DownSyn Forum

Kerry · Posted: November 17 2003, 1:26 PM Post subject:

Now that my oldest is getting to the point where she can enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm trying to think of ways that we can make the holidays fun for her. When I was growing up, the most creative thing we did was make Christmas cookies and leave them for Santa. Do any of you have holiday traditions that your kids love, that I may pass along to Jenna and Cailin?

Kerry

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Mom to Jenna (10/26/00), Cailin (Ds 3/18/03)and Ryan (4/7/05)

naomid · Posted: November 17 2003, 2:48 PM Post subject:

This will be Callum's first Christmas, but here's what we did as kids.

We'd all decorate the tree together and lots of the ornaments were things that we'd made as kids, so there'd be lots of reminising about who made what and when.

Christmas Eve we'd leave out carrotts for the reindeer and mince pies and beer for Santa. Then we'd all go to bed with a stocking (usually a pair of woolly tights/panty hose) lying at the bottoms of our beds. We'd wake up early and we could feel this heavy lump at the bottom of our beds. We were allowed to open stockings anytime after 5am, and we'd usually all end up in the same bed. The stockings had lots of little presents all wrapped up with a satsuma at the bottom of each toe. The presents would be little things to keep us amused for a few hours, colouring books, jokes, magazines, toy cars, small amounts of chocolate, etc.

At 7am we were allowed to wake up any adults in the house if they weren't awake already! We'd all have breakfast together and the present un wrapping started at 10am. We'd all sit around the tree with carols playing in the background and each person got 1 present at a time and we'd all ooh and ahh over whatever people got all the while wondering if that big present at the back had our name on it. This usually took a while as they're were usually about 8 of us.

We'd all have a little job to do, laying the table, collecting up all the wrapping paper, peeling potatoes, etc. We'd all eat Christmas dinner at around 3pm and then go for a walk afterwards.

We loved the anticipation of the presents and just relaxing as a family.

Naomi

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Naomi
Mum to Callum (DS) 3/03 and Kieran 8/04
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vonda · Posted: November 17 2003, 3:30 PM Post subject:

Every year, along with our big tree, I put a small tree in each of my children's room's with decorations on each of something they like. This entire week my oldest daughters and I have been making snowmen out of clay, fabric and other things. We love snowmen and have quite a collection. We bake cookies together and every year we make a huge gingerbread house together. We also put cookies and milk out for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. When the kids are in bed, and when I think they are JUST about asleep, I go outside and shake a big bunch of bells, which sounds like Santa's sled. You should just HEAR them in the morning telling how they heard Santa's sleigh! Vonda

Emdad · Posted: November 17 2003, 4:43 PM Post subject:

Beer for Santa, ho - ho - HO! Very Happy

We've adopted one tradition from my childhood with Sam, so far. It's a large ribbon-thing with 24 yarn ties,each with a piece of candy attached for the days in Dec. leading up until Christmas. We've changed it from bedtime to first thing in the morning, but it's a way to count down to the big day. There's a poem at the top pertaining to it that I can relate if desired.
We also do the stuff for Santa and his reindeer. We've also been tracking Santa's path on the Internet the past couple of years on New Year's Eve. . .

Heidi · Posted: November 20 2003, 9:14 AM Post subject:

Naomi, your Christmas sounds sooo like ours was when we were children-no TV, just lots of family time and stockings full of little pressies-the bigger stuff came from family. We have a strange tradition on Christms Day-I have to eat one sprout (ugh!) if Rob eats one piece of parsnip (ugh from him!)-we never cook them the rest of the year!!

We have to put out a plate of mince pies and a glass of port for Father Christmas, and carrots and milk for the reindeer. The first year we did this, Daniel was concerned that Santa would not be able to get down our chimney as we had a Parkray fire, so all sealed in. We persauded him that Santa would use his magic dust and all would be well in the morning.......Rob decided that 'Santa' would have to leave some magic dust, to convince Daniel he was real-for magic dust read glitter....Christmas morning came and Daniel rushed downstairs, only to rush straight back up to say Santa had been, Rudolph had eaten the carrots, spilt some of the milk and there was magic dust ALL OVER the carpet........Rob had gone to town after I had put the tray out, just to make it authentic!!!!

Of course each year now it has to be the same, so my first job is hoovering up the magic dust!!!

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Heidi

Sally/Grandma to Mya · Posted: November 20 2003, 9:28 AM Post subject:

This brings back so many wonderful memories from my childhood. I have three brothers, two older and one younger. On Christmas morning, we were not allowed in the living room until mom and dad were up. Dad was always already up. we had a door that led from the hall to the living room so that door was always shut. I remember that when Dad would bring Mom her coffee we would all scamper to see if we could peak through the door. We did leave cookies and milk out for Santa and his reindeer. Then when Mom was ready we would line up in the hall way. Oldest to youngest one year, the opposite the next year. And sometimes..being the only girl, I got to go first. Then the door would open and the magic began. We were pretty poor growing up. My most vivid memory is the year that my Grandma had sent bikes for us. The living room was so lit up and sparkly that morning. And in the basket that hung on my handlebars was a stuffed snoopy. I still have my snoopy. I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

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Mya's Grandma

LoveMyLivi · Posted: November 21 2003, 12:27 AM Post subject:

I don't think our family traditions vary much from the cookies 'n milk for Santa, gifts in the morning ect. I do have a funny memory from my chilhood. My older brother, being quite the intellectual, told me that Santa was a myth. After all, the notion that some old man could get around the world in one night in a sleigh loaded with gifts for every child, a sleigh powered by reindeer no less - ridiculous! He always made me feel sooo stupid! Then, on Christmas Eve, Mr. Miller from down the street made a believer of him. You see, the family dogs escaped from the yard and Mr. Miller went out looking - driving slowly through the neighborhood hollering out of his lowered window. When my brother got up in the morning, he was sure he had heard Jolly Saint Nick saying "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!" (I'm not sure how "Rexy and Ladybug come home" sounded like that but it still makes me laugh to this day!)

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Veronika

Lucky Mom to Levi 20, Zachary 14, Fiona 11,
& my social butterfly...Olivia Lianne (11/22/02-DS) :)along with her faithful sidekick York

samantha's mom · Posted: November 21 2003, 12:38 AM Post subject:

Well for me and the 5 children I have we take the Sunday before Christmas and make all kinds of cookies and fudge and we listen to the record (yeah record!) of the Muppets Christmas (It is what I listened to and did with my mom all my life) The night before Christmas we all make nametags for our stockings and hang them on the fireplace. Then 5 days before Christmas we all decorate the tree (I put the lights and the garland on and the kids do the rest). On Christmas morning the kids can get up and look at thier stockings and can not get us up until 6am. Then they show us what they have in thier stocking and then proceed to open the presents. The night before they all write Santa a letter and they leave cookies, milk and carrots. Elizabeth

Myztri · Posted: November 21 2003, 7:14 AM Post subject:

well, to start with, for the whole month before, we listen to the records (also, yes VINYL!) of the merle haggard christmas (santa clause and popcorn- bobby wants a puppydog..) and all i want for christmas is my two front teeth, At LEAST once a day. My dad and I used to go pick out a tree together, but then we found out he was allergic to xmas trees, so we now climb up to the attic together to get the fake one down! We also get down the fence that my dad made to go around it to keep the kids and pets out, as well as the fence decorations that my dad and i made together. (getting that im a daddys girl yet?)
We always sit and laugh while my mom fights with the lights, and then I get to decorate it.
The final few days, I go crazy and make dozens upon dozens of cookies. Around the 20th, we have the get together on my dads side (all 120 of us) at the union hall. we do the gift exchange with the younger kids (that ends at 1 Cool

and get presents from our grandmother on that side. Also lots of food exchanging.. its a huge pot luck. thats usually where i unload all of my cookies.
Now, the rest depends on whose house were having xmas eve at.. if its my moms, we do xmas day at my grandmothers, and vise versa. Usually, we do xmas eve at my grannys. If we do it there, ALL the presents go there. There were so many with just 20 of us that the gifts came out more that 3 feet around the tree. Started small, but as the family grows, so do the gifts. ( my family will wrap a pack of crayons seperate... more to unwrap!) We used to dish out the presents to everyone, then go in a circle.. one person unwrapping all, then the next, but that started taking too mucht ime, so now we deal them all out and the great grandkids unwrap, thent he grandkids, then the parents and grandparents. After that we munch and talk about whats been going on in the year.
( i know.. a novel huh!)
that night, wel put out cookies, carrots, celery and milk... and of course santa eats some of each and leaves a note of thanks. The kids can get up any time after 5 am... they usually go back to sleep anyway! Stocking havent been stocking for years! My parents always went overboard. Fresh fruit (bananas, apples, pears, oranges, kiwis sometimes), fresh nuts (every kind you can imagine) and candy candy candy... little trinkets.. earrings, jewelry, cd's... so now stockings are small boxes of goodies! We all get up and get to cooking. We have a HUGE dinner.. everyone cooks something.. usually turkey, ham, mac n cheese, cornbread dressing, grean beans, rolls, green rice, deviled eggs, veggie tray, mashed potaoes, cranberry sause and about 30 desserts!
We just hang around and have a GREAT time!
Sorry this is a novel guys.. lol.. I LOVE the family fun!

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Nicola · Posted: November 22 2003, 9:23 PM Post subject:

Aussie traditions are always a little bit different from the American ones. For a start it is likely to be over 100 degrees here at Christmas so poor Santa sweats like nothing else in his winter suit so the beer for Santa is an absolute must. Forget about stockings, we put out sacks the size of pillow slips that have Christmas scenes on them. In the days between school finishing and Christmas my kids always dream up a Christmas play, so there is great excitement in making sets and costumes. On Christmas eve we go to church, and then drive around the streets and look at the Christmas lights on all the houses in the area. All the presents on Christmas morning of course, and then the kids put on their play. If we are staying home for Christmas (we don't have family close by) we might go down to the beach after the big lunch, and generally half of our village will be there.

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Mum to Brendan 18, Chiara 17, Kiernan 15, Aidan 13, Lachlan 12, Gianna 10 (DS) and Sienna 8.
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