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Project Discussions:  Traditions  |
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1342 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1342 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 10 2022 : 11:41:07 AM
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What kind of Christmas traditions do you have?
Growing up there were 2 for me - the first one, that is still happening, is that my Mom makes peanut butter fudge. It's SOO good!! The second was that we could open up everything in our stockings as soon as we got up Christmas morning but we had to wait on all the other gifts until everyone was up and/or back in the house from morning chores. What fun it was to be the first one up and go through your stocking before anyone else was up :)
Now that I've grown up we have 2 different traditions. On Christmas eve we go to my in-laws in the evening to open our pajamas. It's a tradition my mother in law carried on from her childhood. Oh, and there are no other presents under the tree. The pajamas are from my mother in law. All the other presents are delivered by Santa :) The tradition my husband and I started when we got married is cutting a live Christmas tree. It's so much fun to go pick one out! We did learn real fast that they look much smaller outside than they do in the livingroom LOL! |
~Heather
“I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” — George Washington |
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Jokamartell
True Blue Farmgirl
1055 Posts
Karen
Kennewick
WA
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - Dec 10 2022 : 6:02:20 PM
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Heather, I love your traditions!!
The only presents under our tree before Christmas are those for extended family or friends. The presents for the immediate family are put out after everyone is in bed. This tradition came from my hubby’s family. Santa doesn’t wrap presents in our house…he leaves the gift under the tree unwrapped. He and the elves were just simply too busy to be bothered with wrapping presents!! Giggles. That tradition comes from my family. Every year I make cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning. This is a tradition that we started when my girls were little. A funny side story about the cinnamon roll recipe…I copied it out of Teen magazine (in the mid 80s)…lol. Pretty sure there are not recipes or advertisements for Lane hope chests in todays teen magazines!!!! :) |
Karen :)
To quote one of my past preschoolers “Not one of those Karens, but a good Karen”! Haha |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
168 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
168 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2022 : 2:08:01 PM
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Over the years our traditions have changed or evolved to accommodate new family members. One tradition has stuck for me and I continue to do it for my kids. Growing up, Santa would write our first initial hidden on the present. So basically me and my brother had to search each box for a "K" or a "D". I have done that for my kids as well. They really enjoy searching for the letters.
Growing up we always had a Christmas party on Christmas eve with my moms side of the family. My dad always hated it and I never quite understood why. When I got married my husband's family did the same thing and it became difficult for us to make it to both parties. Then once we had kids it was even harder making it to both parties and then coming home to finish wrapping and playing Santa. I now understood why my dad hated it so bad. When Covid hit everyone canceled the Christmas eve parties. That was the best Christmas eve of my life! It was wonderful to stay home and do things with my immediate family with no stress. We haven't been to one since. That was a Christmas tradition I was happy that changed.
Krista |
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debbieklann
True Blue Farmgirl
2703 Posts
Debbie
Madras
OR
USA
2703 Posts |
Posted - Dec 12 2022 : 3:30:08 PM
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We had a fun tradition when I was growing up at home with my brother and 2 sisters. My dad worked downtown as a police officer and would come home on Christmas Eve day saying that he had seen Santa downtown that afternoon. Santa wanted us to know that he'd be by around a certain time that evening. We would go and "hide" in my parents bedroom, waiting to hear the sleigh bells. Of course, my dad never hid with us....hhhmmm....always had to be doing something about then, like feeding the animals. Our folks had a string of sleigh bells and dad would go around the house outside and shake them, then sneak back inside to where mom had left the Santa presents and he'd put them out under the tree. Then he'd come down the hall and ask us if Santa had been by and we should go check to see if it was ok to come out. Apparently, if we "saw" Santa it would scare him off....
My sisters started putting it all together one year and asked dad why he was always in the barn when Santa showed up????? So, he and my uncle switched places that year. (Good thing my uncle lived just across the pasture!) Since dad was with us, that kind of blew their theory that it was dad all along! That year my uncle threw rocks up on the roof to sound like reindeer and I heard dad muttering under his breath, like, thanks a lot, brother! It was fun times until my sisters grew out of it.
We never did the same for our 2 kids when they were growing up. When they were young, we changed gift opening until Christmas morning so they could be asleep when Santa came. When my son was about 5 he REALLY wanted to see the sleigh take off from the roof. We weren't sure how we were going to pull that one off! Luckily, he slept through it!
When they got older, we switched back to celebrating on Christmas Eve. Lots of fun memories when they were little! |
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
January 2020 FGOTM
"Well behaved women seldom make history"...
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1342 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1342 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2022 : 5:42:05 PM
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Karen - Does Santa put tags on the unwrapped gifts LOL? At my mother in laws Santa just has a different paper for each person so he doesn't have to worry about tags - or how to tell the difference between 2 Heathers. My sister in law is Heather also. We had a lot of gift exchanging after opening the first couple Christmases LOL! Cinnamon rolls sounds wonderful - and I bet you're right about the teen magazines now!!!
Krista - looking for initials sounds fun! I've never had a Christmas without someone being the gift passer-outer (not sure that's really a word, but it is in my house LOL). Isn't it funny how the things we loved as a kid become stressful as an adult - like all the Christmas get togethers.
Debbie - What fun that must have been as a kid! I was always told Santa wouldn't come if I wasn't asleep. I never imagined some people opened gifts from Santa on Christmas eve!!!
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~Heather
“I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.” — George Washington |
Edited by - nndairy on Dec 16 2022 5:43:26 PM |
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debbieklann
True Blue Farmgirl
2703 Posts
Debbie
Madras
OR
USA
2703 Posts |
Posted - Dec 16 2022 : 6:01:02 PM
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| I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one who gets stressed about family gatherings! I joke about the best Christmas I had was when I had strept throat and got to skip Christmas at my grandma’s with all of the cousins! Haha! Quiet house all to myself :) |
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
January 2020 FGOTM
"Well behaved women seldom make history"...
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
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Jokamartell
True Blue Farmgirl
1055 Posts
Karen
Kennewick
WA
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - Dec 17 2022 : 5:16:31 PM
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| Heather, there are no tags either! The gifts are so different that it wasn’t ever needed! Lol |
Karen :)
To quote one of my past preschoolers “Not one of those Karens, but a good Karen”! Haha |
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LauraBell
True Blue Farmgirl
286 Posts
Laura
Kingsville
TX
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2022 : 07:01:49 AM
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I am really enjoying reading everyone's traditions. We have a small family here so our gatherings are pretty low key.
We do Christmas Eve at my dad's - Swedish smorgasbord for late lunch/early dinner and then we open our family gifts. Christmas morning is Swedish pancakes and stockings.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Laura
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Laura
Happy to be Farmgirl #7286 |
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Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
4086 Posts
Debbie Fischer
Coos Bay
OR
4086 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2022 : 2:21:57 PM
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Big Hugs,
Debbie
Farmgirl if the Month for:
September 2012, February 2018 and September 2022
“My altars are My Mountains and the Ocean.” Lord Bryon
When I am old I am wearing Purple. I am Old!!
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Wanda Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
801 Posts
Wanda
Murrells Inlet
SC
USA
801 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2022 : 2:46:41 PM
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| Debbie, I agree wholeheartedly! |
A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel.
Wanda Sue
Farm Girl #3677
Farmgirl of the Month-August 2022 |
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Project Discussions: Traditions |
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Traditions
