What are your Holday Traditions / Routines?

[SoCal gunner]

I thought I'd start up the thread where we could share some of our holiday traditions.

Besides waiting for the fat guy in the red suit baking cookies, cooking up a Christmas dinner and some of the more common activities, our family traditionally cooks up a batch of hot cocoa, we all pile into the family truckster and drive around looking at Christmas lights while sipping on said cocoa.

But one of the, and it's such a simple thing, we look forward to is is breaking out a set of bells that my grandfather would always jingle before we opened presents. He always told us always told us as kids that came off of the reindeer harness. And believe me as a kid I just knew they were real and the story was true!
Fast forward many years and even though my kids are teenagers now we still can't start Christmas until we get those bells out and give him a jingle through the house. Every time we do it takes me back and I have the biggest smile on my face.

[SoCal gunner]

Picture of Bells

[Old Smokey]

My Christmas traditions have sadly totally changed since my children have all grown up, married and have children of their own. Which I understand they have in-laws to celebrate with, but it seems they have abandoned our family traditions and have adopted their spouses family traditions. We still get to spend time with everyone on Christmas, but it usually later in the day. Don't get me wrong, we still have a great time, it's just different.

[SoCal gunner]

Dang, no one else up for some Holiday Chit-Chat?

[Cigarer]

Going through a transition myself as far as tradition, however one thing has not changed. All of us kids gather at my parents Christmas Eve, many nieces and nephews there now and they are adopting my parents tradition of hot cocoa, and reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas. Other then that haven't really found much for my own tradition, however it may just be smoking a cigar which I unofficially started tonight

[TCBSmokes]

Nice story SoCal...and those bells look quite authentic!

[allusred]

Recall visiting relatives on Christmas day,they were all a good deal older than me. Tho most of them lived well into their ninetes they're all gone.
I'm the ancient one now, the relatives younger.

[WNYTONY]

My wife invites half the world over for dinner, way too many people. I wind out grilling steaks out in the snow and cold, but not long enough to enjoy a stogie of course. There's way too much food and cleanup takes forever - especially when you're stuffed LOL.
But hey - it's tradition

[Cigarer]

Hey steaks on the grill sounds pretty darn good!

[WNYTONY]

Hey steaks on the grill sounds pretty darn good!

They were but it was in the teens and snowing when I was out grilling. Half hour of frigid for a dozen tasty NY Strips - I guess I can live with it !