This is a page about what some of our members do on Christmas. I hope you enjoy some of our stories. For "2003".

"grammyof9_ca"
We used to have Christmas at home until our daughter (first child) got married and started her family. Then it seemed easier on them if we went down there Christmas Eve and open all our gifts together on Christmas morning. So, my husband, myself, and our son (second and last child) would pack up and we would take our gifts down to their house and after Christmas dinner, we would usually head for home.

When our son married, Nancy made number 4 for us traveling to our daughters. When Nancy and our son started having children we still carried on the tradition of going to our daughters. Her family of 2 boys, didn't want us to change, they looked forward to us coming every year, so that is what we do. On the way home on Christmas day, we try to stop in at our son's to see all the gifts, but sometimes the weather doesn't like to co-operate. We all had a great festive holiday, and grammy and grampy were very tired by the time we got home, but very happy.

Now, I hope someone will pick this message up and post what you do on your holiday?

~~grammy~~

"brochmordha"
Well, until I moved out when I was 19, my twin brother and I would of course always spend Christmas at home with my parents. Once we moved out though, I think the two of us would always manage to stay at my parent's house on Christmas Eve to celebrate the next day. After opening all of our presents on the 25th, we would head down to visit my Papa (mom's dad) and also there would be at least 6-7 of my mom's brothers and sisters and their spouses and kids. Lots of noise, laughing, smoke, gossip, great smells from the kitchen and chocolate and candy *G*

Then off to my Grampy and Nanny's (my dad's father and stepmoms) and visit with them and about 6 of my dad's siblings and their spouses and kids, lol. Usually the same gossip and noise and laughter, but now with additions of Italian cakes courtesy of my uncle Giulio (who is Italian), some Chivas Regal and my grampy's great soup.

Then home to my parent's once again, where we veg out, lol, and wait for all those family members to visit US at my folks home on Boxing day.

This year - my first Christmas with my gf - we will spend Christmas Eve/Day at our own place, with her brother and his new fiancee joining us. Later on Christmas day Bekah and I hope to get to my Papa's and Nanny and Grampy's, then off to my folks to have dinner with them and my brother opening more presents, lol.

That's our Christmas this year - it should be fun. Next person? :)

Chris

"oldbeatlefan53"
When I was young, we would all go to my mother's brothers house for Christmas Eve. My aunt would prepare a full Christmas dinner and we would all sit around and listen to Christmas music, talk and enjoy ourselves before the dinner. Our whole family, aunts and cousins included, would be there, also some of the kids could bring a friend and there were adult friends of the family there too. I don't know how my aunt managed it, but everything was always hot and scrumptious. We would have turkey and all the trimmings, lasagna and salad, pickles, etc. My mother would bring in lasagna cuz everyone in the family thought that she made the best sauce in the neighbourhood and she did. Always pumpkin pie for dessert if you could still eat another bite. And at midnight the family would go to midnight mass at St. Pat's Church.

Then we would get home and we were allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve. We got to choose which one it would be. I always chose a small one because I liked the anticipation of opening those bigger boxes early - very early - Christmas morning. On Christmas day, we woke up really early, received our presents, (I think I wrote to the list about my best Christmas when I was 11!) and then clean up the mess of wrapping paper and ribbons. We would play with the toys, or read the books or admire whatever we got. My mother was up very early cooking the turkey and making the stuffing, etc. It seems to me, and I may be having a senior moment here, but turkeys took longer to cook in those days. The smell of cooking turkey and simmering sauce would be throughtout the house. This was our special family day and we would spend it together just us. We would be having the same dinner on Christmas day that we had the night before. But no one minded. It wasn't often that we got to eat like kings. With 8 kids in the family, it was mostly pasta or tuna noodle casserole (yuk) or home made macaroni & cheese (we ate ALOT of pasta in those days. - lol). We always invited my aunt Kate who never married and lived alone, but she always refused to come for dinner. She was always there on Christmas Eve though. Anyway, after dinner, we would make a plate for Aunt Kate and bring it over to her. My grandmother, uncles and aunts and us, all lived on one block that my grandmother owned all the houses on. Of course, when her kids got married she gifted them with the house they were living in. I digress. Anyway, we would take the plate over to Anut Kate and spend some time with her. She was our favourite aunt and she passed away in 1984. She would never open her presents. She said she preferred to do it the next day. By this time, we were all over tired and went home and went to bed early.

After my mother died in 1980, the Christmas Eve ritual did not seem the same at my aunts house. And 1980 was the last Christmas Eve we spent there. Everyone was grown now and had families of their own. And a lot of the relatives were not there anymore. It just wasn't the same. I miss those days. But after 1980, we would all go to my brother's house for boxing day dinner. Mary (his wife) is German so she would make some special German dishes and we would have left over turkey etc. from their Christmas dinner.

My brother died in 2000, so we do not go there anymore. She found someone else in record time as far as I am concerned. Again, I digress. Christmas Eve and Day from 1983 to 1993, I would go to my husband's (now ex-husband) family's house where we would have the traditional turkey, stuffing, etc. We always had to have turnips included in the meal for some reason. Jamie's dad hated turnips but he insisted on eating them, and we all had to eat them too. At least we would all have to take a spoonful, whether we ate them or not was a different story. Starting 1994 I would go to my sister's house for Christmas dinner. She never had turkey. She would make a special pasta dish that her husband liked and some special hash brown recipe that she liked and there was cold cuts and pickles, etc. Not very traditional, but it was nice to be with some family. Since I have been with Bruce since 1994 we have gone to Windsor twice to be with his cousin on Christmas, and once to Hamilton to have Christmas with his parents and once to Amhurstburg to visit friends. There is no tradition anymore. Except, I still open one gift on Christmas Eve. Bruce hates Christmas and does not come with me to my sisters. He is a scrooge. Bah, humbug is his middle name between Dec. 15 until Jan 3rd. This year my sister, her husband and her 2 kids and all their inlaws are going out to dinner on Christmas day. So, I am trying to organize something with my younger brother, but nothing is settled yet. Only 10 days left!!

Sorry, this was so long and rambling. Gerri

"johnhoul"
It's going to be quite, just how I like it, up to the daughters for lunch and the afternoon, more than likely it will be watching movies, and knowing them pair it will be a kids cartoon session, A Bugs Life, Toy Story, Ice Age and Monster Inc., don't tell them but I enjoyed them all, by the way the kids are 20 and 18 and I am 48 going on 10. I am also wondering what tools I need to take, example Father's day, come for dinner, finished up putting up a dart board, repairing garage door, cleaning out a rabbit cage, attaching beads to a door frame, paying for the vegetables and helping mum to cook dinner, it was fun. Christmas dinners you are all talking about does take me back to far off days and colder climates, unually we are in the 30's temp. wise so it's salads and barbacues, certainly Christmas no longer as the charm for us of yesteryear, I don't know what our kids will remember in years to come.

John

"sandra_battist"
My son and I used to get up Christmas morning open what presents were here and then go into my parents. We would wait till my brother and his wife came over and then open the presents there. We would have our dinner there. Sometimes during the day my sister and brother (his wife and step-daughter) would call from Yellowknife. Then I would come home and my son would stay with his grandparents. Since my mother has passed on we go to my brother place and my dad and his lady friend come over. The rest of the day is the same as before except my son comes home with me.

Sandra

"mjalyn"
Well growing up Christmas's were always at my parents house and we always had stockings. After we got married, they have changed.

1st year - Florida, visiting his family. The next day we went to Disneyworld
2nd year - quiet and at home
3rd year - at hospital giving birth to Nathaniel w/my parents there
4th year - Sly's at sea, misses Nathaniel's 1st birthday, at my parents with brother, sil and their 2 kids
5th year - at a friend's house having roast pork.
6th year - at home w/my parents there
7th year - at friend's house having roast pork.
This year - at friend's house for the last time : ( before we move.
Next year - in Hawaii hopefully with most of my family there! Including cousins from Australia.
We always would have plum pudding with Christmas dinner w/caramel sauce, whipping cream, and rum butter. Unfortunatley we haven't been able to do that every year since we were married. We have kept going on the stockings, it is something that our kids love. We don't open our presents until Christmas day. And we always get up early and have a nice breakfast and watch the disney parade on tv.

Marea

"ghurrghee"
Since I moved to the West Coast with the Navy and got married in Victoria every year was spent with my wife's family. They are Danish and brought many of their traditions with them. Christmas is celebrated on the evening of the 24th. It would start with all the family assembling at Grampa and Grandma's home. After catching up on the latest news etc., we all sat down to a sumptious meal and stuffed ourselves as my mother in law was a great cook. For dessert it was almond flavoured rice pudding with cherry sauce (red and white Denmarks colours) and whoever got the whole almond received an "almond gift", then the ladies would have their little bottle of "why not" as they cleaned the dishes. After topping up everyones refreshments the lights were turned down low, the christmas tree was toted to the centre of the room and all joined hands and walked around the christmas tree singing christmas carols with each trying to drown out grandpa booming voice. Our family "choir" usually did about 15 or so carols, then topped up our refreshments again and a selected child passed out the presents one at a time so we could all see what each other got. Eventually we got through with sleeping kids and all around midnight. After grandma passed on, the dinners were held at my house with all the family coming over,,,,, and ALL the traditions were carried on with the children being the most vocal if anything was passed over until it was made right. Our christmases are truly memorable.

Garth