Since we're all from different parts of the world I thought it would be interesting for us all to share some of the things that makes Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever we may celebrate special to us, whether it be something as simple as singing carols or decorating a tree.

Feel free to share with everyone! <3

I always know it's Christmas when my mom starts decorating. I love Christmas trees (the real kind, not the fake ones >.>) so that's always when I start really getting into the spirit. And my mom bakes constantly. Candies and cookies and cakes and pies.

We also always go to visit family, as all of our family lives in Alabama except my parents and my siblings and I. So when we get to go spend time with loved ones it always makes things special. :)

SNICKERDOODLES!!!!

Those, and decorating, as well as the hectic traveling. We stay in the state, but seeing three or four different family groups is rather difficult given the time crunch, because we only get about four days off. :|

For me Christmas isn't really Christmas until the tree is up and decorated and I'm fighting to keep the cats off of it xD

But what really gets me into the Christmas spirit is some songs that a lot of the locals know and love and sing every year. They're silly little songs but they've been a part of my life since I was a child and I can't imagine a Christmas without hearing them at least once.

Twelve Yats of Christmas
Santa and His Reindeer used to Live Right Here
Ain't Dere No More

My mom also used to read me and my brother little Christmas stories, but we didn't get the regular Twas the Night Before Christmas. She always read us the Cajun Night Before Christmas where Santa's sleigh was pulled by alligators instead of reindeer :P

Watching the Grinch <3

The first sign that Christmas approaches is that mom starts to get hectic. She always gets hyped up when first of Advent arrives, she starts cleaning furiously, change all the curtains and chase the cats around with the vacuum like life depended on it - while nagging at everyone else for not helping out, even though she's already done the things she wants us to do.

Four Sundays before Christmas is the start of Advent, which pretty much means "in waiting". It's custom to light a candle foe each Sunday that passes, and when it's Christmas we light all four of the candles. Sometimes we fikar together on those days, eat saffron buns and drink glögg (mulled and spiced wine)

Generally, the first day of Advent is called Skyltsöndag (lit. sign sunday) because all the stores have been busy decorating their shop windows with christmas themes, and on the evening that Sunday they unveil it all. There's a fair taking place in most cities where you can get bread, cookies, sometimes they have lotteries, vendors sell winter gear (sometimes I've seen them selling scooters and cars too), and generally it's a nice tradition. :)

On the 10th of December (my nameday :D) there's the Nobel prize gala, it's aired on the tv and I tend to watch it... the concert and the dinner and dance afterwards at least, the award itself is generally pretty boring with old people holding speeches.
Dunno why this feels like Christmas.. it does, anyway.

On the 13th of December it's Luciaafton (Lucia's eve). It's a tradition that celebrates St Lucia, an Italian saint who is associated with light and peace. Every school, music school, daycare center and sometimes even workplaces practice their christmas carols, and on the morning (usually for schools) or evening (in church) people gather in a dark room. Then Lucia and her maidens walks in on a line, the Lucia (portrayed by some lucky girl that was chosen by the rest of the kids) with a crown of light (traditionally living candles, but the younger and more informal the event, the more common it is to have electric lights instead) while the maids have one candle in their hands, dressed in white gowns and with red ribbons or tinsel around the waist. If there are boys/guys participating they can be dressed as Stjärngossar (starboys) in white robes with a cone hat on the head, or as various tomtar (puck, elf, brownie) gingerbread men or other (again, depending on the seriousness of the situation. In more formal situations like church, the guys just wear white and hold a candle like the rest of the maids).
And then they sing carols, a priest or principal might hold a speech, and then the event is over.

The 23rd of December is my birthday. Because of that, mom tries to get all the food and preparations done in advance, so that I can have my own day. She's usually still cooking into the night anyway, but I appreciate the thought. :P

At Christmas Eve the 24th of December (we celebrate the eve, not Christmas day) my family tend to start the day with a porridge breakfast (riceporridge with a vanilla cane and sometimes an almond inside, bread with various spreads like smoked salmon, ham, eggs, pickled herring.)
Then we have time on our own. Sometimes we go to our grandparents over Christmas, sometimes my sisters and their family come to visit us. If my family is at our place, we've begun to take a walk around noon, especially when it's snow outside.
But always at 3pm we sit down by the Tv to watch "Donald Ducks' Christmas Calender". Every year, without fail. It's the same clips every year, but somehow it's always as amusing as last year.
Either we've eaten before Don'Duck, or we eat afterwards. The table consists of;
Boiled potatoes, spare-ribs, meatballs and sausages, egg, salmon (smoked and marinated in custard and dill) sometimes stockfish, dried and salted meat, more pickled herring in various marquetries, mimosa salad (mayonnaise and whipped cream with sliced fruits, canned or fresh), beetroot salad (pickled beetroot's or fresh grated beetroot mixed with mayonnaise), and most importantly, the Christmas ham - which is basically a whole ham boiled and glazed with custard.

Without fail, we will be eating leftovers for the next three days, then again at New Years - unless mom is inspired and makes a more fancy dinner.
After we've eaten, we gather around the tree and hand out the presents, people sit a chat for a while, and then it's often time to go to bed.

And that's Swedish Christmas (local version).

FOR ME, Christmas isn't Christmas without some family.
When I lived in New Mexico, every Christmas Eve was celebrated at my Grandma's house with like... all of my dad's extended family. Most of my favorite childhood memories are from Christmas. Just being surrounded by people who love you unconditionally, along with the lights and table of delicious! seasonal food really captures the heart of what I think Christmas is all about~
Christmas Day was usually spent at home after that with the nuclear family. Times have changed after moving, but I still spend every Christmas with some family, regardless of how old I get and how old-fashioned that may seem.


I LOOK SO HAPPY - NOT REALLY AT ALL BUT I WAS (I just hate taking photos, etc.).
This was last year with a couple of my cousins and my grammy, who I love very much. <3

Family is always a big factor for me. Christmas also wouldn't be Christmas without the giving and receiving of gifts!! Putting up the tree is always fun too, and is always a good bonding time. Christmas dinner is another big bonding time!

Merry Christmas Helovia!<3

whoa that's really awesome Chan, to see how different it's celebrated in Sweden :o
It kinda makes me sad that we don't celebrate it in England like we used to a few decades ago :( It would be so much nicer if it held more meaning :T

When I was just a wee primary school child we used to sing in the chapel and help out bringing up tins of food to donate to charities as well as anything else that might be useful; like old toys. ^^
I remember having to play Mary in the school play too :| I was never really a fan of standing in front of an audience but they always seemed to give me the main parts, which I hated ._.
That was Christmas for me when I was younger.

Now it's much more simpler and not as fun. As a family we're not that close to one another; so it's usually just me, my mum and my sister who celebrate it together. I normally know it's around xmas time when they put themed songs on the radio ridiculously early and mother starts panicking about not having enough time and money xD
AND they start announcing that Merlin is in it's final episodes D: -dies-

The rest of December goes by quite fast then. Decorations usually go up about 2 weeks before and come down straight after New Year XD
And yes we have one of those crappy fake trees because if we got a real one the dogs would just wee on it all the time -_-

My birthday is on the 17th, though I'm not planning on doing much for it this year, 19 is such an awkward age.
The on Christmas Eve it turns into movie night or something similar, Christmas day is just one big blur of food, presents, food, walking, food, Doctor Who and more food.
Normally Turkey for the dinner, my mum makes mountains of food... Not plates ;)
&& Of course Boxing Day is just even more food.
Then I never really remember New Year due to alcohol intake xD & I never make resolutions because I know damn well I'm not going to keep it.

SEEE you all have much better, meaningful xmas's than I do D:
Ours is just a whirlwind of moaning, eating, drinking and gift giving. ._.

Last but not least I always give my horses Guinness as a tradition in their food during Christmas, they get half a can every day as part of counting down.

Up here in the great white North, we get very Christmas-y.

My wedding anniversary is December 4th, and I always make my hubby decorate the tree with me that night. He hates it, btw. He's such a grinch, usually he just attaches the little hangy-on things to the ornaments, and that's it. I blast Christmas music the whole time, and sing like a crazy person, which he also hates.


My Mum's husband is from Holland, so we celebrate Sinterklaas as well, on December 5th.

The rest of the lead-up is usually just a bunch of prep...Dan's step-mum is the most incredible baker EVER, so we usually go over and test out her baking early :)

My doggies like to get into the spirit (I'll post pictures soon). Berkeley, my Berner, likes to pull children on his little cart, whilst wearing antlers. And Stella (our Mexica rescue, who likes like a Shiba Inu and a german shephard mix), likes to wear elf ears and a sweater, and be Berkeley's manager. Out at my Dad's, in the country, we'll hook up a team of 2, and do sleigh rides as well :)

I should mention that I married into an EXTREMELY religious household. All of Dan's family works for the church, which as a Philosophy major and an agnostic, makes me the odd one out, but it's tolerable, most of the time. Christmas Eve-day, consists of volunteering at the church usually. As his family is German, we do Christmas Eve at their house, with lots of appies to snack on.

Christmas Day is done with my crazy mother and family. It's exhausting most of the time.

Boxing Day, Dan's side of the family as a 'jam' session. We have a recording studio in our basement, so this year it will be at our house. Maybe i'll upload it, if we don't sound too wonky. :)


That's all. Nothing too crazy, I don't think. I love listening to Christmas carols and watching The Grinch. :3