Thursday, December 23, 2010

Walk down Memory Lane...How do you Celebrate Christmas?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Good morning on this beautiful cold sunshiny 2 days before Christmas day.....wow, that was a mouthful. It is absolutely beautiful here this morning, it is only 39 degrees and clear. The sun is shining brightly and it is expected to reach at least 69 by lunch.
I will be going to town to finish all I need to do before my 3 sons and their families come for our Christmas tomorrow evening. We always try to have Christmas on Christmas Eve (much to my Hubby's dismay) now that the boys have families of their own.
My DH's family or rather his father insisted Christmas be celebrated at their house on Christmas day, no matter what..nothing was taken into consideration, you be there or else..he was just that way. It was tradition. Christmas was celebrated on CHRISTMAS DAY, You arrived by 9 o'clock A.M. and didn't leave until 7 or 8 P M. I always felt sorry for my BIL and family that lived in LA, they would come up on Christmas Eve and Santa never visited the kids in the own home.
Mine and my other SIL's kids never got to play with their Santa gifts after opening them till that night, they weren't allowed to take them to Grandma's cause the other kids might not have that certain TOY and might be sad or upset. "Beside they would be getting plenty at Granny's"
It was a different time back then, and no one bucked Daddy. They, were not mean people, as a matter of fact I loved them like my own, they were good people. Their kids were raised that what Daddy said was law and you didn't question it..it was, that was it. It was just their way or no way.
I never spent  time on Christmas Day with my Mom cause Christmas was to be spent at the Husband's parents. Christmas Eve was spent with My Family. Only because I put my foot down, DH would have spent it at his Mom's because Brother just came up and we haven't seen them in a month or more,
But times, they have changed or maybe I just grew up, but when my kids started having families I insisted we have our Christmas on Christmas Eve, DH was not happy and at first just got really ugly about it, but seeings how Baby Boy and his wife were both on call @ the Hospital and couldn't come to Brookhaven on Christmas Day he relented, I have 2 boys that live over 2 hr drive from us and it was so hard on them to open presents and jump in the car to be here by dinner. so now the kids can stay home Christmas day and enjoy their presents, all 3 of my DI Ls love it cause they can enjoy starting a new tradition of celebrating Christmas in their own homes while their kids are small, unfortunately mine where grown before I got that pleasure. Something I never got to do from 1961 until my MIL passed away in 1988.
How do you divide time between your families? I know things are alot different now, alot of families can't get together and celebate like in the past because of how far they live apart.
No matter how you spend your day, I am Wishing you a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas day.
LOL, funny how I started out to do a sky watch post and ended up here...I just let my mind wander too much sometimes.

7 comments:

  1. Hubby and I (just had our 12 year anniversary) always do XMAS Eve snacks. We splurge and buy things that we don't normally eat very often. Also fixing all kinds of finger foods, dips/chips, candies, cookies, etc.

    My family usually does XMAS day lunch. And his Momma does the Sunday after XMAS. She does that cause she knows everyone has their own family or spouse conflicts.

    It works out well except this year we'll be pigging out for 3 days in a row!!!!

    Merry Christmas.

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  2. Too, too real in a lot of families, Molly---and why do we never speak up or just go our own way? It was that way in my family when my children were little, and leaving those bikes on that bright Christmas morning---we were VERY late to dinner THAT day.

    And now, we do whatever everybody wants to---and it's usually Christmas Eve for gifts and supper, then DINNER on Christmas Day for whoever can be here, but THIS year, the total dinner will be that night, for everybody's schedules. And a nice relaxing Christmas Day, probably with leftovers.

    But wouldn't you just DIE if you thought people at your table were unhappy or resentful that you MADE them be there? I can't imagine that in a million years.

    I wish you all the happiest of bright, wonderful Christmas Days, whenever you spend it. Merry Christmas in Dixie,

    rachel

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  3. That's so interesting to read how you celebrated Chrismtas Molly. When I was a kid we always went to Granny's house on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas day at home. I rather liked that. Then when I married we would try to go to Granny's, his parents house and my parents house on Christmas Eve. Now that we have kids we used to go to Granny's and his parents on Christmas Eve. Then a few years ago there was a huge fight that broke out and so I won't go to Granny's and another thing happened with his parents so he won't go there. That frees us up to do what ever we want to do! lol So now my sister is supposed to come on Christmas Day because her MIL insists that they be there on Christmas Eve and she insists they be there on Christmas Day too. She's a hog! This year I've been trying to get my sister to come on Christmas Eve because it is going to snow late that night into Christmas Day and she won't make it here because of snow. She won't do it. I hate this late minute trying to plan something that I end up doing every year trying to accommodate my sister. I just sent her a text that I guess we'll see her in March when the snows quit! They won't let her drive here in that snow and it is going to be a snowy Winter. I also don't like it that since she won't come when I'd like them to come I'll have to cook something different on the day that they do come. It's such a hassle. I think next year I'm saying I'm not doing it and be done with that! lol

    It's the things like that that makes Christmas so difficult and it shouldn't be!

    Merry Christmas!
    Angela

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  4. As a kid, we never put up our tree until Christmas Eve. So, as young marrieds, we always went to my Mom's on C.E., to put up the tree, dinner, presents. I always host Christmas Eve with dinner and presents for son Josh with all of his favorite comfort foods. We hope to attend the carols/candlelight service at church Fri. evening. He goes to his dad's on Christmas. If we're lucky enough to have all the kids at home, which has happened once in our 13 yr. marriage, it's here. We don't get together with my brothers as one is in FL, and the other in Ohio. Christmas day, we like quiet, jammies, and left over turkey. This year, Jim's mom will come over, and we'll make a turkey dinner.

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  5. A very merry Christmas to you too! We'll be spending it with kids and grandkids.

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  6. Merry Christmas to you and your family! We will be spending Christmas morning at home and then joining the rest of my family at my sister's house.

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  7. My brother and his family and my family and I get with our Dad & his wife on the weekend before Christmas to celebrate. Then, on Christmas morning my family and I exchange gifts ourselves here at home then rush to get to my Mom's by lunch. At Mom's my family and I, my brother and his family, our sister and her family, mom and her man, and anyone else with courage to come by have a late lunch and exchange gifts. Whew!
    I've never had the opportunity to start a Christmas tradition in my own home either. Luckily, my in-laws live 2,000 miles away.

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Little sweet memories whispered..