Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 8:18 pm Post subject: Christmas Tradition
On another forum that I belong to, we have started talking about different christmas traditions. Is there anything special that you do that you would like to post?
OK, let's talk about it.
Giving money to every carolers that are singing in the street is one of them.
Two weeks before christmas, we will be going to mass every 5:00 in the morning. Then we will be eating puto bumbong and drinkl some tea.
I have Mama Lori's cookie day...all the women folk (family and friends) come to my house where I have everything they need and we bake about oh, 100 dozen cookies! what a mess, and a good time...then package them for friends, neighbors, shut ins...(I make my husband deliver them cause THAT part embarrasses me)...
I have my children, and sister and her family in on Christmas eve..open gifts have some snacks, say a hand held prayer for all that are as fortunate as we are......read aloud the actual Christmas story from the bible.
Go to my Dad's early Christmas morning for breakfast, stop by the cemetary, to wish my brother's resting place Merry Christmas, then to my other brothers in the evening....
There are many many more, but that's a start......
I like to read all of these, our family has not really had any, at least growing up. But we have adopted our grand daughter, who is four now and I want to do things with her that she will always attach to christmas and have fond memories to carry forward. Last year, we gathered christmas cups and put hot chocolate mix in them, with a candy cane, baked cookies and gave them to some people that we knew would not get anything, she really enjoyed that, we are gonna bake a few cookies this weekend, I have three boxes of hot chocolate, we are going to make popcorn balls and decorate up a little box for each of them this year. It is mainly some older folks that don't have anyone around, they do appreciate it, you can tell by the smiles on their faces. She really enjoys giving.
So I guess you could say that I am pretty new at this tradition thing, another first for me, I did not have any children of my own, so this little girl has made me do alot of firsts. She brings out the kid in me and inspires a love that I never knew existed or ever could have imagined.
So I guess you could say that I am pretty new at this tradition thing, another first for me, I did not have any children of my own, so this little girl has made me do alot of firsts. She brings out the kid in me and inspires a love that I never knew existed or ever could have imagined.
Children have a way of doing that...Don't know about you, but the main thing that I tried to provide my children with (that was totally lacking in my own childhood) re: celebrations is effort. I (as you mentioned) always wanted them to think back with fond memories surrounding holidays, birthdays etc. And I think they do....You've started your grand daughter on the path to some wonderful memories...but you've confused the heck out of me ! how does this work?
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I did not have any children of my own
but
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But we have adopted our grand daughter
is this a step maybe? sorry I'm kind of dense some times.....sounds like your grand daughter and you are making wonderful Christmas memories starting with the cookies etc....That was very important to me that my children ''got'' that Christmas is about giving NOT receiving.....
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:28 pm Post subject: Christmas Tradition
I, too, have enjoyed many Christmas traditions, but over the past five years, the U. S. Army has changed "tradition" around my house.
My daugher married into the Army and her husband has been deployed 10 times now. We have had Thanksgiving in October, in fact, this year we celebrated Thanksgiving on the Saturday before the actual Thanksgiving Day. One year, we celebrated Christmas in January, the gift part. We obviously celebrate the birth of the Christ Child on the actual day that has been set aside for that reason.
This year, my youngest son will be deploying to a war zone in the middle of December.
I would like to hear from others whose holiday traditions are re-arranged by the military. _________________
Lori, my husband was married before and had two sons, our grandaughter is the result of my stepson. Sorry, I did not even think how that statement would read, LOL.
We built a snow man the other day, he is melting, she wants me to save him, he is huge, if I bring him in the house, he will melt faster, she thinks I can perform miracles.
I guess I better enjoy this while I can right, soon before I know it she will be off to school, my little girl is growing up so fast. She is so funny, I put the portable spa in the bath tub the other night with bubble bath, bubbles galore, she was in heaven. I want her to have the fondest memories possible while she is young so when the heartaches and headaches come later, she will feel she can talk to me. So when she breaks up with her first boyfriend, I will put the spa in the tub with the bubble bath, lol.
my daughter and i had some of our best talks while one was in the tub...and still do (she'll be 29 in january)...we used to also drink juice out of wine glasses and have talks, always had (and still do) certain things i'd make her when she was 'down'' (twice baked potatoes was her comfort food)...good times, you can't pay for memories like that....HOWEVER, enjoy it now, because when she's about 11 you will likely be the stupidest person on earth, and only on the planet to make her life miserable. ..but it changes again, and when they get to be about 19 or so they think you're pretty cool again! Always had real open talks with our children and they always felt comfortable talking to us about EVERYTHING (and still do..darnit) ...husband and i wonder some times if we were too open cause, i have to tell them (or think to our selves) ''i reallllllllllly don't need to know all of this!" ha ha....used to tease them a little and say, 'don't you love me enough to hide stuff from me? what i don't know can't keep me awake at night!" kidding of course (kind of!)
We bake alot, my mother inlaw and I get together, the kids help sometimes, they mostly eat everything, kids and men. It is alot of work, we bake many different kinds and hand them out to family members, they enjoy them and they don't have to go through all the work. I really enjoy doing it.
Found it finally, hey Lori, how did cookie day go? I haven't been here, my back has been out and it is hard to sit in the chair for long periods, it is getting better now, old army injury that comes back to haunt me everytime the weather takes a dip, I do too, lol. Have to live with it.
Found it finally, hey Lori, how did cookie day go? I haven't been here, my back has been out and it is hard to sit in the chair for long periods, it is getting better now, old army injury that comes back to haunt me everytime the weather takes a dip, I do too, lol. Have to live with it.
I feel for you re: the back thing...have lots of trouble myself especially when it's cold and wet...hope you feel better soon...
re: my cookie day as I said, had to cancel it this year (15 years or more) pissed me off, my ''real'' job took back the friday and monday off i'd requested plus we got hit with big ice storm knocking out power...but daughter and daughter in law came last weekend to help me and got my care packages done...so that's all that's really important, but the little ones were terribly disappointed and kind of depressing for me as well...but not a biggie...lots more important things to worry over....
so sorry about your cookie day, but on a different note, hope that your evening out went well, hope you had a great birthday, a wonderful anniversary and hope your holiday is good also.
how does this work? 
sorry I'm kind of dense some times.....sounds like your grand daughter and you are making wonderful Christmas memories starting with the cookies etc....That was very important to me that my children ''got'' that Christmas is about giving NOT receiving.....
..but it changes again, and when they get to be about 19 or so they think you're pretty cool again! 
