Reader Giveaway: $100 Home Depot Gift Card Stocking Stuffer
To get in the holiday spirit, I’m giving away a $100 The Home Depot gift card to one lucky reader. The Home Depot gift cards are a great idea for the do-it-herself-ers and handymen on your gift list. Or, you may decide to keep the gift card for yourself and invest in household items that help reduce utility bills all year long such as programmable thermostats, CFL bulbs, or low-flow shower heads.
This year, The Home Depot has 17 holiday gift card styles to choose from including a scratch-n-sniff gingerbread man that can be decorated with stickers, and a card that looks and feels like it is covered with every handyman’s wrapping paper–duct tape (my personal favorite).
Rules for entry are similar to previous contests here at Frugal Dad.
How to Enter The Home Depot Gift Card Giveaway:
- Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite holiday memory (be sure to complete your email address in the comment entry form).
Comments feature will close at 11:59pm(ET) on Saturday November 22nd. I will announce the winner on Sunday, November 23 and contact you via email. Each commenter or email will be assigned an entry number, and winners will be selected using Random.org to select a random number from the total number of entries.
Good luck!
*The Home Depot gift card can only be used in the United States, but international readers are welcome to enter the contest if they would like to pass along the gift card to a friend or relative living in the United States. No email addresses collected as part of this contest will be shared with any 3rd parties.
Growing up we always had theme nights during the holidays. One night would be a book, another night would be soks or pj’s and the final night of Hanukkah was always toy night. I am lucky to continue those traditions with my own son now.
Thanks for a great giveaway - I am thinking of getting a fireplace as you mentioned earlier this week!
My favorite memory of Christmastime was making ornaments for the tree. One year we treaded popcorn to string around the tree. I think there were quite a few pin sticks for all of us that year!
I always enjoyed being with my grandparents during the holidays, not only was it festive, their home was always a place of nurture and love.Thanks for reminding me of those wonderful memories.
My memories of my childhood Christmases are wonderful. There were always lots of presents under the tree (though my mother now tells me it wasn’t as much as I remember and lots were practical gifts) but I remember laughing until we cried over some silly joke gift that got passed around family and friends (taking time off in a closet so it could sneak up on some unsuspecting recipient a few years later) but now my most joyful memory was just from last year when my three year old twins woke up with such anticipation for what Santa brought. The look on their faces was priceless…honestly, I hope never to forget it!
Thanks for the giveaway–and, more importantly, the info on the gel fireplaces. I had no idea they gave off so much heat. I worry about power outages in my neighborhood and with no wood burning stove, a fear of storing gasoline if I bought a generator and two little ones at home, it sounds like a gel fireplace might just do the trick for us! Thanks!!!
i dont get to spend christmas very often with my family across the globe, but i’ll always remember the mixed aroma of the homemade christmas dinner and dessert spread from a few years ago. and we didnt have a traditional christmas pine tree but a christmas cactus!
My favorite holiday memory is when all my family got together for Thanksgiving dinner. We always held it at my grandparents so everyone always knew where and when. We’d always have family show up that we had not seen in years. Now that my grandparents have passed away, we no longer have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
I live in northern MN, and one year I was with my dad a little farther south and there was no snow at all. I had never spent a Christmas without snow….I mean who has ever heard of not have a White Christmas. I was about 10, and almost in tears and wanting to go home. My dad really didn’t know what to do.
Well about 10:30 on Christmas Eve, it started to snow, huge fluffly flakes came down for about 2 hours. We had a White Christmas after all. The snow lasted for about 4-5 hours the next morning, long enough to go our and make snow angels, build a very small snowman, and have a short snowball fight.
For a girl from the north who was missing her mom, brother, step-dad, and all her friends, I think God was giving her a gift that Christmas so I could enjoy that time with my dad.
PS Thank you for your website. I appreciate it.
My favorite Christmas memory was a trip we took to be on the beach at Christmas. It was wonderful to watch the kids splash in the water and feel the warm sand under our toes. I wish I were there right now!
My favorite holiday memories are when my dads side of the family would all gather at my grandparents to unwrap presents. We never did it at our own house. We carted everything to the grandparents on Christmas Eve and then on Christmas day we would all gather there and open together. We were packed in but it was so much fun seeing what everyone received. The happiness knew no bounds.
Instead of putting gifts under the tree, my parents hid them around the house. On Christmas day, my siblings and I would run around the house frantically searching for our gifts. The treasure hunt was as fun as the gifts themselves.
My favorite memory was when I was about 5 and my sister, 12 years my senior, was babysitting me a few weeks before Christmas. We went into the “formal” living room, where the tree and gifts were, and she started gently and carefully untaping gifts to peek inside. To this day, I don’t remember what my gift was, but hers was a new hi-fi stereo (we’re talking 35 years ago). The pure joy and excitement on her face was amazing and has stuck with me. I also don’t remember what her reaction was on Christmas morning, but I know it could not have compared with what I saw that night a few weeks before.
For as long as i can remember my favorite holiday has been Christmas. It was the one time during the year that everyone takes that extra time to be with family. When we bought our house (about 6 yrs ago) we began the tradition with my brother to go “Christmas Tree Hunting” the first Saturday of December. So each year since we have made the trek out to some of the outlying farms to go and cut down that “perfect” tree. The families really have a good time and we always follow it up by warming ourselves back up with some Hot apple Cider. (Mmmmm)
Christmas was fun when the kids actually saw reindeer and sled tracks in the snow next to the house! Good thing we had cookies for Santa!
My favorite Christmas memory is the year my husband and I had our twin boys. We had no money for gifts that year due to the big expense of two babies, so we sat by the tree holding babies with red bows on their heads and listened to Christmas music. Best presents ever!
My favorite holiday memory is sitting at the top of our stairs every Christmas morning (they were bendy stairs) where we couldn’t see the tree. My brother and I would huddle together in a blanket and my parents would go down ahead of us and holler up if Santa had come or not and they’d get the camcorder ready to get us running to the tree. I will always remember that giddy anticipation each year and even though we acted like it was torture, I know my brother and I both looked forward to that every Christmas morning.
Great giveaway, FD. I think I may be able to find a project around here to use that GC for
One of my favorite holiday memories is from when I was visiting my father’s in-law’s house (they were my “step-grandparents”) in North Carolina many years ago. I couldn’t have been more than 10 years old. They lived on a golf course. It was so warm on Dec 23rd through 26th that year that my dad took me out to play golf with him each day. It was so memorable b/c it was so warm for late December and I was not at all used to that and b/c I had never played even 18 holes of golf at once, much less 4 days in a row! Looking back now, I realize the patience my Dad must have had to play a round of golf for 4 straight days with his 9 or 10 year old son who was pretty awful (and remains so to this day).
I can’t pick just one, but my favorite Christmas mornings were those when I was in middle and high school, and it was just my mom and me for Christmas. We had so much fun trying to surprise each other with gifts!
My favorite Holiday memory was fairly recent. It was about 20 years ago…I was a new Mom and as broke as the day is long. My wallet was empty. Seriously empty. And my then-husband drank his paycheck. I felt VERY alone and not at all filled with the Christmas Spirit. Not one little bit.
But I went walking with my son in the stroller, he was only 5 months old.
I went to beg for a Christmas Tree. Not literal begging, but I threw myself on the mercy of the Christmas Tree Lot guy. It was the day before Christmas and the trees that were left were truly ugly. They looked like me, beaten, forlorn and forgotten. I humbled myself, explained my situation (no money, no Christmas Spirit, and Baby’s 1st Christmas…) and the teenage guy allowed me to take any tree I wanted for free.
I shoved what little money I had (I still had pride, people…) in to his hands and thanked him.
That Christmas made me eternally grateful for every Christmas that followed. It’s NOT about the gifts. It’s about the spirit of kindness and togetherness. I had NOTHING that year. But I gained a lot.
I carry that with me, two decades later, as I still enjoy celebrating a very frugal Christmas. Even though I still *want*, I am no longer in *need*. I am very blessed.
(By the way, if by some chance I get selected, your gift card will be donated to the Women’s Shelter where I donate gifts: Good Shepherd Alliance in Asburn, VA…)
Blessings to you, FrugalDad. You rock.
I love to remember the joy of my sons waking up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning. Even though they would have been up late the night before and they knew cows needed to be milked before any presents opened; they would fly down the stairs and jump into our bed. Of course, my husband and I were awake due to all of the noise that they would make. It was wonderful to snuggle together and feel their excitement.
Every Christmas Eve we go to church where my parents sing in the choir. After the service the pastor says “Merry Christmas!” and we all depart.
Once we get home we have home made sugar cookies, rum balls, and whatever other holiday treats we make. All this is in front of a warm fire with the cats getting as close as they can to the warmth.
Christmas Eve is very peaceful and relaxing for us. Christmas day is a madhouse of 3 stops on a 200 mile road trip.
My husband would have a heart attack if I won this gift card.
As far as a holiday memory, my favorite is probably having breakfast with the whole family at my grandparents house. I remember as a kid, we weren’t allowed to open gifts until all the adults finished breakfast. It felt like they took forever to eat!
My favorite memory is getting an elongated Christmas and spending time with family. Both sides of my family live in the same town, and one side is a lot bigger. We celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the bigger side, then we spend the weekend after Christmas with the other side. It’s a really great tradition because we’re not rushing around to see everyone. We can actually relax and enjoy each others company.
we’ve started taking our girls to a local christmas parade. much bigger than what i experienced as a child. we all love going now.
My favorite holiday memory is going to be this years - when for the first time NOTHING is going on a credit card! yeah!
I don’t have a lot of great holiday memories as a kid - that is where I learned to want want want… and my parents just shopped shopped shopped. Christmas time is when I learned how to go into debt.
Everything is different this year - and it already feels great! I’m teaching my children what gift giving is really about!
One of my favorite holiday memories is opening presents at my Grandparents’ house. I can still remember the excitement of hearing Grandpa’s deep, big voice, call MY name for a present. And I loved spending the rest of the day sledding with my cousins.
Now I’m working to build memories with my own sons - ages 3, and 16-month twins. I hope that I can give them the same kind of memories.
Thanks for a great giveaway (and for making me remember!)
Good morning, Jason! Count me in! And, I’ve been trying to get my hubby to check out your blog ever since we completed DR’s Financial Peace class and started teaching it - so he could see the frugal thing from a dad’s POV! I cc’d you the email!
My favorite holiday memory is an ongoing one. We all get together, great grandparents, grandparents, parents, and children…. with some close to have kids which will throw it into a great-great grandparent situation.
We get together every Thanksgiving at a small lodge type building and all stay there for the few days around Thanksgiving. We have been doing this for 13 years, and even though we have moved away, we still make the 10 hour drive to be there with the rest of the family.
Our tradition was to bake gingerbread cookies. We would decorate them and I’d take a whole boxful to school to celebrate my birthday (over the winter break). The teacher always got the largest one. It was fun trying to outdo ourselves every year with detailed clothing, hair, etc. using frosting tips and various kinds of sprinkles.
My favorite Christmas memory is of making cookies and other treats with my mom and my sisters - we always put plates of goodies together for all the neighbors and delivered them a few days before Christmas - it’s a tradition I’ve kept up!
My favorite xmas tradition (and memories!) are baking and making candy for friends and family. It gets better each year as my nearly 4 and nearly 2 year old are getting old enough to help. Makes it much messier, but so much more memorable!
When decorating the tree we always have to listen to our favorite christmas CD. John Denver and the Muppets. My wife has always been a huge muppets fan, so when I said that we have to play this CD when decorating the tree, she just said “Of course we do!”
My favorite Christmas memories were from Christmas Eve, since that’s when my family would open gifts. We would go to church for the Christmas Eve service, come home and make snacks like sausage balls, and then we’d sit down together as a family of 4 and open gifts one by one.
My mother always went carolling on Christmas Eve so we would always spend the night at my aunt’s house. My aunt made us eat breakfast, clean up, shower, and get our hair combed before she would let us touch a present. I hated it at the time, but now that I look back at it, the anticipation was really fun. And then we’d have Christmas “all over again” later that afternoon when we went back to our own house.
My favorite Christmas was 1982, the Christmas after E.T. came out in the theaters. My mom took a pattern from a kid’s halloween costume of E.T., sewed it up the back and stuffed it to create a life-size E.T. for us. It was about 3-4 feet tall, certainly taller than my brother who was 4. She set him up in the rocking chair and piled presents around his feet (E.T., not my brother) and waited for Christmas morning. Christmas morning, we ran out to the living room and started ripping through the presents but neither of us noticed poor E.T. sitting in the chair. About a half hour into Christmas morning, my brother glanced up and saw him sitting there in the rocking chair, screamed and ran from the room. He cried hysterically. He wouldn’t go back into the room for the rest of Christmas, my parents had to bring him presents in the kitchen, he was so terrified of E.T.
(He got over it and that life-sized E.T. was one of the best toys we had growing up.)
What a great giveaway!
My favorite holiday memory is the christmas we spent at my aunt’s in Florida. My Aunt’s Boyfriend dressed up like Santa for my little sister to see putting out the presents. It was so great!
My favorite Christmas memory wasn’t so great at the time, but looking back, I just have to laugh. It was about 8 years ago, when my daughter was almost 3. It was the first time she actually “got” Christmas, and she was sooooo wound up on Christmas Eve that she wouldn’t go to sleep. She ended up getting so tired that she cried until about 3 in the morning. We slept on the couch together that night and woke up early Christmas morning to open presents. The joys of parenthood!
Every year, my Granny starts decorating in September so every nook and cranny of her house is completely full of Christmas cheer. Then, on the night of the Christmas parade, she begins opening her house to anyone who wants to come in. One year she had over 5,000 over the course of the month. She always closes to the public on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for family time. We go to a candlelight service at church then have a big family dinner.
My sister’s birthday is December 6, so we’d all go to pick out the tree the next day. Then we’d take it home and (after my dad managed to get it through the door and stand it up straight) decorate it together. (Then the cats would investigate it.
My favorite holiday memories involve Christmas with my family. I have seven siblings and when we came down on Christmas morning a whole room would be filled with presents from Santa. We would sneak in and try to figure out what was in the packages before my parents caught us!
It would be tough to pick one.
I think the greatest was my son’s 3rd Christmas. He finally realized it wasn’t just about getting and more about giving and we had a lot of fun just giving giving giving. It got a little out of hand.
2nd favorite holiday memory was the year I found our presents from Santa in the basement storage room. hehehehe Funnily enough it never dawned on me that they were not from Santa. I was just like WHOAA!!!! STUFF!
actually, christmas is always awful at home. So my favorite memory was last year, when i went on a tour of asia with my boyfriend and his family. By far the best holiday i ever had.
As a boy, after dinner on Christmas eve we would gather in the living room and sing some holiday carols and then my dad would read the manger story to remind us what Christmas was really all about. We would sip hot apple cider while listening to him tell the tale, ahhh. Afterwards, when were were bundled up in bed, mom would read Twas The Night Before Christmas. We’d go to sleep with thoughts of sugar plums and presents dancing in our heads. The following morning, we’d pile out of bed at the crack of dawn to see what presents were left under the tree. We were not allowed to open any yet, but did take down our stockings and rushed into our parents room to open them and see what little goodies we got to tide us over until the festivities later.
As a child - I remember one year my Dad was very busy and was unable to hang up the outdoor Christmas lights like he normally would. I was so upset so my Dad, as a last resort, hung up these light up wreath decorations on our tree. Looking back I’m sure it was hideous with them blinking at different rates and colors. But boy did I think it was great! Thanks Dad!
My favorite Christmas memory would have to be from 1990. It was Christmas Eve around 8pm, and we were in the midst of a Nor’easter when I went into labor with my first child (2 weeks earlier than expected). My father in law packed us up into his four wheel drive and we set off for the hospital. I remember looking out the window at the snow swirling down and feeling how excited I was, as well as the nervous anticipation. My son was born at 11pm that night, and I remember laying awake for hours unable to sleep because I was so excited and happy. The hospital was kind enough to allow me to go home the next afternoon so we could celebrate the rest of Christmas Day with our new extended family! Merry Christmas : )
Last year was the first year my 3yr old actually understood Christmas. Watching him open his toys and get excited in the way only a 3yr old can was priceless.
My favorite holiday memory is every year when we go to get our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving evening. We know all the workers and they look forward to us coming.
My favorite holiday memory comes from a few years ago, when my youngest child was 3 years old. After he had opened his gifts, we prompted him to send a “thank you” so Santa. He promptly walked to the fireplace, stuck his head close to the opening, and yelled “Thank you Santa!”
I love watching “A Christmas Story” with my family every year as we build the Lego trainset for under the tree. Each of our two kids gets to build their own custom train car each year.
My favorite holiday memory was one year we had no snow on Christmas Eve (strange for north eastern VT). We were at my grandmother’s house with family and when we went to walk home after we discovered that it had been snowing heavily and there was about a foot of snow on the ground.
As a kid I had not had anything other than a white Christmas and I was a little worried that there would not be snow. It was kind of magical to me I guess.
Looks like it’s going to be another record commenting day FrugalDad. I like the look of that gift card. Duct tape is sooo handy — even for “wrapping” gift cards!
The holidays, they always kick off with Thanksgiving.
I remember it quite well, my step dad Charlie was getting his smoker warmed up for smoking the family turkey. The wood smell was great after an hour it started to smell a little funny. No worries just something burning off on the smoker. At the two hour mark the smell was unbearable it smelt like something was burning. Charlie comes inside the house with cursing with Turkey in his hands. For some reason there was something attached to the bottom of the Turkey that didn’t belong there? Charlie had cooked the turkey on a plastic plate that came with the turkey. With Charlie now very upset he ripped off the plastic turkey mold and threw it in the trash, then marched back to his precious smoker to fix the turkey. Like any young adult I had to make this even more memorable, so I picked up the warped smelly plastic. It was scrubbed it with some dish soap for a few minutes to get the stench out. I then proceeded to hang it on the Chrismahanukwanzakah tree as an ornament. Still to this day I remember it very well, and of course Charlie does too. There is something that did happen during this favorite holiday memory is that I don’t care too much for turkey, don’t get me wrong I’ll still eat it but I’m more of a smoked sus scrofa scrofa eating ninja. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
My favorite holiday memory was the first time we got a real Christmas tree. Growing up, my mother always decorated this beautiful–but fake–blue spruce in silver and white. It was a gorgeous tree but it just wasn’t the same.
So when I was around 13, Mom agreed to let me have a real tree, as long as I took care of it. It was so beautiful and it smelled so good. I decorated my tree in red and gold. I watered, fed it and vacuumed the needles every day. I’ve bought a real tree every year since.
Even as fun as decorating with Mom was, I think this year is going to be the best Christmas ever. I just bought my first home this year and I can’t wait to see how it looks decorated for the holidays. To top it off, I’ve got both my mom and my boyfriend’s family on board for frugal but meaningful gift giving. That’s quite a feat!
I think this year we’re going to be filling up on a lot of great new memories and new traditions without all the new stuff we really don’t need.
I love the time together with my family, I have no kids but I love seeing the laughter and joy that takes place when we all together.
My favorite holiday memory is the first time my son saw our Christmas tree. My husband and I had just finished one heck of a process to set up the 9 foot tree without it toppling, and uttered too many grumbles during the lights and decorations. But when my son woke up from his nap, all of that faded away as his mouth opened wide and he slooooooowly looked up and up and up at all of the lights. You could just see the amazement in his eyes - now I just try to remember that moment through any holiday stresses!
My favorite holiday memory has to be watching a Muppet Christmas Carol with my mom.
My faovrite holiday memory is a great one. Every year when I was a kid, we would go to my grandparents house. The whole family would be there. After dinner (Polish Sausage and Pierogi - typical polsih Christmas dinner) we would go for a walk around the neighborhood, while looking in the sky for “Rudolph”. Someone would always stay back at the house and put out the presents for us. One year my Uncle even dressed as Santa and ran across the street as we walked. WOW! Secured my belief for anouther year.
My favorite holiday memory is from when I was a little girl. My Grandpa would sneak into the room after my sister and I were asleep. He would dip his finger in the ash from the fireplace and put a fingerprint on our cheek.
When we would wake up on Christmas morning, my sister and I would run to the mirror to check our cheeks for Santa’s fingerprint. Imagine our excitement when we realized that HE had really been there.
My favorite holiday memory is from when my kids were little. We used to go to a nearby town on Christmas Eve and drive around to look at Christmas lights. One year, there was a man dressed as Santa out in the yard handing out candy to the kids in the cars as they passed.
One of my favorite memories is grating potatoes for potato latkes (pancakes) with my dad for Chanukah. I remember the sense of excitement and the smell of frying potatoes always reminds me of this.
My Favorite holiday memory is waking up my son last year (he was 2)so he could get up and open his presents before we started the round of houses we had to visit. The joy on his face was worth every penny spent, and everything we had done without so he could have a great Christmas!
Our son’s first Christmas, where the only thing important was the boxes that everything cool came in.
My favorite holiday memory is last Christmas with my son. He was three last year and finally aware of holidays and being with family. Seeing the happy smile on his face and the glimmer in his eyes was amazing!
Favorite holiday memory… 24 hours of “A Christmas Story”.
Dad was great at switching boxes or misleading you, so you thought it was something different. One year mom got a ring, buried in a box of powdered laundry detergent. Another, my small keyboard was inside a very large box, my new “ironing board.”
My favorite (now) was a box of knobs I opened at my grandmother’s. I was very curious as to why I was getting new gold doorknobs. They were actually for the bedposts to my new daybed already built at home (he’d forgotten to include the picture of the actual gift underneath).
We’ve started a new tradition of drawing names within our nuclear family and filling a stocking with little things. We have a big breakfast and open them together on Christmas Eve. This is such a fun and relaxed time in the otherwise hustle and bustle and stress of the season - a time to share a lot of laughs and remember the true Reason for the Season!
My favorite Christmas’s are waking up in our own house in the morning with my boys 4 and 6 years old. Opening a few gifts and having a big breakfast. Then heading to a relatives home for festivities with the rest of the family.
We used to drive all over the place trying to accomodate everything and everyone. No more of that and I am thankful.
My favorite Christmas memory is going to my grandma’s church for a candle light service. I remember thinking it was so cool that kids got to hold a candle, too.
My favorite memory is going to midnight Mass, where my grandpa lit the fire that begins the Liturgy of the Light. He’s been gone almost 15 years and I still think of him during that part each year.
My dad reads “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” aloud every year while we eat my mom’s shrimp creole. We’re all grown up now, but my 2 year old niece has started us all appreciating this even more now.
Every December I would go to my grandmother’s house and help her decorate her tree. We would order pizza and I would string the lights. Then she would tell the stories of her ornaments as I hung them on the tree.
I would say my favorite Christmas memory is of the first year my daughter really understood the whole Santa thing. She was so thrilled to see that Santa had come.
We had a dirt lot for a backyard and had made sleigh tracks and reindeer footprints. Even put some half chewed carrots in the dirt. She was so impressed!
All the yummy traditional food!
My favorite memory is driving around with my family and looking at all the Christmas lights!
Every year we would head down to the Columbia River and watch the Christmas Boat Parade. I’ve moved away from Portland Oregon for 12 years now, but it’s the one Christmas activity that I miss dearly. The family would be bundled up with coats, mittens, scarves, and hats; drink hot chocolate from a Thermos and watch boats float down the river that the owners had decorated with Christmas lights! Ohhs and Ahhs galore!!
My favorite memory is of Christmases spent at my grandparents’ house in New Orleans. There was never enough space upstairs for us kids so my grandmother would slide a mattress down the stairs and set it up in the living room with the Christmas tree. The best part: We got to ride the mattress down the stairs!
It seems that my favorite memories change every year as we make more. Toward the top of the list are the days spent at the Christmas tree farm, choosing the perfect tree and baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve and
What a great giveaway! My favorite holiday memories are mostly centered around food: a thermos of hot chocolate in the car while driving around looking at xmas lights, eggnog, making cookies with my family.
My favorite holiday memory was learning to build a big gingerbread house from scratch with my Mom. Now I make them on my own and love seeing the kids smash it to pieces eating everything they can tear off. Not before I take pictures of course
my favorite holiday memory from when i was a kid was going on posadas. posadas are re-enactments of the journey that mary and joseph took on the night that baby jesus was born. we would have a large group of people walking with us and we all held candles and sang together as we went from one home to another asking for shelter. we would visit about 2-3 different homes before we were finally accepted by the last home, where we would then celebrate and share some champurrado (hot chocolate drink made with ground corn for thickness and flavor) and some other mexican breads. it was a really nice and siritual tradition that made us forget about any differences we had and helped us all be a bit more hospitable. now, as an adult, i’m not very religious anymore, but i do remember fondly of the way my family celebrated the holidays. it reminds me of a more simpler way of celebrating the holidays.
My family has never really been big on holidays. Most of the time it would be like any other day. So its always a treat when I’m able to join friends and such for holiday get-togethers.
For the past couple of Thanksgivings, my friends would get together at one of our houses to celebrate with a dinner. I always end up making most of the meal (e.g. ham, turkey, side dishes, etc), but I didn’t mind the time put into cooking. It was always fun just hanging out with everyone. Good memories.
I remember my childhood as celebrating both Hanukah and Christmas, and realizing both of them to their full extent. Once we had our family gift exchange, we’d head to my grandparents’ house and see everyone! It still goes on today, and it’s great.
favorite memory: baking, decorating, & eating Christmas cookies with my 2yo last year. thanks
My favorite memory has become a tradition. We have a Nativity set where Mary & Joseph (and the Wise Men) “travel” around the house on their way to the stable. I move the figures and our kids hunt around to find them. It’s been limited to the 1st two floors of our house in the past; I might have to include the attic this year!
It’s hard to pick just one favorite holiday memory. My birthday is Christmas Eve, so many memorable things happen this time of the year! I got engaged in December, married in November & then had both of our children in November! These 2 months are super busy for us.
But I think the best holiday memory I have is when our oldest was small we drove to a park that was decorated with lights (drive thru kind of thing). It was just great to see his little eyes looking all over trying to not miss anything!
My favorite Christmas memory lasted all year: we gave my wife’s grandparents a year of meals. once a month all year long, we would take them an entire homecooked-from-scratch dinner (i’m an excellent cook, and grandpa loves my cooking) and share it together. Sometimes they picked what we had, sometimes they let us pick. They couldn’t stop talking about it all year! In fact, my wife’s parents got sick of hearing about it from them.
My Favorite Christmas Memory is the year we got our puppy. She was a love for many years and slept under the tree every holiday season.
Thanks for the give-away!
My favorite Christmas memories from childhood include music, board games and hot chocolate. Gifts are nice in the moment perhaps but are rarely what is remembered.
When I was growing up my entire family would get together each week at Grandma’s house to celebrate Advent. We sang carols, told stories and ate cookies and pies.
My favorite Christmas memory is making homemade pizza every Christmas Eve. And now I carry on this tradition with my kids, making the dough from scratch before Christmas Eve service, then coming home church and working as a team to assemble it and then eat together. Yum!
My favorite holiday memory is when I was five and my Mom told me that Santa had left my presents on the porch. I opened the door and on the porch was a shiny blue pedal car stuffed with presents. I was so excited I screamed and jumped up and down.
My favorite christmas memory is when my brother and I got our very fist Nintendo! It was 1991 and we were so thrilled that we stayed up all night gaming! The good days when systems were easy to play and there wasn’t a worry in the world.
My favorite memories of the holidays revolve around spending time with my sister and my mom cooking huge holiday dinners.
Favorite holiday rituals…
Thanksgiving we always spent with my dad’s parents - they figured if they claimed that holiday, everyone could count on getting together (cousins and all) once a year and still get together with the other side of our families for Christmas. I remember looking forward to that every November.
For Christmas, my parents and I would sleep in (I’ve never been an early riser), and my two older brothers would get up at the crack of dawn. They would get our stockings down from the fireplace and quietly bring them into my room. We’d all sit on my bed (after they gently woke me up - they only time they EVER did that nicely!
) and open our stockings together. That is such a great memory for me - we’d always get an orange in the toe, a toothbrush, a couple small chocolates, new socks, and usually a small toy. That was the only day of the year I enjoyed waking up early in the morning…
My favorite holiday memory is waking up at 4am and being so excited that I couldn’t go back to sleep. I would sneak past my parents room and wake my brother up, and we would sneak to the top of the stairs and try to see the presents under the tree down in the living room. We were too scared to actually go down the stairs, didn’t want to get caught!
My favorite holiday memory was one year when my Great Grandma gave everyone in the family a piece of jewelry or watch and we spent all evening admiring everyone elses pieces while sitting around the tree, sipping hot cocoa & singing Christmas carols. A simple memory, but it was the last year we all were in the same room at the same time.
My favorite memories are of decorating the Christmas tree and then spending peaceful winter nights around the glowing tree.
Going Christmas shopping with my mom and grandma, and having tea in the Walnut Room at Marshall Fields in Chicago.
The first year my husband and I lived together we were poor grad students across the country from anything either of us had ever known. We had made it through our first hurricane season with not but a few thunder storms. We could not afford to fly home for the holidays, so we spent them at our tiny apartment. It was both of our first Christmas’ on our own, so we did not have any decorations. I found an old sketch pad and some colored pencils and drew a tree. We taped it to the wall next to the table, and piled the presents our relative sent us in front of it. It was a quiet Christmas. We kept the “tree” and put it up every year until we moved and bought a houseplant to decorate. I have been trying to achieve that peaceful joyous holiday feeling each year afterwards.
Hmmm. I think my favorite, something that always makes me laugh is the Christmas Eve when my nephews were getting a little older. The older one was probably stopping the “believing” part of Christmas at that point. My mom went outside just as the kids went to bed, she had some sleigh-bell type things with her and she shook them, trying to imitate Santa.
When she came back in, the older kid said, “Nana, why were you shaking those bells out there?”
We still make fun of my mom about that. Hee.
my favorite christmas memory is laying on the floor near/under the live Christmas tree and making faces in the metallic bulb ornaments. Those bulbs make your face all distorted (like a fun house mirror) and I love the smell of a live tree. I also liked watering the tree. I would fill a long neck pepsi bottle (remember this was waaayyy back) and crawl under the tree to add the water to the metal tree holder.
My favorite holiday memory is simply being able to spend that special time with my family, something I miss.
Christmas lights have always been part of my holidays. Growing up my grandfather would take us out on Christmas Eve to look at all the trees and house lit up.
As I got older I started my Clark Griswold type adventures trying to outdo everyone on our street and myself the next year.
All the competitiveness vanished on Saturday when my 5 year old was sitting next to me screwing in red bulbs into light strings. I am sure that as he and his bother get older they will get the same burning desire to outdo everyone, but for one day it was just my boys and I sharing our first honey-do activity together.
We moved away when we married so would pack up and go to my MIL’s house each Christmas. We always hated having to haul all our stuff there and back but didn’t want to be the bad guys. My fourth son was born Dec 22nd so I went home from the hospital on the 24th. My MIL insisted we come- that they would all help and I wouldn’t have to cook. We, for once, stood our ground and stayed home. My husband went and bought a Stouffers Lasagna so we didn’t even have a big traditional meal. For the first time ever the kids got to play with their toys and make a mess and I didn’t care how messy it was and didn’t have a thing to do (like cook) so we had the best day ever. I was on pain meds to if you can get some of those they help to relax you- I AM JOKING, PEOPLE, but I really was on some happy meds. I learned that all the things I do to try to create memories and traditions are fun only if we really enjoy them but not to do them because you have to. My husband then declared we would stay home for Christmas from then on.
Although I have been pregnant three times, two of those pregnancies were during Christmas. It always seemed so extra special to be pregnant as we got ready for Christmas. It made me feel like I was more in touch with the true reason for Christmas.
On one particular Christmas, my mother had gotten my dad an 8 foot ladder. She wrapped it in newspaper print and placed it beside the tree. He couldn’t figure out what it could possibly be. We all had a great laugh because it was so obvious to the rest of us!
Great–you should post this at my site on the contest message board.
My favorite holiday memory is from when I was in college. I would make tons of different cookies and give them out to just about everyone that I knew. It was just so much to give them out to people.
My best holiday memory was on Halloween of last year, when my husband and I found out we were pregnant with my daughter, now 4 months!
My family sometimes had money, sometimes didn’t growing up, but we used to make ultra-frugal, ultra-creative decorations with things like popcorn, oranges, and cloves. I totally want to do this with my kids, though!
My favorite holiday memory was the year I did a sub for Santa for a family at church. Watching from my hiding place behind some bushes as the family opened the door to a bunch of wrapped gifts was a fabulous experience!
my favorite holiday memory was from last year when we adopted a family for the holidays. each of us in our family was in charge of picking up a couple different items for the family but we all ended up going overboard. we definitely felt blessed giving so much to a family in need. we’re planning on doing it again this year as our community was devasted by the summer floods.
My favorite memory is from last year. It’s just the way that we spent they day–just the five of us–in our own home celebrating together. No traveling, no grandparents, just us. Best Christmas ever!
My favorite holiday is not, unlike most people, Christmas. It is actually Thanksgiving. My family is a very small, but very spread out. Thanksgiving is the only time we all get together. Two years ago I spent most of my Thanksgiving Day with my 2 little cousins. I love those girls. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The leaves were perfect (think famous pictures of a Vermont fall), the air crisp, and the wind null. We played in the leaves, walked the trails in the woods, and just generally had a blast. It was a simple but perfect Thanksgiving Day.
My favorite Christmas memory is of waking up early on christmas morn - eating swedish tea ring (pastry) with my family, and opening presents in our pajamas! So much fun, even if the gifts we’re expensive -just the experience of opening gifts and the anticipation made it all worth it!
When I was about 8 years old, my dad tricked us on Christmas morning by rigging up a pair of black boots from our chimney. When we woke up and ran to the living room, we stopped dead in our tracks. We thought that Santa was hung in the chimney! We spun around and went back to bed! That trick bought my dad a couple of hours of sleep that Christmas morning!
Good times…good times…
Valerie
My mom used to turn off all the lights in the house except the christmas tree and my whole family would cuddle on the couch together and watch the blinking lights. It’s still my fav thing to do at christmastime.
How great! I’m doing a similar giveaway on my blog, but for CVS :o)
My favorite holiday memory is watching “A Christmas Story” on TV every year! I just have to watch it the whole 24 hours…or at least have it on. I absolutely love that movie and so does my hubby! I also love making up all kinds of cookies and giving them out at the beginning of December. I’ve only been doing that for a few years but it really gets me going for Christmas.
For me, I had a lot of extended family and we wouldn’t all join together, so I would always have Christmas Eve dinner with my aunt and her entire extended family, then around 11:00PM, we would travel to my godmother’s house where we would sit around until midnight, drinking hot chocolate and enjoying everyone’s company. Then at midnight we would do gift exchange. This is what I remember growing up, it was the one night of the year where it was acceptable to stay up late. Then Christmas morning / day I would just spend it with my parents and sister. It always felt like three mini events.
I have lots of Christmas memories, but one the one that sticks out right now is sort of a silly memory. Although my sister and I are a few years apart, we share the same best friend. Every year we would exchange gifts with our best friend. One time my sister ripped the wrapping paper off a gift and the box said it was an electric pencil sharpener. Right away my sister started crying. She didn’t want a pencil sharpener. So, being the dutiful big sister that I am, I spent some time telling my sister about all the great reasons for having a pencil sharpener. With a new found excitement for pencil sharpeners, my sister opened the box only to find that there was no pencil sharpner in the box!! Our best friend had used the box only to contain my sister’s real present, which was an assortment of cosmetics. Now my sister started crying again! This time she was mad because it WASN’T a pencil sharpener. The lesson in this is, don’t judge a present by it’s box!
Making sugar cookies with my mom.
When I was ten, a neighbor down the street was teaching me how to sew. Having mastered some of the basics, I wanted to tackle an intermediate project, and I decided I would make my dad a robe for Christmas. I labored for weeks - carefully picking out the nicest fabric, perfecting each stitch, and even adding a hood. I finished a couple of weeks before Christmas, wrapped it up, and put it under the tree. I could not wait for Christmas morning! When my dad finally opened it, he almost cried. He knew how much time I must have spent on it, and he marveled at how well it fit. Almost 20 years later, he still wears that robe, though it is looking a little tattered. I will always remember that Christmas as the first Christmas I was more excited about a gift that I was giving someone than I was about any gift I might be getting.
My favorite memories of Christmas are having a big fancy dinner on Christmas Eve complete with candlelight and goblets of sparkling cider. Then my dad would tell the story of the birth of Christ using the nativity set carved from olive wood that my mom got in Israel as a teenager. We sang lots of hymns and Christmas carols and then we each got to open one gift(it was always new pajamas).
My favorite memory is the year my mother decided she was tired of wrapping Christmas gifts. She thought we’d play Bingo instead, and the Bingo winner would pick out the gift they wanted. I didn’t Bingo once, so I didn’t get a gift!
I love our traditional holiday lights scavenger hunt. We divide into two teams and drive around trying to be the first to find all itmes on the list. Afterwards, the losing team has to serve ice cream to the winners.
I have so many favorite holiday memories and can’t choose between 2 most prominent ones so I’ll share both!
1 - The Christmas when I was 10 and woke up at 4:30 in the morning to find a puppy in one of the stockings. I had gotten up to go to the bathroom and heard my stepfather coming out of his home office. When I got back to bed, I heard whining and at first thought it was the neighbor’s dog. Our living room window adjoined the neighbor’s backyard so I went to look, and when I turned around to go back to my room, I saw a puppy in one stocking and a kitten in the other (we had already had the kitten for a few days, but she mysteriously disappeared for a few days to keep the puppy company at a secret location).
2 - My sister’s and my first Christmas in our own house with our puppies. We bought a house in Nov. 2005 (but had to travel to attend a cousin’s wedding that Christmas), so Christmas 2006 was our first in our new home. We got a tree (which we don’t always do) and set a budget of $100 to buy presents for each other. I ordered the Ticket to Ride Game (for both of us because she couldn’t decide what else to get for me after $60), which we opened Christmas Eve and played till 4am Christmas morning. We also ordered a bunch of dog toys and gave one to each of our dogs (who turned one on Epiphany, Jan. 5th) for each of the 12 days of Christmas. It was one of the most fun Christmases we ever had.
My favorite holiday memory is going to Temple Square to see the lights.
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My favorite holiday memory just happened last night. My boys have been anxious to start decorating for Christmas but we wouldn’t let them start until after Thanksgiving. One of the boys dug around and found a couple of our smaller fake trees and brought them up to their rooms. We still wouldn’t let them get the ornaments out yet so they started making their own ornaments. By the end of the evening they had made a hodge podge of amazing ornaments that were very boy like - an empty can of pepsi, a pocket knife, a water bottle. It was the funnest and coolest tree I’ve ever seen and I told them they made my Christmas and the season hasn’t even begun yet!
When I was a kid, my grandmother heard about a family in our town that had suffered a loss, including substantial loss of income, and she thought about the disappointment the family’s children would face on Christmas morning, in addition to everything else they were dealing with. So, she purchased presents for each of the children and arranged for a friend who often dressed as Santa for other events to deliver the presents on Christmas Eve, in full Santa attire.
The family never knew who sent Santa to their home, and my grandmother never talked about what she did. In fact, I heard about it from my mother, who helped choose the gifts.
As I got older, my grandmother and I formed a friendship that I will always cherish. Now that she’s gone, these memories warm my heart all the more.
My favorite Christmas memory was when I was small and we would wake up and run to the living room. I would search under the tree until I found my ‘gold’. Santa ALWAYS gave me a can of black olives…and still does!
I remember enjoying Christmas as a child, but we almost always spent it away from home. My dad has “issues” with staying home at Christmas, so we planned trips to keep him in a good mood for the holidays. Interestingly enough, the Christmases that give me the fondest memories were the rare few we spent at home. This is why I insist we spend Christmas at home now, for my kids, so they can have continuity, and hopefully very happy memories to treasure for the rest of their lives. We’re lucky to have both sets of their grandparents near us, so we have a yearly tradition of spending Christmas Eve at the home of my in-laws, Christmas morning at our house (complete with pancake breakfast), and Christmas Day dinner at my parents’ house.
It will be hard to pick just one, so I’ll just say one of my favorite memories is of the year my then-3-year-old niece decided to try to play the baby grand piano in the middle of the candlelight Christmas Eve service at church! She knew exactly what she was doing as she took one step, turned and looked at her mom and dad, took another step, turned and looked and so on. They let her to until she got to the keyboard and only had to chase her a little to catch her! So much for keeping a reverent attitude there for a while! Thanks for a tremendous give-away.
My favorite holiday memories are probably decorating the Christmas tree (a big production with six kids in the house!) and our advent calendar. I loved that thing!
One of my favorite memories in recent history was a few years ago it snowed here in the Houston Texas area on Christmas Eve. I have lived in areas with snow but my daughter and husband are Texas natives and the joy of watching them experience this for the first time was truly priceles!
There are so many favorite Christmas memories. Probably my most favorite is the first year my twins we alive. My husband and I had tried for several years to get pregnant before having twins. For a couple of years, I thought I would never be able to celebrate Christmas with our own children. I was and am so thankful for them.
The best gift!
When my niece was three-years-old she wanted to help me wrap Christmas gifts. But when we were done she wanted to wrap some more. She got her ball. We wrapped it, and tagged it to Angelica, from Angelica. Being the only grandchild in our family she was really spoiled. But with all her great gifts on Christmas morning, she was most excited when she unwrapped her own ball.
A favorite Christmas memory was when my 2 brothers and I were about 3,4 and 5 years old, we all hid behind the big recliner in the living room waiting on Santa Claus. One Christmas, we were poor and didnt have much, no really we didn’t. One the State’s football players came to our house along with his wife and took my brothers and I shopping for Christmas, suddenly we had more toys than we knew what to do with.. They were so kind, and gave my family a Christmas that we wont ever forget. Pick me, I will share with my Brothers..Teehee.. This would be an awesome gift. Thanks.
My favorite Christmas memory was the big Sears catalog, My mother told my 2 brothers and I that we could pick out 2 little things and one big thing and write to Santa and tell him. She would mail it for us. That did not mean we would get what we chose but we could ask.
for about a month before Christmas,The only time we willingly sat next to each other we searched that book over and over and wrote a letter almost every day.
I’d love to win this giveaway for my husband…usually we’re busy getting gifts for our three children and don’t get much for each other, so I’d like to surprise him with this gift. I remember some good Christmases when I was a child, lots of family and food and fun and practical presents. But really my favorite memories involve my children and Christmas recently…the kids get so excited waiting for presents, and my husband gets just as excited…he always lets them open a toy or present on Christmas Eve or even before. Those are my favorite memories.
Thanks for such a great post FD, and it’s been terrific reading everyone’s comments! My best Christmas memories include very simple tasks, like riding around slowly JUST to look at Christmas lights, decorating cookies, watching old (and new) Christmas shows, making ornaments and decorations by hand, singing holiday songs for a whole month, etc. My older son loves to keep track of Santa on the Norad website on Christmas eve.
The best part of celebrating Christmas as an adult has been to stop driving to other people’s houses on THE day, and stay home to have a more relaxing, low-stress Christmas. I remember just a few actual presents from childhood, but I have many memories of the magic and anticipation of the season.
My favorite Christmas memory was reading “The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever” to our children every year. We would look forward to spending this time every night, or sometimes for one reading in one day! We have invited our friends and relatives in on this reading also and have thouroughly enjoyed it!
My favorite X-mas memory is of my sisters and I setting our alarms for like 3:00 A.M. so we could
peek at the presents under the tree. Christmas
was such a magical time then.
Every Christmas Eve, my Mom, sister and I would go out to eat and to the movies. It was a special time to spend together.Then, we would come home and my Mom would let us open one gift. It was a very special time.
My favorite christmas was a combination of having small children and a new job as an English as a Second Language teacher. For my children, I always created Rudolph’s foot prints (made with baby powder “snow”) on the carpet along with Sant’s fingerprints (ash from the fireplace) on gifts under the tree. They were always amazed!
My ESL experience was capped that christmas by my three elementary students from Poland. The two brothers and a sister presented me with a red beaded necklace. Knowing the family was destitute, I asked them where they came by such a thing and they proudly exclaimed, “We STOLE it for you!” They actually bought it but their English was still shakey!!!
Since we didn’t have family in Texas, we always stayed at home… starting with midnight mass, go to bed LATE and still be up at 7:00am!, open presents and JUST PLAYED WITH THEM ALL DAY LONG until our Christmas dinner was ready for us !!
Now I am married with a daughter, we always have to go EVERYWHERE… my family, his family, and some close friends. It is very hectic… I still love the CRAZINESS that ensues!!!
One of my favorite Christmas memories is my mom waking up before my sister and I. On Christmas Eve, she would tell us what time we could get up the next morning. My sister and I would wake up early, then eagerly wait until that time arrived before we would head downstairs. Some years, long before that magical hour arrived, my mom would be upstairs asking us why we weren’t downstairs yet! She got so excited - I think she was more excited than we were many years!
for all of my 38 years of life I do not remember spending a christmas without my family… there are 5 kids my parents in my family. Some of the best memories are waking up early (5 am) with my brothers and sisters and all of us sitting at the top of the stairs outside my parents room waiting for them to wake up. We we tried to be quiet, as only excited kids can do, until my parents woke up. Which usually wasn’t too long afterwards!
Thanks for keeping us informed with your blog! Happy Holidays!
cutting our own Christmas at a tree farm in Vermont with the boys when they were 8 and 3 years old
Wow, what a great giveaway - thank you!
My favorite holiday memory is of the first Christmas my husband and I were dating. We were in college. All of my friends, roommates, and my boyfriend went home for Christmas, but I worked at a hospital and had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My family lived in another state. I was feeling very lonely and sorry for myself all alone in my apartment.
In my family growing up, our Christmas Eve tradition was to have pizza for dinner. We even fasted from pizza from Thanksgiving on, just to make the Christmas Eve pizza even more special. So…on my lonely Christmas Eve, when I got home from work and faced the whole night alone, who was waiting for me at my apartment but the pizza delivery guy! My boyfriend had called from out-of-town and ordered a pizza for me so that I could participate in my family’s tradition even from a distance.
Can you see why I married him?
My parents were models of moderation, teaching their children that “wanting” is not the same as “having to have.” They let us pore over the Sears catalog (dating myself, am I?), where I went straight to the toy section, but they were firm in coming up with their own creative gifts for us, not the latest fad. I loved their wonderful gifts that were really hobbies that would bring enjoyment for a long time - stamp collecting, train sets, etc. My absolute favorite Hanukkah, though, was when Mom and Dad gave me a doll with a cute cowgirl outfit for her the first night - and then 7 more doll outfits for the next 7 nights of Hanukkah, finishing up with the treasured bride’s dress! I thought I was in heaven, and I remember how treasured I felt to this day.
When my parents moved to Swarthmore, PA in 1958 we were fortunate enough to find a house on a street with lots of kids.
My earliest memories are of my two best friends, Julie & Jeri, and the excitement we felt at Christmas. It was a time for family, and a time for FRIENDS! We’d sneak out after we were done opening presents and get together for a few minutes to compare loot and to wish each other a Merry Christmas.
We now have an annual Christmas gathering together that includes our eight children (ages 11-25)our spouses (if any), and our parents.
Many of the gifts are completely inappropriate and purchased as cheap gags. One year Julie got a “deal” on folding plastic snow shovels to keep in our car in case we got stuck. Jeri came up with some radio controlled flying saucers that the kids all opened and they were flying around the room. My favorite personal gift was the stuffed “boyfriend” pillow that Santa? brought me. There is a contest to use the “oldest” recycled wrapping paper/gift bag, and also to find the most inappropriate gift.
The food is excellent, the drinks flow, it’s total chaos and it lasts for about five short hours. Our kids look forward to the 3J’s Christmas almost as much as they do the family Christmas.
My BEST Christmas is every year I’ve been able to be with these women that I cherish! This will be our 50th year!
I am truly blessed!
I was 5. Mom and Dad let me sleep on the couch Christmas Eve so I could “catch” Santa in the act. Of course, I fell into a dead slumber and never heard a thing. But when I woke up and rolled over on the couch, a little table was right next to my head with my gift from Santa–my first big-girl watch (I had just learned to tell time). That sneaky Santa!
My favorite Christmas is when I finally learned that it’s really not about gifts, but love of family. In the mid-80’s my husband and I both were “down-sized”. At that time finding jobs when you are pushing 50 was very hard. I got a job at a local University, but by then we were many months behind. We had 5 children of all ages and ourselves. I had 70.00 that I scrapped together for gifts. Because I was working extra typing student papers on top of my job it left no time for shopping, so my two oldest daughters went shopping for all of us. They purchased very toughtful gifts at $10.00 per person. We all sat around the tree and realized how fortunate we were that our family was still together, our faith was intact, we all had good health. It was truly a learning experience for us all and I think back to that time with warm thoughts.
An with that sobby story, I want to thank you for your blog - I read it and pass it on to others every day. Thank you and Christmas blessing to you and your family.
So many memories, yet one of my favorites is fairly recent. My parents had died & my aunt & I had friends over and I realized as we sat at the table - people from all ages, groups and places that family isn’t what we are born to, but what we make. We felt blessed to be together.
When I was about 4 I asked my mom if it was Jesus’ birthday why we didn’t have a cake for him? She said good question, we should make him one. Thus began our Christmas Eve tradition. She made the cake and let my brother and I decorate it (however we wanted). Then we sang happy birthday to him and had cake before we opened our one present on. To this day (I am 30 now) we still have cake and sing. Mom thought we could stop about 3 years ago since there are no grandkids yet - she was wrong
I still love it!!!
My favorite memory isn’t from when I was young. My dad really didn’t celebrate the holiday’s. I mean no gifts, or tree’s or anything… so my favorite memory is from now that I’m a mom!!
My memory:
My family and I decided that we didn’t want to spend the holiday’s by ourselves last year… so we drove down to California to surprise my in-laws!
Since we have a key it was easy to walk right in…. and stand in front of Grandpa as he slept on the couch…. LOL and he opened his eyes and started laughing and hugging everyone. But, it was even more fun surprising Grandma!! She was at work when we got there, so we hid the car and when we heard the garage open we all hid (3 kids and hubby and I) and we jumped out and yelled surprise!!!
Probably, won’t be doing it again, because I don’t think her heart can take it any more!
But it was fun, and a great memory!
I definitely loved getting the ornaments out of their boxes each year. Every ornament held some kind of meaning, marking either an event or reminding me of the person who gave them to me. The best were the ones with MY name on them — how exciting!!
My favorite memory was of us girls (3) perched at the top of the stairs on Christmas morning waiting for my Dad to turn on the 8mm movie camera and those bright lights; just to catch