Dumb Kwestion #61 - Christmas Traditions

It seems like it's been forever since we had an entry in the Dumb Kwestion category.
Since Christmas is coming up I thought now would be a good time to ask about any Christmas traditions you might have.  Even silly ones.

Do you go around in the evenings and sing songs to your neighbors (called "Caroling" in the U.S.)?
Do you have any special Christmas decorations?
Do you watch specific movies every Christmas time?
What about foods?  I know a guy who grills hot-wings every Christmas (he starts out the day before by boiling them in beer).
Do you have any other traditions around Christmas time?
Do you even celebrate Christmas?  (we did know a Christian family who refused to celebrate Christmas, and birthdays)

My wife tries to get us to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street" (the 1947 version) every year.
I really like "The Muppet's Christmas Carol" and try to watch that (but usually alone... for some reason nobody else with watch it with me).
My wife and I usually make fudge every year, and when we had kids at home I would make frosted sugar cookies with them.
My wife likes to put up the Christmas Tree the day after Thanksgiving.  We had a German exchange student one year who was shocked by that.  Apparently in Germany her mother would put up the tree every Christmas Eve (by herself) after the children had gone to bed.
So what do you do most every year that is special?

I haven't gone caroling in many, many moons.
I have an ornament of Opus from Bloom County fame that reads "Merry Kissmas".
We watch a bunch of Christmas movies from Elf to While You Were Sleeping.
We've been known to order Chinese from time to time.
We like to drive around and look at lights.  We don't do it every year but now and again.
Yes, we celebrate Christmas.

Xid wrote:

I haven't gone caroling in many, many moons.
I have an ornament of Opus from Bloom County fame that reads "Merry Kissmas".
We watch a bunch of Christmas movies from Elf to While You Were Sleeping.
We've been known to order Chinese from time to time.
We like to drive around and look at lights.  We don't do it every year but now and again.
Yes, we celebrate Christmas.

My adult daughter loves Elf and tries to watch it every year.
We are giving serious thought to going out for Chinese this Christmas Eve (as it will just be me and Mrs. Staybrite... she works on Christmas evening this year).
Mrs Staybrite is really pushing to make me take her to look at some big lighting event this Christmas.  I'm not sure exactly where, I was listening all that well.

My bro, Dad, and I plan on opening presents thos weekend. My presents for everyone should all drop the 21st...digital Amazon gift cards.

Apart from listening to a bit of TSO, I don't get caught up in much Christmas music. I avoid Mariah Carey and the cheesiness of what passes itself off as Xmas tuneage.

This year we're going to see the Nutcracker.  I have never seen it so it should be an experience.  I'm really looking forward to the live music part.

I love Christmas music, though I'm not necessarily fond of every version out there.

Normaniac wrote:

My bro, Dad, and I plan on opening presents thos weekend.   My presents for everyone should all drop the 21st...digital Amazon gift cards.  

Apart from listening to a bit of TSO, I don't get caught up in much Christmas music.  I avoid Mariah Carey and the cheesiness of what passes itself off as Xmas tuneage.

My wife loves Christmas music... all kinds.  I'm pretty much stuck listening to a wide variety of stuff even if I don't want to.
The other day she was playing an Amazon playlist that was all instrumental Christmas stuff, classical, jazzy etc.  It actually wasn't too bad, and much better than listening to Mariah Scary and other terrible pop Christmas tunes.

Xid wrote:

This year we're going to see the Nutcracker.  I have never seen it so it should be an experience.  I'm really looking forward to the live music part.

I love Christmas music, though I'm not necessarily fond of every version out there.

I saw a performance of the Nutcracker several years ago, done by a regional ballet company.  I'd never been to the ballet before, but I really liked it.

Every year Christmas morning we have cinnamon rolls for breakfast. There used to be a shop that made incredible rolls that were huge by normal standards. Then they closed down and and started making them at home. They weren’t quite as big but still good. Then we ended up getting Grands in the can from the store. 

After breakfast we wait till about 9 to Skype with my bro and his wife. They live up north so rarely see them except for every Christmas morn via the web. Except this year will be just myself at moms place seeing them without dad there. 


That reminded me of something. Last year without telling anyone, they showed up a few days before Christmas and was in town to see dad for the holidays. I know that meant a lot to him.

Oh man, I remember when the kids were quite a bit younger we did the fresh cinnamon roll thing on Christmas morning as well.  They were just those cheap Pillsbury Grands, but the kids were so happy to have cinnamon rolls.
My wife works this Christmas and all our kids are away this Christmas, but we could totally do that for Christmas morning (before she leaves for work).

Found out that cinnamon roll place we went to years ago was called TJ Cinnamons. In 1996 they got bought out by Arby’s. Haven’t had rolls like them since then . 

I just came across a recipe for them..

https://www.food.com/amp/recipe/t-j-cinnamons-cinnamon-rolls-308653

That has to be the first recipe I've ever seen that calls for "scaled milk".

We get together with my family and my wife's family at different times.  That's about the only real tradition we have.

But, as I get older, I am having more and more trouble getting into the whole "Christmas thing".  It all seems so forced.  There is so much pressure to find the perfect gifts, have the perfect get-togethers, have the brightest light displays, and have everything you ever dreamed of.  People seem euphoric for weeks and I can't seem to find that joy.  I feel like the world is crazy about Christmas and here I am, another Scrooge or Cindy Lou Who, searching to enjoy something that seems so artificial.

Even with Christians, we sing the old carols and talk about Jesus' birth, but again we have to have the perfect cantata or children's program, more and more decoration, walk through or drive thru nativity scenes, etc. until it feels like a show.  Somehow it feels like we have to outdo the whole Hallmark Movement and show we have more Christmas spirit.

And, I just wish it would pass.....

I apologize for being such a downer, but I needed to get that off my chest.  Thanks for listening.

I can understand where you are coming from Chris (although I am sure being a pastor of your church has made it even harder for you).

My wife and I quit worrying about getting each other a perfect gift.  We each put together a wish list and give it to each other to shop with.  We make our children do the same thing.  As for our other relatives we just get them something small we think they will like. (I got lucky with my wife's wish list, it was all under $175, so I got everything!)

We decorate, but don't go all out and don't care that several of our neighbors have more exciting or greater looking displays (besides nobody can top Hugh's yard... he is our neighborhood's Clark Griswold for sure).  Since my wife works this Christmas night we aren't even doing a big Christmas gathering.  My mother and law and I are going to a neighbors house for dinner.  My wife and I will probably go out for dinner on Christmas eve (just the two of us) and that is just fine. 

If Christmas feels like just another day I am super fine with that, just knowing our Savior came into the world (probably in the Spring) and gave us salvation through his blood some 30 years later is enough for celebration... even if the celebration is quiet and without bluster.

We don't really have Christmas traditions.  Ours is more of a Christmas habit.  When we first got married, we did Christmas at my parents house early that morning, her parents in the middle of the day, and then ours at night.  We now go to my brother's sometime close to Christmas and still go to her mom's in the middle of the day.  We could open our own gifts any time, but we still prefer the quietness of doing it at night after all the hustle has ended.