Christmas traditions
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Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
Forum Description: anything you want to talk about except politics
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=198864
Printed Date: 21 Aug 2025 at 11:31am
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Topic: Christmas traditions
Posted By: Pat the Plumber CIL
Subject: Christmas traditions
Date Posted: 23 Dec 2023 at 9:55pm
Sitting around bored this evening thinking of Christmas past . My grandfather on my father's side was full blooded German Catholic. He believed a Christmas tree should not be decorated until Christmas eve with the entire family participating. Believe he referred to it as "Dressing" a tree. Gifts were not opened until Christmas morning after breakfast dishes were done. Tree stayed up until the 11th of January .
My mother told my brother and I that as a little girl she was expected to sit still on a chair and keep quiet on Christmas day . Lots of older relatives would be visiting . Children were to be seen and not heard back then. She said she did not enjoy Christmas very much. She went out of her way to make sure Christmas was fun , special for my brother and I. She told my dad that we should stay home on Christmas day and let the boys enjoy their toys. We never went anywhere on Christmas day . Lots of good memories.
To this day I still believe in opening gifts on Christmas day.
Would love to hear some of your guys traditions, stories.
Merry Christmas,hope Santa brings plenty of orange.
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You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails
1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF.
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Replies:
Posted By: Codger
Date Posted: 23 Dec 2023 at 10:57pm
Much the same with the exception of seen and not heard with the kids/grandkids. They make Christmas for us seeing them happy. Gifts, presents, and the retail aspect of the holiday are not such a big deal for the adults, but again the centerpiece of the holiday is the kids for us. We all expend effort to make it special for them.
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That's All Folks!
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Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2023 at 4:41am
Gr.Grandparents on Mom’s side were old school German, tree at Greenville wasDressed Conservative just as the Gr Grands had always done not with any bought decorations but garlands of Popped Corn, small home Made candies and paper decorations. No lights or Candles.
Farm Life was tough, this was a remembrance of what was given up for us by one man. Very conservative and modest.
Spent much of the day at the local ministry singing eating listening and praying. Small gifts were exchanged and done. Back to business
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Posted By: plummerscarin
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2023 at 7:47am
Recently learned grandfather on Mom's side would dress as St Nicholas and come bang on the door and leave a bag of nuts for all to enjoy. They were German Heritage in a small Minnesota town with two Catholic churches.
Me growing up we lived near grandparents on Dad's side. Always went there on Christmas day after church and opening presents at home. Would spend the rest of the day there with Dad's relatives
Now she and I keep pretty quiet. Steak and seafood on Christmas eve and try to organize a day when all our family can meet for the day
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Posted By: WF owner
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2023 at 8:17am
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Since I grew up on a dairy farm, as many preparations as possible to lessen Christmas day chores were done on Christmas eve. Hay was piled by the "feed holes", so it was quick and easy to throw down for feedings, the manure was taken out Christmas eve (so it would all fit on one load on Christmas).
We always went to midnight mass (when I was young, I often fell asleep) then home to bed. We were up by 5AM to milk and do chores. in my younger years, Dad kept me away from the Christmas tree, until chores were done.
After morning chores, we ate breakfast before opening presents. I think Dad ate slower on Christmas morning than any other day!
Then presents were opened and off to my (paternal) grandparents. I was the oldest grandchild, so it was a big deal for me. Next stop was my maternal grandparents. Mom was one of 14 kids (I guess her parents had no TV, so there was nothing else to do...) and her oldest sister had 14 kids, so it was a madhouse!!!
It was (rightfully so) all about family!
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
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Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2023 at 8:30am
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Well, when the wife was still here, we had a house full and opened presents on Christmas Eve. The wife believed in at least 5 presents for each family member, and All the five boys were always here with their families, or GF's . Christmas Day was for eating BBQ, Turkey and Ham most of the day,,,,and watching the kids. THen,,at noon,,off to Grandmother's House for more gifts and even more Groceries,,,,sheeesh,,!! Times change SO much,,don't they,,?
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Posted By: Lars(wi)
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2023 at 8:53am
For our family(I, wife, 3 adult ‘children’) Christmas, is probably the most subdued holiday of them all with exception of Halloween, for that we do absolutely nothing, why celebrate Pagenism?
As for Christmas, my wife has very few happy memories of Christmas growing up. Her, the oldest child in her family, my Mother In Law, was a constant critic of her oldest daughter. Any holiday(especially Christmas) was pure agony in the household my wife grew up. After we married, and started having children of our own, we did the dutiful thing and traveled to the in-laws for most holidays. Almost every time on the way home my would be near tears, or just stare out the car window on the hour long trip back to our home. What finally broke the camels back, was a summer family reunion on my wife’s side, our youngest had just celebrated his 3rd birthday a week or so prior, not a word from the MIL. Just criticize about our son concerning his disability. What did you do wrong during pregnancy, was constantly asked from my MIL.
We cut out of there a couple hours early. My wife vowed to never speak to that ‘fking bitch’ again. It’s been over 20 years, my wife communicates with couple of her cousins occasionally, he have no clue if her parents or siblings are still alive.
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2023 at 8:57am
Speaking of presents... Seems like the grandkids get 20 different things now.... When i was a kid you got ONE major toy that you had asked for the last 6 months... and a couple smaller packages that were normally socks / underwear / book or crayons !!
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Posted By: plummerscarin
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2023 at 2:34pm
Copied this from my aunt. Mom's sister
On this soggy rainy Christmas Eve, I choose, instead, to share a memory our Dad would tell us of going to Christmas Midnight Mass. He remembered that, as a kid, his dad would hitch up the two farm horses to the bobsled and put bells on the horses' halters. Then he'd pack the whole family with blankets in the bobsled and under the icy stars and bright moonlit sky, they'd glide on the snow, listening to the bells going kling, kling, kling all the way to Midnight Mass. That was one of his favorite memories....
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