Holiday Tradition

[Dr. Shane]

Tell us about a holiday tradition in your home.

• Drinking egg nog
• Hanging mistletoe
• Decorating the tree together
• Baking cookies
• Going to the Nutcracker
• Sledding in the snow
• Drinking hot apple cider
• Something unique to your holiday experience

[Nan]

Unfortunately as my children's parents are no longer married to each other,

we have had to devise a way to keep everyone happy.

They come to our house for brunch, around 9.30-10 am. We have an appropriate

meal buffet style and after that a Kris Kringle for the adult presents. The

children's presents are separate.

We have a good day together and then they can go to their father's house for the

evening meal. We do not have a noon meal as such, there is plenty to eat for

anyone who wants to do so.

This has worked well for us, fairly low key but a good family time.

I have developed my own personal tradition of paying an early morning visit to

the hospital where I work most to get pictures of the working staff with their

Christmas decorations.

[GreatLakesGramma]

Now that the kids are grown and gone, we don't do the things we used to. We can't even get together with them anymore, since they've moved far away. But we talk on the phone and take videos with my digital camera to send them, so they can see us opening the gifts they sent us.

We used to always drive around to see the holiday lighting, about a week before Christmas.

[Dottie]

The night before Christmas, when excitement has peaked, we drive around the neighborhood for about an hour, looking at everyone's Christmas lights, listening to carols on CD.s or on the radio.

Christmas day-just opening presents and eating a Christmas dinner with my daughter and youngest son. The others live about 2500 miles away.

[Liz]

We have tons of traditions that we do. But one that I can tell that won't cause a controversy is this one.

We either fix a goody basket or buy one of those fruit baskets from the grocery store, and put a little note with it that says something like "You have been Decked and Jingled--Merry Christmas from your neighbors" then we place it on the porch of some random neighbor. So that when they open their door there is this surprise gift.

Usually they never find out it is us, and we never know what they think of it. But one year, we did this to a widow woman, and several months later, we were all together and she was talking about finding this basket of goodies on her porch, and she just went on and on about how nice she thought it was. It still gives me a warm-fuzzy thinking about it; and that was several years ago.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I don't do anything for Christmas now.

When I was a kid, our family would always go up to Seattle for Christmas with my grandparents. Open up presents on Christmas Eve. My brother and I would hang up special knitted stockings my mom had made, and hang them at the fireplace. We'd set out cookies and milk for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. (They'd be gone in the morning!) My mom always made special Christmas cookies - about 5 different kinds, and divinity, fudge, penuche, and spiced walnuts. Christmas dinner would always be turkey, dressing, candied yams, salads, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

I'd always go with my Dad to pick out the Christmas tree. We had lights and ornaments for the tree, but no lights for outside - too expensive.

When my Dad taught public high school, he would change into a Santa Claus outfit at school and go around to all the classrooms, interrupt the class, and throw candy canes and other treats to all the students - they loved it. We found out later that that was the only Christmas present some of the students got. (It was/is a very inner-city school).

After my grandparents had both died, it was basically just me, my Mom and my Dad for Christmas - brother had Christmas with his wife's family ever since he got married. Now that it's just me and my Mom, she does a little decorating at her house, but I don't at mine. I'll eat a bit of lunch with her on Christmas Day. Nothing special anymore.

[Dr. Shane]

One tradition we have been doing for the past number of years is going to the Zoo Night of Lights. We went this evening. They have the zoo all decorated, a lot of good live bands and choirs, good food and the Marine Reserves read Christmas stories to the kids.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

They have ZooLights in Portland, too. Never been to it, but heard it's very nice..

There's a little village about 7 miles from my home. All the residents at the village decorate their homes and farm vehicles with lights for Christmas. People come from over 50 miles away just to see the place at night. It's pretty cool. At least it *was* - a couple years ago, vandals came in the early morning hours and trashed a lot of the decorations on everyone's property. So there's been a moratorium on the extensive decorations now.

[Neil D]

Shameless plug for Shore Acres State Park's Christmas lighting....

http://www.shoreacres.net/16thHolidayLights.htm

For those of you who may travel to the Coos Bay Area, you might want to check this out. The lights are gorgeous, [on par with Disney's Light parade, sort of] and there is snacks and apple juice/hot cider and locals choirs and groups who sing and do various readings....it's a nice Christmas tradition for the area.....