. In the afternoon, the parish is invited to Fr. G’s house for a feast. I usually bring BBQ’d chicken and decorated sugar cookies but there’s beef stroganoff, meat pirogis, cheesecake, etc. As the day turns into evening we are all sitting around slightly dazed, picking at the cheese plate and telling funny stories. A wonderful day! Fr. G. has around 17 grandchildren under age 8 and most of them are there, running around and yelling in Russian. Altogether wonderful day. The next Sunday we have a better-than-usual potlock after Liturgy and we sing carols (Russian and English) and give each other kisses and presents. (I make Scottish shortbread to pass around.)
Tomorrow (Dec. 25) does not pass by unnoticed. It is the feast day of St. Herman of Alaska, a Russian missionary who walked completely across Siberia and crossed the Bering Strait to tell the Gospel story to the native Alaskans. We open presents with whatever family members show up tomorrow. I am fixing roast beef for the non-Orthodox but us EO are gonna get fish instead. (Our day is coming.)
Maybe tonight I will go to the local evangelical church with my daughter at midnight to hear some good old fashioned Christmas carols. I went last year though and heard probably the worst sermon of my life. Good grief, you would have thought it was that pastor himself who was born in the manger in Bethlehem. I hope he does better this year. (This was not a CC.)
So, happy feast day of St. Herman of Alaska!
And Merry Christmas.
Love,
Xenia
Nonnie, you are often in my thoughts and prayers!
I am loving reading about others families!!
Mike,
I have a lot of readers who for whatever reason or circumstance…find themselves alone this year.
The holidays are a depressing and negative time for many…they often feel as if these conversations are painful as well because they are reminders of where they are at today.
I hear from them…because they know I struggle with holidays as well.
I don’t want anyone to feel as if they are excluded from this conversation as well.
This loneliness comes from the culture’s erroneous expectations of what Christmas should be all about. Somehow it got switched from celebrating the Nativity of Christ in the context of the Church to a Martha Steward-powered Hallmark card holiday.
The big “wow” moment of Christmas has become the opening of the perfect present on Christmas morning, preceded by weeks of searching for the perfect presents. Can’t disappoint people! However, the big “wow” moment should be, and used to be, the reception of THE perfect Present, the Holy Eucharist, Jesus Christ Himself, on Christmas morning. It was us Christians ourselves who traded in The perfect Gift for a mess of consumer electronics.
Even if I had no biological family, I would still have the great joy of celebrating the Nativity with my Church family, my true brothers and sisters in Christ. We would all open up our Present under the Tree (receive Communion in the shadow of the Cross) and later, gather together at Fr. G’s house and enjoy all the people and kids. If people have made Christmas all about family and presents they will only find disappointment. I personally don’t cater to this attitude.
I remember once our CC women’s ministry used to have a yearly Christmas tea and people were encouraged to get up and share Christmas memories. It was great! But there was one woman who objected. “What about those of us who have no good Christmas memories.” So for a few years, we skipped that part of the program and in effect, treated Christmas as a tragedy. One year we snapped out of it and said we were tired of having people steal our joy and resumed loving Christmas, as we should.
People, Christmas is about the Greatest Gift given to mankind that could possibly be imagined. When the focus is taken off that and transferred to some kind of romantic scene centering around family and presents, people will have their expectations unfulfilled and will be resentful and bitter and will do their darnedest to make sure everyone knows how miserable they are.
I *do* have a big, loving family and there will be presents and roast beef but I’ve had Christmases with none of these things and it was still the celebration of the birth of Christ and it was wonderful.
Christ is the Gift that never disappoints.
Seeing Nene back is a gift…
http://www.reverbnation.com/acousticvoices/song/21027963-holyworthy-is-the-lamb?1336410755
Jean, joining in praying… will be praying for James and Chris to have quiet minds and softened hearts and a visit from God the Holy Spirit this Christmas eve as i feed the ponies tonight
Spent several tours in Germany during my military career.Celebrating a traditional and less commercialised Christmas was fabulous.
Merry Christmas to all!
the traditional backing and cooking for days before Christmas. The 24th after kids gone to bed, parent brought in the tree and decorated, and placed thr gifts underneath.
Presents were opened in the morning. Family gathered and in the afternoon children would come caroling… trough the snow… And we were cheerfully waiting for them with cookies…
…that was then…
No more caroling now…
…
I still have no idea what festivus is
See Wikipedia—:-)