Everything to do with XMAS!

[Roy Rob]

Nicole, I hope it looks really super and lasts as long as you want. Merry Christmas.

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[skimonkey]

My Disney World Christmas tree.

<img src="http://www.ipadforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=30355"/>

"Thumbs up" on the tree!

 

[Richard Brown]

Our family has three Christmas traditions:

1) we open one gift on Christmas Eve and discuss how we think that gift will change affect our daily life.

2) the eldest family member present reads "'Twas the night before Christmas" just before bedtime.

3) Christmas dinner is not complete without some type of candy scattered around the table - between he dishes. It's usually M&Ms or gummy bears and serves as both afters and decoration for the table.

I'm not sure how or when these traditions started but I remember them since I was a kid.

Thx for sharing, ardchoille. In the UK we open our presents on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day, in the UK, the family would gather at a member's home to continue with the celebrations.

My wife's tradition is to open the Christmas presents on Christmas Eve.

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[Richard Brown]

The Christmas pudding in a can was just the beginning of kitchen surprises. One day my mother went to light the oven, which was before the days of pilot lights etc., you had to use a match. We are not sure what happened but there was a sudden BOOM! Which shook the house. We rushed to the kitchen to find my mother sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, opposite the oven. Her skirt was up to her chin, she had no eye lashes, no eye brows, her eyes were open wider that I thought humanly possible, her hair was still smoking and she was still holding a half burnt match in her hand.

I don't know how us kids made it to adulthood!

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LOLRAOTF. Flash bang wallop, what a picture. What a photgraph.. (With apologies to Tommy Steele!)

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[Kaykaykay]

My own family isn't traditional and we play things by ear. Sometimes we go out for dinner, sometimes we have a spread at home, sometimes we throw a party and invite lots of people, including Christmas orphans. We do whatever feels good and don't have fixed expectations.

I remember the first year that I spent at my now-in-laws' home, my now-MIL was a stressed-out wreck because she had this big dinner to prepare for a houseful of people, including out-of-town guests. Everyone had expectations for certain dishes and that kind of thing. I felt sorry for her. Everything had to be just so. She's mellowed a lot since. The spreads are much more relaxed nowadays, everyone brings something or helps, and all the kids (who are now parents) are happier for it. There's always plenty of food and treats, but it varies. The best thing is watching all the kids open their presents. The din, flurry of gift wrap and piles of toys are mind boggling.

 

[Kaykaykay]

The Christmas pudding in a can was just the beginning of kitchen surprises. One day my mother went to light the oven, which was before the days of pilot lights etc., you had to use a match. We are not sure what happened but there was a sudden BOOM! Which shook the house. We rushed to the kitchen to find my mother sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, opposite the oven. Her skirt was up to her chin, she had no eye lashes, no eye brows, her eyes were open wider that I thought humanly possible, her hair was still smoking and she was still holding a half burnt match in her hand.

I don't know how us kids made it to adulthood!

Sent using my iPad 2 - 16Gb - Wi-Fi

That's hilarious. It reminds me of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, lol.

 

[Roy Rob]

This our Christmas tree.

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[Hayles66]

Very pretty. Love it

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[Roy Rob]

I cannot take any credit for it. I just bring the sections up from the basement, put them together and make sure the lights work. The wife does the rest. If I had my way it would be taken to the basement as is, and a sheet thrown over it until next year!

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[leelai]

Very lovely tree Roy Rob......your wife has done a great job!

You also!

 

[Kaykaykay]

I cannot take any credit for it. I just bring the sections up from the basement, put them together and make sure the lights work. The wife does the rest. If I had my way it would be taken to the basement as is, and a sheet thrown over it until next year!

Sent using my iPad 2 - 16Gb - Wi-Fi

Wouldn't that be great? My husband and I were joking about magically pressing a button and having the floor open up, with the tree rising from below, all decorated.

 

[KevinJS]

My own family isn't traditional and we play things by ear. Sometimes we go out for dinner, sometimes we have a spread at home, sometimes we throw a party and invite lots of people, including Christmas orphans. We do whatever feels good and don't have fixed expectations.

I remember the first year that I spent at my now-in-laws' home, my now-MIL was a stressed-out wreck because she had this big dinner to prepare for a houseful of people, including out-of-town guests. Everyone had expectations for certain dishes and that kind of thing. I felt sorry for her. Everything had to be just so. She's mellowed a lot since. The spreads are much more relaxed nowadays, everyone brings something or helps, and all the kids (who are now parents) are happier for it. There's always plenty of food and treats, but it varies. The best thing is watching all the kids open their presents. The din, flurry of gift wrap and piles of toys are mind boggling.

I like that, Kay. No one should be alone at Christmas.

My son has invited a friend who is from Australia, and will be away from her family this Christmas. We will be having an even more multinational Christmas than usual with representatives from England, Scotland, Canada and now Australia.

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[Gabriel1]

I like that, Kay. No one should be alone at Christmas.

My son has invited a friend who is from Australia, and will be away from her family this Christmas. We will be having an even more multinational Christmas than usual with representatives from England, Scotland, Canada and now Australia.

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It sounds as if you could have a post Christmas dinner commonwealth games!

The Archangel

 

[Roy Rob]

I like that, Kay. No one should be alone at Christmas.

My son has invited a friend who is from Australia, and will be away from her family this Christmas. We will be having an even more multinational Christmas than usual with representatives from England, Scotland, Canada and now Australia.

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Nice Kevin! Sounds like our house, England, Scotland, Canada and Aruba.

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[Kaykaykay]

My son has invited a friend who is from Australia, and will be away from her family this Christmas. We will be having an even more multinational Christmas than usual with representatives from England, Scotland, Canada and now Australia.

That's great, Kevin.

It will be a really diff Xmas for your son's Australian friend -- diff country, away from family and Christmas with snow instead of Australia's summertime Xmas.