Share Your Holiday Traditions to Win

Our favorite Christmas tradition is preparing a big breakfast together after opening presents - the works! Pancakes, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, eggs, toast, cinnamon rolls and more!! My husband and I started this our first Christmas after we got married and have continued it every Christmas morning. Our 8 year old loves the tradition just as much as us, and my 20 month loves to eat - so I am sure it will be a tradition he will love too =)

Many years ago my girlfriend and I were chatting about the holidays and she was going on and on about her mom's delicious latkes (her mother had died several years ago). It occurred to me at that moment how important it was to "make memories" for our children. From that year on, I made it my business to make gingerbread houses, fry latkes and donuts for Hannukah, see the Rockettes and nutcracker, bake cookies, listen to carols etc. Now my children have their own fond memories of the holidays.

We don't have many, but my favorite is pulling out the ornaments and talking with my daughter about where we got it from and what we remember about it each year.

Two things immediately come to mind. Making and then sipping hot cocoa/chocolate with a lump of marshmallow fluff added to it. Also - I have Christmas music play lists on my iPod - one just for uptempo, another one of all my Christmas songs. I listen to these non-stop whenever I'm in the car. Every week day driving to and from work.

A tradition I started with my kids is that on Dec.1 we have our own version of Rocketfeller Centers tree lighting ceremony we have hot chocolate, Christmas cookies, candy canes put Christmas music on and have a countdown then turn all the lights on the trees,in the house and outside. I decorate every room in the house bathrooms & laundry room included with lights.

We love hanging in the kitchen altogether while making cookies & talk about christmas's before

Christmas Eve my husband of 27 years and I order Chinese Take our and watch "A Christmas Story"...just so fun and out of the box! As we've aged so many of our family members are no longer with us...this has helped us to enjoy Christmas with a sense of humor. dinburg

Some of the best times of my life have been built around a burning fire by the Xmas tree @ Grandma's.Morning starts w/ the smell of warm wood burning & the wintery pine scented tree.U can always find Grandma in the kitchen making her famous homemade Zeppolis(fried dough)!Sprinkle on some powdered sugar(well, LOTS of it)or some may even find an anchovy inside as a salty lil surprise & it's delish!Walk into the dining room & the table is filled from end 2 end w/ every cookie & sweet treat imaginable!When u see the Strufuli(Italian honey balls)& Neopolitans on the table u kno it's Xmas time!Our big fam all gathers around the tree 2 open gifts 2gether & we ALWAYS share a ton of laughs.Every yr there's a memory(or 10)2 share next time Xmas rolls around!)Tradition holds that we ALWAYS save the stockings 4 last,all 27 of them hanging on the mantle!Being 2gether is the best gift of all,watching the snow fall outside w/ the comfort of love & family & LOTS of food!Wouldn't have it any other way!

we play "yankee swap" on christmas eve in my family - it's so fun to see what gag gifts are included, and usually there are a few gifts that reappear over the years!

Getting my whole family together in the kitchen and making holiday cookies and singing Christmas carols.Also remembering our loved ones we,ve lost and talking about all our memories of the holidays with them

we put up our Christmas tree after dinner on thanksgiving and watch charlie brown. I love that part of the day. Everyone is together and reflecting on things to be thankful for, the tree is glowing, and charlie brown is on tv- there is not a care in the world and the thought of spending money is far from mind. its just a beautiful night.

on Christmas Eve I give my kids each 2 gifts to open. . They open their gifts (fluffy new pajamas and slippers) and after they change into them, we get our mugs of hot cocoa and homemade secret kiss cookies and cuddle together to watch The Little Drummer Boy, then we reed Twas the Night Before Christmas together. After this we take out Santas plate and cup. We leave Santa a cup with hot chocolate mix in it and a thermous of hot water, and a plate with a variety of homemade goodies. Next to this we leave carrots and celery for the reindeer. After the children are asleep. I crumble some cookies on the table cloth, make and then drink half the cocoa and leave them a note from Santa. I then go outside the house and near their windows and jingle a some christmas bells so they can hear Santa has arrived

When I was 9 I was very ill.My mother took me to many drs.only to be disappointed.My fevers were high.I recall a priest coming to pray over me.On XMas Eve everyone gathered in our home.Being sick I was unable to go down to eat.I stayed watching tv.As I laid there I suddenly heard the ringing of bells & quickly sat up wondering where the sound was coming from.Suddenly Santa appeared in the doorway followed by my family.I was elated with excitement. I rapidly recognized the eyes behind the glasses & beard it was my mother dressed as Santa Claus.I ran & wrapped my arms around her, I was so happy. I got everything I asked for & then some.The next day on X-Mas morning I was playing with my new toys & my mom came in to take my temperature & to both our surprise it was gone! The miracle of love brought an end to my fever.Since then, my mother has dressed up as Santa Claus every XMas Eve.I am 41 now & still get misty eyed when I think about my triumph & the miracle a mother's love can bring.

Our tradition is going to see the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller center and afterwards going with our kids to see all the beautiful Fifth avenue holiday store window displays. Its so much fun! We did it with our parents as kids and herald in the holidays with our kids this way now.

In our family, baking is a big tradition. Cinnamon rolls, fudge, peanut brittle, and beef jerky have been made for generations. Good times, good food, and wonderful people.