For example my tradition (the USC) was to wake up on Christmas morning open gifts and have a huge breakfast/brunch, whereas my wife (the immigrant) has brought a tradition of having a late dinner at about 11pm on Christmas Eve and then at the stroke of Midnight, the Baby Jesus is revealed in the Manger and we sing happy birthday to Christ and then begin to open Christmas gifts.

Now we put our tree up on the Thanksgiving weekend, whereas before it was mid-December. I also feel like there's very little time between Thanksgiving and Christmas (Canada's Thanksgiving is in October, so there was more shopping/planning time before Christmas).

This year we're opening gifts on the 24th. Just because we can.

We've added a New Year's tradition of a games day and a friend coming in from out of town for a few days post-Christmas.

We open our presents to each other on xmas eve night.....oh and xmas music seems to be on constantly from the 1st of Dec

My husband (the USC) wasn't used to having decorations 'cus his family always spends Xmas at their relatives and never put up a Xmas tree. Of course I can't go by without my tree so this was his first year putting up decorations and he seems to very much enjoy it.

I had a lot more friends and family gatherings up home. Not here boy! Christmas day is up, over to the in-laws, eat lunch, open pressents, good day to you!

This year will be different tho because my husband's parents have both died now, so it'll just be me and him and his brother likely. No idea if the neice will make an appearance. She didn't bother for Thanksgiving.

I used to get up Christmas morning and watch Its a Wonderful Life. I haven't been able to do that for quite some time now. I haven't ever been able to see my nephew or neice open gifts on Christmas day. I hope to maybe next year, if DH will get up off his arse and do the stupid paperwork for CIC to allow him into the country.

I'm used to putting up the tree the day after Thanksgiving. Sian likes it being put up later. So, December 10th and no Yule tree yet. Doesn't even feel like Xmas to me, really.

When I was a kid, we used to put up ours about a week before Christmas and it was taken down by New Years. Now I can do without, I haven't put up a full sized tree in several years.

The American practice of putting up all the decorations the day after Thanksgiving (day after Halloween in some cases!) drags out the holiday far too long IMO. By three days after Thanksgiving, I'm already fed up with it. There are local radio stations that play all Christmas music, all the time, from the 1st of November until well after Christmas. Its nauseating.

I would normally spend Christmas with my family but now over here but we don't 'do' Christmas. We go serve food to all the people that can't afford it. We have a great time, and it's the best way to celebrate for us.

At home we put the tree up on December 6th and take it down January 6th. I think I put our tree up beggining of December and we'll follow tradition and take it down January 6th.

This is the true spirit of Christmas! What a wonderful gift you bring to these people!

Carla

well, i guess the biggest change this year is that i won't be spending it with my family. this is good and bad (of course!) good as i'll not have to be cut down by my one uncle & aunt that make me feel about 2 inches tall by the time i leave their place. bad as i'll not see my mom on christmas or my birthday for the first time. ever.

k

I'm peruvian too!

Late diner, around 11pm, and turkey,not fish (hubby is italian so that used to be his costume), we don't wait until next morning, just open the gifts after 12. Christmas Day we just stay home resting and enjoying the day. When I lived in Peru all my aunts and uncles + cousins came to visit us and had a big brakfast, lunch and dinner.

I'm going home in 1 week!~
Vi

We will be celebrating Christmas differently than either of us ever have. We will be staying home and enjoying our small family rather than ripping and running all over the country. I am looking forward to doing all of the cooking myself and starting our very own Christmas traditions.

Tim is adjusting to all of the decorations, he thinks us Americans go over the top. Mind you he wanted to string Christmas lights all over the outside.........I won this and there is a gorgeous swag with a few lights just above the door and a wreath. Plenty I say.

This year, we will be celebrating it the way my Grandparents did.
A traditional Sicilian dinner with 7 types of fish-for good luck.
And, we also celebrate Hanukkah, as our son is Jewish (long story there...)

Mr. Bruce has no idea what a scungilli or baccala is, but he's surely gonna find out ! LOL

If only I could get my hands on some haggis, I truly wouldn't mind doing a bit of stuffed chicken with a whiskey glaze so I could make it even more multi-cultural !!!

these folks have haggis http://www.thebritishpantry.us/ Delivery is pretty quick too. If they have it in stock.

I bought some Hannukah chocolate coins yesterday.

Im not Peruvian, but yes... we do the late dinner thing, and opening the presents at midnight. Last year was my first christmas, we did go for dinner, but a tad early, and we were home and in bed around 10 pm. I suppose it will be the same this year, (though I am hoping we'll go out after dinner).

I dont really mind right now, but I do hope that when we have children, we will definitely change the tradition to the Venezuelan ones... it's just more fun...

In Brazil we gather the family for dinner on Christmas eve. At midnight we exchange presents. The kids only open their gifts on Christmas morning. Then on Christmas Day we have the "burial of the bones", which means we eat the leftovers. My grandmother used to make a codfish dish because her husband was Portuguese. I always loved Christmas day codfish!! Hmmmmmm....Also the food is a bit different. Since we don't have Thanksgiving there we eat Turkey and Ham on Christmas, along with dried fruit, nuts, rice, farofa (which is fried manioc flour with onions and bacon).

Last year we already spent Christmas with my in-laws and that was fun. I think the American tradition is really fun! My father-in-law loves putting up all kinds of decoration! I find it pretty funny and cute too!

My husband and I put up our first Christmas tree this year. It was very special to set it up since we finally have our house and can do it. We only used lights, a tree topper, and some glittery stars all over it. I also bought two stocking holders to put on the mantel (we got new stockings last year!). And we put a huge glittery star hanging at the door, instead of a wreath. And that's our Christmas decoration!!!!! We'll be spending Christmas at my in-laws again and will wait until after Christmas to buy the rest of the decorations (since it all will be for half price!!!).

Ohhh ! Thank You !
I am going to order it and I think we're having some haggis on X-mas !


Cheers Reba !

hehehehe.........I have promised my hubby I will put the tree up tomorrow....

You're quite welcome m'dear. I think we'll have haggis for christmas too. If I can find anyone to help me eat it. If not, I'll have to eat the whole thing all my me onesies

So, you'll be having haggis & gelt like us, eh ? LOL

Just eat what you can and freeze the rest !!

Enjoy, and Happy Hanukkah !

My Christmas background is going out to the woods the week before Christmas, cutting down the tree, bringing it home and decorating it - often with family decorations kept over the years including home made ones by my brother and me, and taking it down January 2nd. The tree is always wired to the walls because we always had cats and invariably they would try to climb it, settling down eventually to be feline 'presents' among the gifts. My Mom had made all of the stockings in the family when we were little kids so we always hung those up on the mantel along with a stocking for whoever else was spending Christmas with us. We always had a full house! My Mom would always invite students from the university who weren't able to make it to their own homes for Christmas, along with friends or people they knew who would be on their own for Christmas. So, even though we had a family of 4 we always had around 18 to 20 for Christmas dinner. On Christmas Eve we always had a big Open House that started at 7 and lasted until around 1 am with over 100 people usually stopping by during the evening. It was all so wonderful and magical! We opened our gifts Christmas morning - and the rule was that we all had to have breakfast and the adults had to have their coffee before any gift could be opened. Of course, I learned how to serve cereal to my brother and I, and make coffee to take up to my parents in bed at a very young age! Christmas Day was spent phoning all of the family at a distance and visiting friends during the mid-day, then having Christmas Dinner around 6 - roast turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, mashed turnips, peas, carrots, stuffing with minced pie and plum pudding for dessert - all served on the good china.

My husband's family were very poor and strictly fundamental Assembly of God growing up. Christmas was just another day to spend in Church. He rebelled as a young adult to the tenets of his family's religion, but for him Christmas has always been a non-event. His sisters and their families don't even acknowledge or celebrate Christmas. The last 2 christmases we have gone to spend with his parents in Texas. It has usually been a stressful time for the both of us.

I have decorated the outside of our home with traditional, non-lighted swags of garlands and ribbons but we have no decorations inside. I made two stockings for us our first Christmas together when he visited me in Canada and have those out on our mantel. We don't have a tree because we have 5 cats and I know where the tree and the ornaments would end up:-). I miss the wonder and the magic of Christmas and I am excited because this year we are going back to Canada to spend Christmas with my brother and his family and my Dad (my Mom passed away the year before we married). They still do Christmas the way I remember it without the Christmas Eve Open House but with Midnight Mass. I am so looking forward to it -and introducing Joe to what he has missed all of these years.