The ***OFFICIAL*** Weekend Singles' Thread -- (December 8-10, 2006) Christmas Traditions

12/08/2006 | RockinRight and Hoodlum91

[RockinRight]

We always did artificial trees. Put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving.

For Christmas, we did the big event at my Dad's side of the family, all the aunts, uncles, and cousins, about 15 of us, had dinner and behaved quite similar to the Griswolds. Always did it on Christmas Eve.

My mom's side is small, we sometimes had a dinner on Christmas day.

Nowadays, my parents are divorced, I go to my dad's or uncle's for the big event and my mom I usually just stop over for a small dinner Christmas day.

[txroadkill]

Many years ago, my dad started playing Santa for a charity kind of like Angel Tree. They would get people to pay a fee to have Santa come to their house and deliver presents and have their picture taken with their kids. It was $100 to get them to come and then they would use the money to buy gifts for needy families.

One year, his driver dropped him off at the wrong house (one of those streets that had the same name like 1st street and 1st avenue). So he goes up to the door, rings the door bell and two little kids let him in. They were all excited and grabbed his hand to take him to their mommy---who was in the bath tub!!

Luckily the lady didn't press charges and I am sure that family still tells that story every Christmas too.

He still loves to play Santa and has a suit that came from Holland and we have pictures of him with all our kids from every year of their life. When my son was 7 he figured out that it was PaPa in that suit and went to school and told everyone that his PaPa was really Santa.

Here is my dad, Santa Claus, with all of his grandchildren this year.

[RockinRight]

LOL!! The bathtub? Bad Santa!

[WFTR]

The pancake recipe in my Mom's family is what most people would call "flapjacks" or some similar name. Mom makes a small, thin pancake that's a bit denser in texture than those served in most places. No disrespect intended to anyone, anywhere, but Mom makes the best "pancakes" in the world. Making them is a great deal of work, and the effort makes the kitchen pretty hot. As a result, she doesn't make them in the summer, and somehow, we started the tradition of having them on Christmas morning. There are no children in the family anymore, so we don't have to do the whole present routine. We just get up, make pancakes, and have a late breakfast of pancakes and bacon.

Bill

[MotleyGirl70]

That's one of my all-time favorite comedies!

An 80s classic.

Audrey: Would it be indecent to ask the grandparents to stay at a hotel?

[bannie]

The tradition that we (6 siblings) always joke about is ALWAYS finding an ORANGE in our stockings. My parents both had "day jobs," but we also grew 40 acres of--yup--SUNKIST ORANGES.

I know it was partly because my Nebraska-born-blessed-mother thought oranges were traditional--and partly because filling 6 stockings could be expen$ive.

We now love that memory.

Another tradition--having to do with those orange trees: There were a number of Christmas Eves during which we all went out and lit smudge pots to keep the oranges from freezing. I recall several nights hollering to each other--just at midnight--"Merry Christmas!" It was a contest to see who could yell it first but not before midnight.

I love my family.

:-)

[Karliner]

We got our Christmas tree from this nice little tree farm next to an off ramp in Aptos. Yep, got the old stepmom so enebriated we had her get out the saw and just cut one down. Next day after she awakens we show her the "Christmas tree farm" where she received such a good deal.

But who was the fellah I gave the $20.00 to?"

"Eh nevermind." ( Went to a case of Tuborg beer and something for glaucoma heh, bought it from a guy named Bubba Clinton).

That Christmas we were very poor so we had this white elephant sorta thing. I had a bundle(9) of brothers and sisters anyway so it was nothing new. My loving sis picked me, knew I loved the ocean, and wrapped something that stunk the whole house up something fierce. So, I opened it early on Christmas Eve which was the tradition...for that year. She ended up with the fruit cake I left in a box and forgotten for ten years.

Lo and behold she got me this huge ugly cracked white shell from the beach with a very dead hermit crab.Ha ha, the only white trash hermit crab in the Bay. I still have the shell though AND the "play-Doh" dinosaur she made with a tack sticking out it's butt. Yeah, that one was supposed to be the "sticky-back" prior to sticky backs. Obviously we had a lot of fun but Christams traditions were pretty rare.

[bannie]

Maybe the traditions weren't made...but the memories sound great!

Who knew that the memories wouldn't be the Tiny Tears dolls, the woodburning kit or the electric rollers--but about the laughing over the silly things?

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

My mother's side of the family celebrates Christmas on Jan 8th.

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

How is it going, I think I might actually agree with you, I have never had your mom's pancakes, but they sound great. I never really got into pancakes because they never seemed to be done in the middle or they were dried out. But your mom's sounds incredible. I never knew the difference between flapjacks and pancakes. Thanks.

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

Hey, how did you get here? lol

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

Went to a case of Tuborg beer

Wow I haven't thought about that beer in a long time.

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

Her birthday is Sunday

Just don't say to her Merry Birthday. Congrats and have fun.

[darkangel82]

I haven't thought about beer in a long time either, but I'm not supposed to be drinking anyway.

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

I have to have at least one a night, that doesn't sound good.

[MotleyGirl70]

[darkangel82]

Well, an alcohol problem is the last thing I need right now, so I've sworn it off for a while.

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

I love that one ;)

[Dmitry Vukicevich]

Well, an alcohol problem is the last thing I need right now.

I hope everything is okay?

If I ever find myself needing a drink, I lock it up for a while as well.

[RockinRight]

Hey peeps. Checking in.