Every year I ask my friends if they have any Christmas traditions they can share for my blog. This is what I have to share:

Kori – 

During the holiday season, it’s a busy time for my brother and I! We have had a few traditions over the years… First, I’ll have to take you back to when I was young! 

We lived in Regina, Saskatchewan until I was 5 years old. On Christmas Eve morning, we would get up early and drive to my Grandma Sheets’s house near Rosalind. My two cousins would be there, along with my uncle and aunt! Grandpa would saddle up his two miniature ponies (Buffy & Mitsy) and we would ride for most of the afternoon! After supper, the adults would tell us to go play downstairs and wait for Santa to come…. 10 minutes later they’d call us back up and there would be presents under the tree! Santa came! We’d always ask if they saw Santa, but they were always “napping”. Lol 

On Christmas Day we would head to Kingman where my Mom’s parents live, and we would spend Christmas Day with my aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Tobogganing was so much fun on nice days!

When the weather was too cold, we’d play cards or dress up

When I was 11, my parents divorced and it made holidays a bit more complicated! My mom got remarried to Rob Petiot when I was 13, and with Rob’s family Christmas it adds up to 3 Christmas each year! Dad’s (Eve), Mom’s (Day), Rob’s family (Boxing Day). I still have to squeeze in my boyfriend’s family Christmas as well! That makes 4!

Not all the Christmases end up on those days, and sometimes they overlap with one another, so unfortunately I have to miss out.

It’s hard for us to have many traditions when everything is so hectic each year. 

My favourite tradition that we have started a few years ago, is Christmas games! My aunt (on my Dad’s side) creates fun games that the whole family will play. It’s different each year, sometimes we are split into groups and compete to get on the podium. They have money, candy, and other fun stuff for prizes! Although it’s crazy at times, I’m very fortunate to have so many people to celebrate the holidays with. I love them all to pieces! 

Happy Holidays!

Kelsey- Christmas traditions are usually started with getting a box of goodies for the children in poor countries , decorating sugar cookies or decorating ginger bread houses.  Now as we get older we do some homemade crafts!  Instead of doing stockings we have a big ball of goodies that are saran wrapped in a large ball,  so we use oven mitts to unwrap the ball and then we use dice and hen you get double numbers it goes to the next person. There is usually money in the middle. This year we decided to draw names with the siblings! This year we’re celebrating our Christmas on the 22 of December so we can celebrate Christmas together with Joel and Ashley, and also celebrate our dad’s 55th birthday!  Then on Christmas Day we’re celebrating our Christmas with my auntie Gail and her family from Lloydminster. Grandpa built snowmen and wooden angels that we will paint. I think my mom is going to bake sugar cookies to decorate. Probably going to watch a Christmas movie on Christmas Day night and maybe on Christmas Eve go to look at Christmas lights!

Melissa Olsen 

-We make my Grandma Olsen’s chewy ginger snaps every year. 

-We have a big dinner with Sterling’s extended side on Christmas Eve and then brunch with just his mom and brothers and their families on Christmas morning. At brunch, my kids and their cousins do a gift exchange. 

-We spend Christmas Day with my parents and siblings and their families and eat finger foods, play games and sing carols. 

-On Boxing Day we have a big dinner with my mom’s extended side, and we usually play dominoes in honour of my Grandma Ella.  This year we did a couple of new things. We had a big bake-off with my cousins at Amy’s (my sister) house, and I got together with Brandi (my cousin) to make Christmas centrepieces. I wouldn’t mind if those became new traditions.

Lisa –  I buy matching pjs that we open on Christmas Eve. Stocking stuffers is another tradition.

Johdi  –  Hmm. We don’t really have a lot but now with Hayes we will be doing a Christmas Eve box that will have Christmas pjs, Christmas movie, a book and a snack, that he can open on Christmas Eve. We will also be putting out milk and cookies for Santa.I think another tradition we will start is taking a picture in front of the tree. 

Ann –   We always celebrate on Christmas Eve. We eat a traditional Norwegian meal called Pinnekjøtt. The lamb ribs are soaked in a salt brine and then hung for a couple of months before being roasted.

Trina –  I’ve bought my children pjs to open as Christmas Eve presents since they were little.

Joan – We love to do puzzles and play games  and every year I get Brandi and Brooke matching pajamas. 

Sara –  We open Christmas pjs on Xmas Eve!

Candace –   Hmmm not overly tradition but,since my kids were little to this day Christmas eve they get to open one gift which has new pair of comfortable pjs, and some snacks as well as board/video games that we can play as a family then we watch a movie and have our snacks.