Violent retching is not a good Christmas tradition.

This is why i hated visiting grandmother. I've managed to outgrow that tradition, what with the no longer eating nasty things like venison and beef :)

All of my grandparents were thousands of miles away, so they weren't part of the Christmas tradition. At times I'm kinda thankful for that. Also most of them had passed away by the time I was five.

We opened one present Christmas Eve, then Christmas morning we were not allowed downstairs until my mother woke up. And we were not allowed to wake her up. When we went downstairs, we could peek in our stockings and check things out, but did not open things until after breakfast, which Dad made - scrambled eggs, sausage, toast, hot chocolate.

My niece has been doing the early morning thing at Christmas for years now. The present I would like the most is to just sleep in on Christmas morning.

Kind of funny immediate family Christmas/Holiday tradition story.

Last Christmas we spent at my brother and SIL's. When making food/menu arrangements, my SIL asked my dad to make his famous cinnamon rolls. My dad was very confused, and informed my SIL that mom makes the cinnamon rolls, so she should ask mom.

SIL was very apologetic and said, "Well I'll have to change that in the family cookbook. Ben told me that you [dad] made them."

Dad: I just make the frosting.

Mom and Dad tended to be up late finishing up things for Christmas, so Ben never actually saw who made the cinnamon rolls. He just new that on Christmas morning, Dad made the frosting and frosted the rolls. So, clearly Dad must have made the rolls.

Mom LOVES to tease my poor brother about this, and we now call them "Dad's Famous Cinnamon Rolls."

Our stockings, whether from Santa or Mom, were designed specifically to keep us occupied and let the grownups sleep a bit. We got candy, tiny knickknacks, and always, always a book and some little puzzle-type object. We couldn't wake anyone else up or open wrapped presents before everyone was up, but the stockings were fair game and there was always something in them to keep us occupied for at least an hour.

The present I would like the most is to just sleep in on Christmas morning.

We do that...and have for years. I'm always the first one up and wait till at least 10 a.m. for everyone else to get up. If you look at pictures from the last several years, I'm the only one dressed for stockings and breakfast.

I imagine that will change in the next couple of years, as we now have a little one.

Yeah, my niece was born my senior year in High School, so we had a few years off from the early morning stuff, but not nearly enough. She's started college this year, so it hasn't been as bad the past couple of years, but she does tend to be up early. Also, due to custody issues, she's only been with our family until noon, then her dad picks her up and gets her for the rest of the day. I have no idea how that will play out now that she's over 18.

This year we'll be in Ohio with my sister's kids, ages 3 and 5. We're also staying in their guest room. I'm very excited! I anticipate getting woken up early.

stay warm tomorrow d! I saw your voicemail. things have been v. craxy. will pick it up asap.

we also got a number of the same things in our Christmas stockings each year - a little toy (which matured into other stuff when we were older), a pack of AA batteries, a box of band-aids, and a box of thank you notes. As well as a tangerine or a tangello. Sparky knows my mom - she can vouch that band-aids and thank you notes are not out of character. I'm surprised we didn't get the same book Windsparrow got, actually.

We each opened a present Christmas eve, after dinner with our neighbors and/or family friends (at least for a while some of my dad's students from way back) - and it was pretty clear that we were Not To Open the Big Box in the Back, but instead open the one from our neighbors. I'm glad for that - those were usually really cool homemade gifts. The next morning, we were banned from touching anything or making any noise until my parent's unusually slow descent (my dad usually being up at 5am anything after 8 or 9 was suspiciously like torture). Then we did the gifts, and then we all retreated to our separate corners with one of our new books. Until it was time to help with dinner. Some years, there was a Christmas eve service to go to. Some years, it was Christmas day.

My favorite tradition is getting together on one of the two days with friends and family. I don't much care what I get after that. ... unless there's a good book and a corner to retreat to in the mix.

Our new favorite traditions are both from Fell's Point, Baltimore, where the self-proclaimed town crier walks the street Christmas morning in a tri-cornered hat, ringing a bell and shouting "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to all!" and turning down offers of hot drinks on the way. He runs a 'sinners service' at midnight the night before in the local Vagabond Theater - where it's mostly carols and a benediction, and everyone sings very badly.

This year, we've traded that for Iris having her own bedroom for the first time, DH having a non-grad student or post-doc job for the first time in 8 years, and a chimney for santa to come down. We're hoping to do it justice - although I need to stock up on oranges and eggnog.