Thursday, November 22, 2007

Traditions. . . .

Since I have not posted in a few days I have two together. My husband and I got into an argument about Christmas. Every year we do or follow his families traditions. We go to Christmas Eve Love feast at church and then to his Mothers' for a get together till 10pm or after. Then on Christmas morning the kids open their gifts from us and see what Santa has brought them. Then we rush to his Mothers' again, and open presents with his family. We then rush two hours to see my family.

As a child we always opened presents on Christmas Eve from each other because Santa came on Christmas day. Later on Christmas day we drove to my Grandmothers to visit. Now my question to my husband was; Why cannot we open our presents to each other on Christmas Eve and let the kids play with what we got for them and then that way they could have more time playing with what Santa brings the next day. Before we race around the world to visit everyone. Of course I got a huge NO!!!! His reason was, it would be anti-climactic. Now I ask you how would opening a few things Christmas Eve and then getting big stuff from Santa be Anti-climactic? We have done everything with his family since we have been together and I never minded except now with the kids it is harder. I don't mind going to his mothers' on Christmas eve I don't mind going on Christmas morning. I just feel like we should have some tradition of our own.

I would love to know your response to this question. Please email me or post a comment. I would love to know what your traditions are too.

3 comments:

Beth Cotell said...

My husband lives in Massachusetts and his parents are really old so we go there every Christmas.

We don't exchange gifts from one another...only Santa brings gifts.

Growing up we would attend the Christmas Eve Lovefeast service and then a bunch of people would come to my parents house for a little party. I always loved the Christmas Eve service and the party afterwards. I miss the Christmas Eve Lovefeast. There are no Moravian churches in Massachusetts that I am aware of (at least none where we are).

I do agree that you have to have some give and take. You guys have to be able to make your own traditions as a family!

This year I am looking forward to making Gingerbread Cookies with Dan and the kids. He is always talking about doing that and we've done it a couple of times but the kids were too little to really help or understand. This year they are both old enough. I even got some cute little gingerbread cookie cutters. Hopefully it will go well and a new tradition will be born!

Pampered Mom said...

Goodluck on the gingerbread cookies. That is a tradition with one of Marks' Aunts. She makes a lot and I mean a lot of cookies on the day after Thanksgiving. It takes all day. Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving.

jennwa said...

We are fortunate that our families live far away. We have agreed to always be home for Christmas. I do not like the idea of having to figure out how to get presents for 4 kids to a different location. I wish we could spend holidays with family but it just does not work out that way. We just stay home,open gifts and watch the kids play all day.
I hope you guys can work out something you both can agree on.