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[kvbug (karen)]

I was wondering what your favorite Christmas traditions are..


                                     One of mine is decorating the  =Xmastre+{  with my sons with Christmas music playing.   

[71vert]

I have a couple-

1. Getting a tree ornament at places we've traveled/vacationed to and putting the name of the place and the year.  (sometimes the people we were with if it's really memorable)  I put these on the tree with Justin and tell him the stories.  I store them seperately from all other ornaments. When he gets married, if I let him make that mistake,  #@rofl3 I will give them to him and his wife for their first xmas together.   :jump4jo":

2. Elf on the Shelf

3. Reading Polar Express and twas the night before xmas when I tuck Justin in on christmas eve.

 

[rich67vw]

Always took my kids in a trip to the "rich people" ( As my son used to say) neighborhoods to look at all big houses done up in beautiful displays - Also drive to Koziars Christmas Village in PA - Just took my 16 month old G-Daughter there last week.

[Daverted]

Swedish Christmas on Christmas Eve, Meatballs eat.gi+],Smorgasboard eat.gi+], opening presents,Advent wreath, Warm Wine.
German Christmas, Christmas Day Should be Goose, but we do Turkey eat.gi+], Alot of cookies eat.gi+], more wine, alot of napping &&.

[1974 autostick (Ed)]

In 1978 my wife, my son and I were stationed in Berlin Germany where our love of all things German, beetles included, started.

One of the Proulx family traditions that endures is the "Feuerzangenbowle".  We start with a heated red wine that we put in a bowl,the "bowle".  We add oranges, lemons and spices.  We put a slotted metal bracket, the "zangen", over the bowl.  We put a molded sugar cone, a "zuckerhut"  in the slotted metal bracket.  We douse it with rum, light it on fire "feuer", and watch as the sugar melts into the spiced wine, in a darkened room with family and friends.

You can find some videos on youtube of people enjoying the "Feuerzangenbowle". 

[kvbug (karen)]

My mom was from Germany (Bavaria..she  would ski to school in the winter!)  and we used to celebrate some Weihnachten traditions.... the Advent Calendar, we sang O Tannenbaum  and Stille Nacht when we decorated the tree,  and also did things like baking Stollen, Pfeffernuesse,Adventszopf, and always attempt a Lebkuchenhaus (gingerbread house), we also made Spatzle and Kassler (smoked pork chops) with Sauerkraut.

  All my moms family (now it's just my cousins) are all still in Germany.

Unfortunately, I couldn't convince my spouse to follow those traditions, so they remain only in my heart along with her memory.


NOW you know why I'm so interested in  German automobiles and German history.





FOR THE ADULTS,  here's a recipe for German mulled wine (if you're interested) :

Gluehwein

Ingredients:

1 L Red wine
125 ml Water
60 gr Sugar
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Cloves
1 tblsp Lemon peel
Mixing instructions:

Boil sugar and spices in water, leave in the water for 30 minutes. Strain the spiced water and mix with the wine. Heat slowly until short of boiling temperature. (To remove alcohol, let it boil for a while.) You may add lemon or orange juice to taste. Serve in irish coffee cup.




FROHE WEIHNACTEN !!

[1974 autostick (Ed)]

The most important Christmas tradition that was followed in the Proulx home was to remember the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

 We would light a small German pyramid and have our Advent time.  We would sing Christmas Carols and read portions of the Bible that told of the Christmas story, mainly from the Gospel of Luke.

We still remember what happened to this baby Jesus 33 years later.  He was hung on a Roman cross and we celebrate his resurrection from the dead on Easter.

Jesus loves us and loves the fact we are going to celebrate His birth.  But I think He also wants us to remember why He was born, to give us all the greatest gift possible, assurance of life after death.

It is so fun remembering our family Christmas traditions since the 5 boys are grown and moving on.  Mary and I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy new year.

[Baha (Shawn)]

Merry Christmas to you and your family as well Ed, and to everyone who reads these forums.

[lovebus (jack)]

Christmas eve was always a lot of work (but loving work) in our house. The kids never saw any decorations or a tree till they got up Christmas morning which meant as soon as the kids went to bed after they put milk and cookies out for Santa, we started. JoAnn and I would decorate the house, put the tree up (that we had hid outside) put toys together etc.  

When the kids got up in the morning the look on their faces made it all worth while seeing the house transformed overnight by Santa and yes, JoAnn did most of the work.

We also still use the same Angel on our tree today that we have from our first Christmas together in 1962. She is a Very special Angel!

[Evil-Tunes (Glen)]

Christmas eve was always a lot of work (but loving work) in our house. The kids never saw any decorations or a tree till they got up Christmas morning which meant as soon as the kids went to bed after they put milk and cookies out for Santa, we started. JoAnn and I would decorate the house, put the tree up (that we had hid outside) put toys together etc.  

When the kids got up in the morning the look on their faces made it all worth while seeing the house transformed overnight by Santa and yes, JoAnn did most of the work.

We also still use the same Angel on our tree today that we have from our first Christmas together in 1962. She is a Very special Angel!

My brother used to do this and Every year. I would help and over to see the kids reactions till I got married.  The best was one year we got the chain saw out at 3:00 am to cut the bottom of the tree square.  My brother said they will think its Santa don't worry. They never heard a thing....

This will be the first year Jen and I will not have a Christmas Eve party for the family. Not sure to be  clap2-* or  bawlin)0.


Cheers
 Glen

[rich67vw]

I may add a new one. We took the G-Daught to Longwood Gardens in PA. I have to say, that place is amazing this time of year.
Dang thing is 20 minutes from my work, and I never knew to even go over there..

[Daverted]

This is how we make Gluhwein

[lovebus (jack)]

This is how we make Gluhwein

[Daverted]

 #@rofl3 #@rofl3 #@rofl3 #@rofl3 &^rofl &^rofl &^rofl &^rofl &^rofl

[kvbug (karen)]

 &^rofl #@rofl3

Rich I LOVE Longwood Gardens at Christmas!!!  Isn't it spectacular??  One of the most beautiful Christmas displays out there.