Simplefying the Holidays

[Owlie]

I don't do parties. I love baking, so I do a few batches of cookies. (One of those has to be oatmeal cookies, and we freeze them, so they last for a while unless DBF finds them...)

I have my tiny tree that I wrapped with lights my first year of college. My family does a big tree, a second tree in the basement (I do not know why, because we don't spend a lot of time down there, but decorating it is my dad's pet project), and one little one for the table in the entry hall. My mom does a few table-top decorations and lit wreaths for the windows. We do outdoor lights too, but they're low-key and don't take very long to put up, once we've found the lights. We like it.

I did Christmas cards last year for close friends from college. I figure people like getting mail that's not a bill. I don't know if I'll do it again this year. Maybe for two people.

Gifts are the hard thing. DBF and I get each other something useful or consumable (often tea), and then something silly.

[shootingstar]

The most elaborate thing we do is preparing for Christmas dinner (on Christmas Eve) and buying presents.

I left behind my Christmas tree in another city....so hmmm. The spirit will live on in other ways.

[limewave]

We used to draw names for the big family Christmas, but the last few years we have done Dirty Santa instead--it's easier and a lot more fun! If you want to participate you bring a wrapped gift to exchange. Everyone draws a number and then you get to open gifts in the order that you drew. After the first person goes, the next person can either steal a gift already opened or open a new one. If someone had their gift stolen, they get to open another gift. After all the presents are open, we draw numbers AGAIN and the real fun begins. Everyone "steals" a gift in the order of the numbers drawn. For once, being last really pays :-)

[marni]

We celebrate Sinterklass on or around Dec. 5th with a small open house for members of the local guild we belong to as well as our few biking friends. Christmas is one or two small gifts of things specifically asked for or gift certificates. We all cook dinner together, and I always make several traditional festive foods for breakfast brunch. I don''t do Christmas cards but since I don't communicate by letter very often and a lot of my family and friends are not that into computers, I always write a New Years' letter, rehash of a few noteable events from the year.

My oldest son, who came out from Washington DC to spend Thanksgiving with us got back and commented that "Christmas had arrived and vomited all over the place over the weekend." That's about the best description I have ever heard for the sudden appearance of festive decor and how I feel about it. Of course here in stepford wives style Katy, they have been up since just after Halloween on all the public sites. But Christmas sure vomited all over the neighborhood with lights, ornaments, 20' inflatable things and 8 foot snow globes over the weekend. Where oh where are the strong winds when we really need them?

just sayin.

marni

[ny biker]

My oldest son, who came out from Washington DC to spend Thanksgiving with us got back and commented that "Christmas had arrived and vomited all over the place over the weekend." That's about the best description I have ever heard for the sudden appearance of festive decor and how I feel about it. Of course here in stepford wives style Katy, they have been up since just after Halloween on all the public sites. But Christmas sure vomited all over the neighborhood with lights, ornaments, 20' inflatable things and 8 foot snow globes over the weekend. Where oh where are the strong winds when we really need them?

just sayin.

marni

Honestly, I'm offended by this. Just because you don't enjoy decorating doesn't mean it's okay to insult the people who do. Peace on earth, good will towards men, etc.

re: developing your own traditions, I have no traditions of my own, unless you count traveling to my parents' house for vacation every year. As a family, some new traditions sort of developed on their own as my siblings had kids. My sister usually cooks dinner for me, my parents, her in-laws, and anyone else who's around (some years one of my other siblings and their family will spend the day with us all). We used to do a Christmas Eve get-together with various family members, but it's generally pretty flexible. There's always a visit to my cousin's house for dinner or dessert at some point during the holiday week. Basically we just have the goal of spending time with the extended family but also allowing each nuclear family to do their own thing.

Some years back my mother found a recipe for "holiday french toast" in a magazine, and she now makes it every year on Christmas morning for us. So that's become a tradition, regardless of who is visiting that year and where we might be going later in the day.

[malkin]

To make a new tradition, find something you like and keep doing it!

[indysteel]

To make a new tradition, find something you like and keep doing it!

I know....but I'd love to hear how other couples/people have addressed it. In talking with friends, it seems like a lot of them struggle with how to balance what they've always done with their families of origin with developing their own thing as a new couple or family. Some of my friends have used their young children as an excuse to sort of break free a bit, but we don't have that excuse. Plus, I'd love to hear some more about what other people's holiday traditions are.

[Melalvai]

W"Christmas had arrived and vomited all over the place over the weekend."

Ha ha, that is just what it looks like! I like a few lights and decorations, but people do go overboard. You'd like the Krampus, which is the "bad cop" to Santa's "good cop"!

[Crankin]

One of the holiday traditions around where I live, that I like, is that people only use white Christmas lights, and there are no gaudy displays of anything on lawns. This seems to be a tradition in the "historical/colonial" towns west of Boston. It's very pretty, especially when there is snow. But, outside of this area, you see the huge displays. You know, the ones where people go to "visit" the lights and block traffic for miles?
I really don't want to go to my clinic's holiday party. When I am done with my last client, I just want to go home.

[jessmarimba]

One of the holiday traditions around where I live, that I like, is that people only use white Christmas lights, and there are no gaudy displays of anything on lawns. This seems to be a tradition in the "historical/colonial" towns west of Boston. It's very pretty, especially when there is snow. But, outside of this area, you see the huge displays. You know, the ones where people go to "visit" the lights and block traffic for miles?

I tried using just white lights - it's hard than you'd think, now. I use LEDs, chose "cool white" (because there are different colors of "white") and all the same brand - and they're STILL three different colors. My fence is almost purple, except for the last 20 feet which are more bluish (an extra small string to reach the end) and the lights on the roofline are much whiter. The house across the street also used white, and their lights are a different "cool" white than mine.