(ended)Countdown contest: 36 Days Till Christmas

[sunshinecindy]

Todays game will be another favorite and hopefully some ideas for the rest of us.

Most families have some type of tradition for Christmas Eve. What is your families tradition.You'll have till midnight tonight to tell us and a chance at winning a neat little prize.

Same Rules apply http://sunshinerewardsforum.com/showthread.php?t=17569

[linanglab]

Christmas Eve is our traditional day. We go downtown cincinnati and look at all the lights and shop (well...window shop). We have a nice sit down lunch and then grab hot chocolate and sit and people watch.

We get home and the kids open their first present - their Christmas eve PJ's. It is truly a wonderful day.

[PSL1013]

Christmas Eve is our big night with the whole family, only 10 of us left now but we carry on.....we have a traditional Italian feast with all the fish dishes like scrod, smelts and calamari and a variety of dishes made with above ingredients.....if you don't like fish, you are welcome to stop by McDonalds on the way to dinner! Then we open our presents. Christmas Day is left to immediate family celebrations and the last several years since my son moved out on his own, we have been getting together for breakfast Christmas morning with him and his soon to be fiance (hopefully she will have the ring on her finger by the time we arrive?) and exchanging of gifts, then the rest of the day is open for what ever happens, either relaxing or visiting friends.

[keishashadow]

we used to have a quiet evening with a special shrimp & lobster dinner, play board games, have a glass of wine & watch a video sitting in our new pj's while the kiddos played with 1 new present they got to open. we'd send them upstairs & assemble any toys when my DSs were young

now we go to oldest DSs house & celebrate (with my ex no less, i make nice for the kids, yet really miss the good old days)

[kimbih]

We make cookies, then head to the in-laws for dinner. The kids keep track of Santa on the Norad site. When we get home, we hang our stockings, put out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer. The kids get their special new Christmas jammies on and then Daddy reads The Night Before Christmas before bed.

[faithhope]

After a wonderful big dinner, My husband reads the Christmas story, and then the presents from family are opened, in a slow manner allowing for everyone to enjoy one present before rushing to open the next.

[Pooh's Pal]

When my DD was little we would always travel to my Mom's on Christmas eve, upon our arrival, we'd head to my brother and sister-in-laws house for an open-house type dinner, with my family and hers. People would come in and out all night with a buffet set up. There was always some guy that would come around in a Santa Suit..giving candy canes to the kids. My brother and the other fathers there would always give him a few bucks. Once we noticed Bud's in his sack...we all laughed cause someone must of paid him with beers. When we arrive back at my Mom's, we'd get her to bed and my Mom and I would spend many hours wrapping and setting up all of her gifts...oh the memories of those laughs those evenings.

Little story...one year, DD was about 4, all the Unwrapped gifts were in black trash bags in our then Chevy Blazer. She was buckled in the back seat and about an hour into our drive she says; "Daddy, why are you bringing our trash to Grandmas?" We tried not to laugh and his reply was; "Grandma has a huge dumpster at her condo!" Well that was the laugh the next day and for years to come, every time we traveled to Moms on Christmas Eve!

[dparra]

we always have a christmas eve open house and celebrate with all of our family.. eating great mexican food with our loved ones (my dad is mexican, so we celebrate that on christmas eve and traditional foods on christmas day).. then head to midnight mass.. it is my favorite night of the year!

[dac921]

My parents drive in from NJ, we head over to afternoon mass and then enjoy a lite meal, watch christmas video, and the girls get to open one gift on Christmas eve... usually it's the brand new (washed) Christmas Jammies.

[JillyFish]

We have had this tradition since we bought our first home. On Christmas Eve we go to church. Afterwards we have a big party at our house. We invite family and friends. We have a buffet meal that everyone contributes to. After we eat and have visited for a while, we always sing Christmas carols before everyone goes home.