WINNERS!
Please contact me with your mailing address. I am mailing in the morning and Monday. I am also sending you an email. Congratulations! Winners selected by Random.org
217Natural Violet said...Great giveaway. I have a three year old also and it is so wonderful to see how excited he is this year about celebrating. We plan to read Tractor Mac Saves Christmas on Christmas eve.
101,mtnquiltr said... We love our Christmas stockings and spend loads of time finding small and clever (we hope) gifts to include. They are not large, but so much fun!
December 12, 2011 10:50 PM
65,Marguerite said.....Lovely fabric :) I don't know how well this would work for other people, but... my father was brought up Lutheran, and I speak German, so each Christmas my mother and sister go to the kids' service at our usual church and my father and I go to the German-language service at the local Lutheran church. It's my favorite holiday tradition! dangandblast@gmail.com
December 12, 2011 3:58 PM
107hueisei said...Decorating Christmas tree and wrapping presents.
Thx for the chance to win ^^v
December 13, 2011 1:01 AM
WOW! I just want to say I am blown away by the amazing comments here! I treasure each one of you for sharing your family traditions. This is so special to me as we reinvent our Holiday season, and grow as a young family (our daughter is almost 3, but we have been married 12 years). I wish all of you a wonderful end of the year full of much love, peace, time for reflection, and joy.
It is also an honor to get to hear from so many people I have never met before (most all of you). This has made the blogosphere feel like a tangible community. I am enjoying discovering new blogs to follow and new pinterest and facebook friends. I would be honored if some of you felt the same towards my humble blog.
Oh! And GOOD LUCK! I know I am excited about the contests I have entered today.
Sew, Mama, Sew! is having their Giveaway Day again! After you enter here please click on that link and enter some more while you read other fantastic blogs! Giveaway open until December 16 at 5 p.m. PST. I will Email the winners by December 18, and note the winners in this giveaway post. I will ship the items by December 24. I will ship internationally!
With the upcoming launch of my Happy and Free Clothing company on 1 January 2012 I have been in a flurry of creativity. I kept that in mind as I scoured my overflowing craft shelves for items that I knew would delight others with their own unique creative spark. I enjoy all kinds of arts and crafts and so I have drawn from 4 of my favorites.
On 16 December I will randomly select 4 winners! What do you do to enter? Readers of my blog know that we have been trying to decide what Holiday traditions to include with our family. For us that involves Christmas, Nativity, Advent, St Nicholas Day, and Winter Solstice. I would love to hear what traditions your family especially enjoys at Holiday time. Please leave me a comment telling me about it. Be sure to include your email address so that I can reach you. That's it! You will be entered! No hoops, no posting on fb or twitter, although you are welcome to if you wish.
#1 SEWING: Dogs Bathing Pink flannel, 44" wide x 27"; Orange polar fleece 10.5" x 1.75 yd; Turquoise polar fleece 60" x 1 yd and McCalls M6194 in size CB 1-2-3.
#2 KNITTING/CROCHETING: 220 yards of Knit Picks worsted weight 4, Bare 100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 129 yards Yarn Bee Melody Bulky weight 5, Vitner 70% Wool/30% Acrylic. The color on the Vitner does not show up well. It is a gorgeous blend of rust brown, evergreen, wine purple, and flaxen cream. I am currently working a scarf in this and it is just lovely in the hand despite the 30% Acrylic.
#3 QUILTING: Moda 302050 JR Jelly Roll, basic grey max & whiskers. Just adorable! Features a goldfish in a bowl, and a bouncy kitten and puppy.
#4 DOLLMAKING: Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love by Hillary Lang. Cuddly and charming creations. Book comes complete with patterns to print.
Tamales on Christmas eve!
ReplyDeleteWe do the solstice and I really enjoy getting up to greet the sun!
ReplyDeleteLike jmday, we also have mexican food at Christmas. Mom makes homemade tacos for dinner! When we were kids our tradition was to unwrap one gift on Christmas Eve, mom always got to pick which one we got to open though. Thanks for the giveaway, I would love a stab at getting my hands on that Wee Wonderfuls book!
ReplyDeleteMy husband's Swedish, so we usually make saffron-flavored Lucia buns sometime between Lucia Day and Christmas. One of the traditions from my childhood was opening one gift per child on Christmas Eve. We always enjoyed that, and it made us anticipate Christmas morning even more.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance to win in your giveaway! :o)
we have a cookie contest. we bake cookies that have a holiday theme then do a swap. then we have a vote on whose cookie had the most holiday spirit, best taste, pretty looking, etc. it's lots of fun!
ReplyDeleteI love baking Christmas cookies with my mom and making a gingerbread house with my brother!
ReplyDeletewe celebrate Hanuka and enjoy lighting the candles together and each kid has his own Menorah.
ReplyDelete:)
katz.gali(at)gmail.com
We celebrate Winter Solstice with good unhealthy food and drink, Christmas Day, with a MASSSIVE and I mean MASSIVE brunch (Its like a 8 course meal) and then boxing day because we're half Canadian :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition is making breakfast pizza to eat after we open presents!
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate Hanukkah, and we use a non-traditional, humanistic reading to go along with our candle lighting. I also make potato latkes. Can't have Hanukkah without latkes.
ReplyDeleteWe love to go to the ZOO one day before X-mass. We take Christmass cookies with us for ourselves or whoever lovely we meet and something we can donate to the ZOO. I love the peaceful atmosphere...
ReplyDeleteWe always go to the midnight church service on Christmas Eve then we have mince pies and mulled wine after!
ReplyDeleteI have a special cookie recipe that is adored by many special people in our lives. We make batches and batches of cookies and mail or deliver them as a small token of our affection for dear friends! Thanks for the great giveaway opportunity!
ReplyDeleteMy husbands family always goes for Chinese food on Christmas day, it's a fun new tradition!
ReplyDeleteI'm from NZ, so traditionally Christmas for us is warm and sunny! We usually have a BBQ, with lots of salads and cold desserts!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway
Sarah @ http://kiwigetscrafty.blogspot.com
i love the knitting one! or the jelly roll! my grandmother is polish so our family tradition is to make polish bowtie cookies (Chrusciki) for the holidays :) raineoc@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI'm not really familiar with any of those things, except Christmas of course! We just celebrate Christmas.
ReplyDeleteWe go over to my mom's on St. Nicholas day to put up the tree and eat oranges and such.
ReplyDeleteWe LOVE going to a live nativity in the area :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy learning about & participating in the year-end celebrations of my friends from different places around the world. And the food is always good!
ReplyDeleteWe enjoy an "indoor snowball fight" in the basement with homemade forts, gloves, mittens, and giant marshmallow "snowballs." Then, hot cocoa to "warm up" (cool down) afterwards.
ReplyDeleteLovely giveaway. Happy holidays!
St. Nickolas Day is a favorite here! Nothing beats a shoe full of goodies :-)
ReplyDeleteWe're having a lot of fun doing little advent activities like making glue& string snowballs, rock candy and ribbon trees. I get so tired of the retail insanity--family time and homemade stuff is a good cure!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win the yarn
ReplyDeleteWe're a strange family sometimes, but on Christmas Eve we like to do a Christmas jigsaw puzzle. We stay up as late as it takes to get the whole thing done (although mostly we fall asleep around 2 AM and have to finish it in the morning). We make sure to do it on the dining room table so that we have to get it done before we can eat a yummy Christmas dinner hehehe
ReplyDeleteI love the book! I'd suggest decorating a tree with dried fruit and seeds for animals to eat on Winter Solstice!
ReplyDeletedinner on christmas eve and eating cookies at home after, staying up late and catching up
ReplyDeleteI love decorating the tree with Handel's Messiah on; in the last few years, my siblings and I have been taking our kids sledding on Christmas and coming home afterwards for pizza and presents on Christmas night. It's lovely and low key.
ReplyDeleteMy in laws had this tadition and now we continue it at their house with all the cousins. Grandma bakes a cake and we sing happy birthday to Jesus Christmas morning before we open presents
ReplyDeleteWe do a Christmas Eve dinner and program, where the children act out the nativity scene. We also have an advent calendar, and we cut down our own Christmas tree. Otherwise, we don't plan to do all that much, and just take it as it comes. I like to keep the holidays simple, and it seems to work out better that way.
ReplyDeleteMaking Cranberry sauce, even though no one really eats it, is what makes it the holidays for me. I always end up homesick and on the phone with my mom afterwards. ;)
ReplyDeleteWe light our advent candles every night during dinner, and then have a family devotional time after we eat. We also always make and decorate cookies just before Christmas. And of course, spending time with family!
ReplyDeletemindfulhome at gmail dot com
I love our Christmas Eve gift exchange! We aren't allowed to go by wish lists, so it is interesting to see what everyone gets for each other.
ReplyDeleteWe used to live in GA and we loved to visit the lights display at Callaway Gardens. Now, we live in SC and this is something I really miss.
ReplyDeleteThis year, we started with Elf Magic (kind of like Elf on a Shelf, but more interactive) and it is something we are all really enjoying.
Desi
weeshareblog@gmail.com
We don't have many traditions, holiday wise. Looking at the lights, making, and eating, mass amounts of sugary treats.
ReplyDeleteWe tend to do one present per kid on Christmas Eve, both as a 'calm down and go to bed' tactic, as well as letting them get excited by new jammies and stories (normally the early present is pajamas and a new book for bedtime, if that wasn't obvious from the last line).
One of my best friends is a bell ringer at her church and a group of us goes to her Christmas program every year. It's a wonderful way to start off the season.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway!
Katina
kjkoukla(athotmail...
This year, we've headed into town to see the Macy's tree, and we're baking cookies tonight. (my niece and I)
ReplyDeleteI always bake cookies and treats, and I prefer to celebrate the solstice with friends, before the family craziness of Christmas celebrations begin!
needlegrrl at gmail
My family always went out for a walk to look at the lights on Christmas Eve and then came home to make a snow man. :)
ReplyDeleteLorri
lorrishether at lycos dot com
We love going around looking at the Christmas light displays. There are several ones in town that are set up to music and color changing lights. I would love to win any of the sets, I am an equal opportunity crafter, but I think that Jelly Roll is calling my name.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that Wee Wonderfuls book! So great! We have lots of wonderful traditions this time of year (we celebrate Advent, St. Nicholas Day, and Christmas and all the Catholic feastdays that go along with that!). During Advent we work through a Jesse Tree, reading about all the people in the Bible who led up to Jesus, and we put handpainted ornaments on our tree that correspond with each person. So fun! Our daughter loves hanging the ornaments and claps for herself when she gets them on.
ReplyDeletemsagala at gmail dot com
We make new ornaments each year for Cmas. This year they were apple-cinnamon, yum yum!
ReplyDeleteMy family's tradition is reading the Christmas story Christmas Eve. :)
ReplyDeletepeachstateme(at)hotmail(dot)com
Our tradition is Candy Day, usually the Saturday before Christmas. We spend the whole day making candy and treats, the pack them up in boxes to give to friends as gifts. Thanks for the giveaway! robyn(dot)geddes(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteOur only real Christmas tradition is going out into the mountains and cutting our own Christmas tree. Otherwise I just enjoy spending time with my family, whether in real life or on Skype. Thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteWe have our tree cutting day, the day after Thanksgiving that is a long time Tradition in my family and we still go with my parents! jingelsells at gmail dot com
ReplyDeletewe like to do advent, lighting a candle each sunday leading up to christmas and doing an activity together as a family, it can be watching a movie, reading a story, pretty much anything we can think of.
ReplyDeleteA relaxing glass or two of champagne at the end of a Christmas day visiting family with feet up and watching the telly with my Mum.
ReplyDeleteWe go for dinner every year on Christmas day, only us two together!!!!!
ReplyDeletewe spend christmas morning at the inlaws, and christmas supper with my parents, and boxing day at my grandparents place. We usually do our family's on christmas eve
ReplyDeleteFamily now consists of just Mom and I, and we like to keep things simple and quiet. She slips me a few bucks, and I go spend it on yarn to knit something for her. The system works. The lovely sewing prizes would be wasted on me but I'd love the yarn. Thanks for such a generous giveaway. I can be emailed thru my blogger profile.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were kids, we were always allowed to open one present from our stockings before my parents got up. I think this was their way of getting a few more minutes of sleep out of us! Prizes 2 and 3 are especially appealing to me - thanks for the chance to win! J - cried2dream(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteWow! What a great set of giveaways. I'd love any of them, but especially the jelly roll or doll set. We are still building our traditions with our little people. So far they include doing our tree together early December and decorating with things my boys and I make together, Christmas Eve gift exchange with inlaws, and New Years Eve gift exchange with my family.
ReplyDeletewe have special foods that we eat all throughout the christmas season, with christmas eve's pierogi being my favorite!
ReplyDeleteVery fun items!!! We love looking at Christmas lights, baking and making ornaments and other decorations.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
In our advent calendar my husband and put little pieces of paper that say something we will do that day with the kids. Mostly Christmas type stuff. It's a good reminder for us to take the time for each other in such a busy season!
ReplyDeletenancebagance at yahoo dot ca
Our tradition is really just the family getting together. We try and look at Christmas lights and decorate cookies but the most important is just the time together
ReplyDeleteOur tradition at holiday time is to have a cookie baking day with Dad, who is a much better baker than I am. While my husband has the kiddos in the flour, I have my hands in some soft yarn & knitting needles!
ReplyDeleteTammi
(songsiren1@yahoo.com)
We celebrate Christmas on January 7th,and on eve of 6th we go to church and when we came back eat on the floor,our daughter love it.I would love this lovely book,thanks for chance to win it.
ReplyDeleteMy family don't really have what I'd call traditions but every year they have a schedule on Xmas Day. My sister and I (and now our partners also) get given stockings of little novelty pressies from our folks, even though we're both in our 30s now. After opening those we have scrambled egg with smoked salmon for breakfast. Mid morning we all open our pressies with mince pies and Xmas music. And for lunch it's prawn cocktail for starters followed by the turkey!! Look forward to it every year even though we have to travel to the other side of the country to see my family :-)
ReplyDeleteloops at loop-da-loop dot com
We celebrate Christmas, with a nativity focus on Christmas Eve. I would love to add in Advent next year, though! I would love to win the Wee Wonderfuls book, or any of the other prizes!
ReplyDeleteWe have a gifting session on Christmas Eve. No wish lists allowed, just creativity. It is fun to see what everyone gets each other.
ReplyDeleteI love the advent calendar tradition! Ana
ReplyDeleteWe always drive around while drinking hot chocolate in the car, listening to Christmas music and looking at lights.
ReplyDeleteLovely fabric :) I don't know how well this would work for other people, but... my father was brought up Lutheran, and I speak German, so each Christmas my mother and sister go to the kids' service at our usual church and my father and I go to the German-language service at the local Lutheran church. It's my favorite holiday tradition! dangandblast@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I always enjoy doing is seeing the Christmas Revels in Cambridge, MA -- it is a celebration of the Winter Solstice and bring in traditions from around the world. I highly recommend checking out Revels -- they have them in a couple cities around the US (if you can't get to a performance, they have great CDs!)
ReplyDeleteRice porridge on Christmas morning!
ReplyDeleteWe have fun decorating the tree and the mantle together. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteWe all pick a new ornament for the tree together every year.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate St. Nicholas and Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI'm an only child, so most traditions with big families don't work for us. Years & years ago my mom started making calzone for Christmas Eve, & we still do it today though now we have to make twice as much since I'm married. So we go to church christmas eve, come home to my parents house, eat our calzone, unwrap our presents, stay up late, & we always sleep over. We have breakfast with my 'rents the next morning before going to my inlaws for the day.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate Christmas, and 'm in the same boat as you - trying to figure out some traditions to start. This year we've added using an advent calendar, which is going pretty well.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I borrowed Wee Wonderfuls from the library and LOVED it!!!
Thanks for the chance! I see yarn and I just have to enter. :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is Christmas Eve at our house. My boys get to open two gifts: a new set of Christmas pj's and a new ornament for our tree. Then we all sit and read the story of the first Christmas together.
My mother's birthday is Solstice so that always takes precedence in our lives ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe have a caroling party, indoors, at my inlaws house. Complete with songbooks, cookies, singing---it is GREAT. neighbors family and friends all get together in late afternoon on Chrismas eve. We end with Silent night. I love to sing with friends.
ReplyDeleteLove the jelly roll!
ReplyDeleteWe are a new family, we've been the 2 of us for 15yrs.. now it's 3, so we need to make some traditions... starting with Santa's stockings before breakfast then we'll roll on from there!
Wow, those are amazing prizes! For the past two years, we have been doing a different type of Advent calendar. We unwrap a book each night and read it while eating a sweet treat. The books are all about winter and holidays and there are always old favorites as well as new ones! We all love it very much. Good luck with your new company, that is a serious undertaking and happy holidays!!
ReplyDeleteOur favorite is decorating the tree!
ReplyDeleteI've started to make trifle in my grans(dearly missed) trifle dish each year, I always loved hers and I'd like to keep it going. We also go to local xmas shop and choose a new decooration each year.
ReplyDeleteMy MIL always gets some rooms at one of the local indoor waterparks ( I live near the waterpark capitol of the world. ;) ) and we celebrate Christmas there with pizza and swimming. :)
ReplyDeletebrooke at richardchurch dot com
New Christmas PJs for the girls for Christmas Eve....just one of our little traditions:) Your Wee Wonderfuls book would come in handy around here with two little girls:) Thanks for a great giveaway and good luck with your new business!!!
ReplyDeletejodym7atyahoo.com
Cookie swap! It's so much fun to get together with friends for a low-key gathering and come away with lots of cookies.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Australia so we get up early and stay up late to celebrate Summer solstice. I love would love to win the yarn or the jelly roll... too cute!
ReplyDelete"It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteWe go out in the cold and mud and cut down our Christmas tree! Amy @ gasudimack@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteWe go sledding Christmas Eve day. Great fun. Thanks, very nice giveaway.
ReplyDeleteWe always go to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I enjoy putting surprises in each other's stockings. My family always likes to go to church together on Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteYummy yarns!
ReplyDeleteStockings on Christmas morning, and a slow breakfast :)
We have many holiday traditions. But baking LOTS of cookies is my favorite! I like sharing them :)
ReplyDeleteClunsford at gmail dot com
It's not associated with any particular holiday but with the season in general (from Solstice to New Year's or so), but my family has a tradition of doing a big jigsaw puzzle. We hardly ever do them at other times of the year.
ReplyDeleteikkinlala AT yahoo DOT ca
Two of my favourite Christmas traditions are: New Pyjamas for everyone wrapped up under the tree that we are allowed to open on xmas eve & going out to Christmas lunch at a restaurant or hotel, I love that so, so much. No stress about cooking or cleaning & it makes the day seem even more special.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you & good luck finding the perfect traditions for your family!
One of my favorite traditions is digging our Yule tree. We dig and bring in a living tree to decorate and then replant it in the spring. Thanks for the chance!! enchantedtree(at)hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteNot sure how helpful my tradition will be for you but it is the one I cherish.
ReplyDeleteOn Christmas Eve my husband and I take our two children to the local beach (Australia), eat hot chips on the sand and have a swim. This is so that we have had our time together during the busy festive season. When we get home we open our presents to each other and then go to bed to wait for Father Christmas to come.
We also bake treats to give to neighbours and friends.
We always have a cheesecake with dinner and put presents in our stockings
ReplyDeleteNew pajamas on Christmas Eve! And we all stay over at my mom's house to open presents first thing in the morning :) Hope you find a tradition that's right for your family!
ReplyDeleteWe would love to get some new holiday ideas too, particularly for winter solstice... we're still inventing our own family traditions!
ReplyDeleteRight now we open presents on Christmas morning and sometimes see family.
steeplechaser29 at yahoo dot com
I bake breads and cookies that we've had in my family since before I was born!
ReplyDeleteEvery year for the Winter Solstice, my pal Sonja and I head to the shore and have a bonfire. We freeze our toes off, spend a lot of time gasping in the frigid air and giggling a LOT a lot a lot, jump up and down a lot, and make s'mores. Or hot dogs. Or just eat the s'mores ingredients seperately, if we're too cold to go through cooking them all! We watch the stars come out above the Olympic Mountains, the moon reflected in Puget Sound, and admire the twinkling lights of little island towns across the water. Then we rush home and vow never to set foot outside again for weeks! LOL
ReplyDeleteThis was the first year that part of our St. Nicholas' celebration included anonymously delivering treats to our neighbors and then running away. So much fun! Can't wait to do it next year.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting that Wee Wonderfuls book. Thanks so much for the chance!
We love our Christmas stockings and spend loads of time finding small and clever (we hope) gifts to include. They are not large, but so much fun!
ReplyDeleteWe go Christmas Caroling every year.
ReplyDeleteWe exchange handmade ornaments on Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeletemy sons were both born in Holland so we have been bringing a few Dutch traditions into our home in New Zealand. One of them is to put out shoes for "sinterklaas" on the 5th December. So far he has managed to find us in NZ and leave some small gifts.
ReplyDeleteI think the Wee Wonderfuls book looks so exciting!!
ReplyDeleteAs a tradition we always act out the nativity. My dad would read the story from the Bible.
Love the little dolls! We love hot chocolate by candlelight, listening to Happy Christmas Eve by the Oak Ridge Boys. roguekeri at live dot com
ReplyDeleteDecorating Christmas tree and wrapping presents.
ReplyDeleteThx for the chance to win ^^v
On christmas morning we wake up early to cook, then go to church. after church we gather to eat lunch together then in the afternoon visit relatives who live close by or friends.
ReplyDeletecutekipepeo (at)gmail (dot)com
Our favorite tradition is to do a Bible study each night starting at Thanksgiving and going through Christmas that is an overview of the whole Bible - we do a Jesse tree filled with ornaments representing each reading.
ReplyDeletelike many of our friends here we Celebrate xmas without our family so we always have a gathering of friends on the 23rd (national holiday).
ReplyDeleteMy family lives in Australia, so it's normally ridiculously hot here, but with grandparents who are English and Italian, we have a traditional baked dinner with all the trimmings and Bing Crosby and Dean Martin on in the background.
ReplyDeletec3074281@uon.edu.au
When we make the Chrismas pudding, everyone stirs and makes a wish - could be done with a different 'special' dish!
ReplyDeleteLike looking at all the xmas lights we can in town
ReplyDeleteI love roasting chestnuts with my family! Thanks for the chance to win. :)
ReplyDeleteThe first weekend in Advent we all go home to Mum and Dads to deck the tree, hang the lights, eat good food and have quality time together. It means that should a time come when we are not all together on christmas day now that there are In Laws to consider we have a weekend booked in already to have family time. Even if we do spend Christmas together it is so nice to have that weekend before Christmas gets crazy and busy to just take stock.
ReplyDeleteI love baking - sugar and gingerbread cookies. Thanks for the chance to win! ryansarahn at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteWe ljust ove the family reunion....because we are all spread round Germany
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful gift you give to us.
Kind regards from Germany
Claudia
frauknopf@gmx.de
I'm Czech. So we bake Christmas cookies (gingerbread, Linzer, sometimes others), and make the potato salad for Christmas Eve dinner (but not the carp, because not everyone in my family likes it - those who do get it from grandma on our traditional visit on 25th or 26th). And one special Christmas tradition in my family - we get the presents gradually: first person (father, although we always have to convince him it's him) goes to the tree, picks a present, gives it to the recipient, they unpack it, everyone admires, recipient goes for the next gift. :-)
ReplyDeleteAs for your dilemma: In the Czech Republic, it's a bit different because traditionally Christmas gifts are brought by "baby Jesus". Which, however, leaves Christian families with another dilemma, because "JežÃÅ¡ek" has now completely lost its Christian background for most people, so they have to explain what's the difference. In my father's family, thus, gifts were brought by "angels". In MY family, as far as I can remember, they have always been just what they are - gifts we give each other in celebration of Christ's birth, in a bit unusual fashion to mark the special occasion. I like my family's approach the most, because it actually gave me the most joy, knowing that I can give gifts, too. :-)
marmota.b (at) hotmail. com
(If by any chance I am chosen, may I suggest I would not get much use out of item 1, while others definitely would get more use of it? Although, frankly, I mostly just wanted to share our traditions.)
We do a lobster feast on Christmas eve, it's a fun night of eating!
ReplyDeleteWe have Mexican food and wassail at my grandmother's house for Christmas every year.
ReplyDeletecrystalarcand (at) gmail (dot) com
I love taking our kids to pick out new ornaments for the tree each year.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest daughter gets to pick what kind of treat we leave for Santa, and we make it together.
ReplyDeletedecorating the tree
ReplyDeletebeccanae at gmail dot com
I love to bake Christmas cookies with my 2 daughters.
ReplyDeleteLove your giveaway :)
We just do christmas and new years... no solstice or anything.
ReplyDeleteBoth the yarn and the jelly roll look fabulous! Thankyou!
No "real" traditions, other than picking out a tree together, and then decorating it together!
ReplyDeleteWe love caroling. Also this year we've been opening a Christmas picture book each day in preparation for the big day. And we're going to heat the pool so we can go swimming on boxing day! Just a note -- your traditions will change with you. Don't stress because you can always add or take away.
ReplyDeleteWe have several christmas books, and we use them like an advent calendar and read a new one each night leading up to christmas
ReplyDeleteSanta hides a pickle ornament on the tree, and whoever finds it first gets a special last present.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, we used to go to the living nativity play each year. It was open air, I loved seeing the animals, and heard the story of Jesus birth. Good memories.
ReplyDeleteEating lunch together as a family on Christmas day and then opening the presents under the tree.
ReplyDeleteI love singing carols around the tree with only the tree lights on.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate Noche Buena.
ReplyDeleterebekahricker (at) yahoo (dot) com
i love watching everyone dump out their stockings!
ReplyDeleteMaking Christmas cookies!
ReplyDeleteThe family comes together and we spend the whole christmas together... at the 24th also only family, not even friends... the only exception is durning brunch because we start christmas by having a birthday party for a family member ^^ Christmas itself then takes place in the afternoon and evening and it is full of stress, of loud discussions, often even some fights... and still, we all love it! (and okay... we are a really loud family ^^)
ReplyDeleteI love watching White Christmas with the family and having snacks in the living room while we do it, so much fun!
ReplyDeleteChoosing a new dessert to bake with and for my family each year is fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great giveaway - thank you for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteMaking up the Xmas tree is just one of my favourite things to do. It's a great ritual to get into the Xmas spirit and with so many handmade ornaments gathered over the years, it's a great trip down memory lane.
Marilize
marilize(dot)paulsen(at)gmail(dot)com
we do a special advent "garden"spiral in our living room in front of the tree and invite the neighbor friends over that and a yummy dinner.
ReplyDeletethanks for the giveaway!
My wedding anniversary is Dec 12th, so we usually buy our "big" gifts for one another then. For Christmas, we set a limit (like $10 or $20) and buy eachother things from the dollar store or the dollar bins at Target! Then we get to open a ton of small funny presents on Christmas morning! We also love watching our dog open presents (it's hilarious!) and get our guinea pigs special treats, like a huge salad! That way, everyone in our tiny family is having fun on Christmas morning and we just have the best time. We also watch Jingle All the Way, a so bad it's good Arnold movie :)
ReplyDeleteWe always go to a movie at the Theater on Christmas Eve!
ReplyDeleteMy birthday is this Saturday, and this would be a wonderful birthday present!
Driving around looking at all the pretty Christmas lights :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Tia
mtrand2 at gmail dot com
Sinterklaas is for us very important, I am Dutch. We eat pepernoten and speculaas and give presents!!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is that on Christmas Eve we each open a pair of new Christmas pjs - and then we wear them ALL day long on Christmas! It makes for a very cozy (and comfy!) holiday!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Michelle
daydreambelievershop(at)gmail(dot)com
My favorite Christmas tradition is just getting the entire family together to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteWe love doing a secret santa where we give an anonymous gift, and we laugh and laugh and laugh....
ReplyDeleteI am joining in with this give away day, so pop over to my blog and say hello if you get the chance
http://sewasecondchance.blogspot.com/
I started a new tradition this year of giving my children a new Christmas themed book for the 12 days of Christmas. sewvery(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHello, Great giveaways. Our holiday traditions include putting out a child friendly nativity set, lighting Advent candles before dinner, making and decorating Christmas cookies and visiting with friends and family. Thanks for the chance to win. Linda
ReplyDeleterodlindafansler at gmail dot com
I love Christmas Eve dinner with all of my family.
ReplyDeleteWe go to carols by glowlight in the Park, and we spend christmas day at my Mum's surrounded by lots of family and lots of food! Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate some "posadas" before christmas
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Posadas
and we break some "piñatas" which have a meaning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi%C3%B1ata
It's very traditional!!
Thanks for the chance XD
We are trying to move toward giving handmade gifts and experiences. My kids have been involved in the gift making - rice filled neck warmers, little pillows, lip balm, basic embroidery, necklaces, etc. We have had a lot of fun making little gifts for family and friends. kristie_keely(at)yahoo(d0t)com
ReplyDeleteMaking gingerbread houses on Christmas eve.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I travel out of state to visit family each year. Thank you for the give away.
ReplyDeleteskowens (at) sbcglobal (dot) net
We have only one present before breakfast and then one person opens one present and we each take a turn to open a present.
ReplyDeleteWe make xmas cookies and decorate them, make ornaments every year too!
ReplyDeleteI get each of my children an ornament every year and mark it with their name and the year. Each year they hang their ornaments on the tree and will take them with them when they move out.
ReplyDeleteramona_murray(at)comcast(dot)net
We started a new holiday tradition last year, Christmas light "hunting". I love to hear the boys get excited when they find a cool display. Thanks for the giveaway!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have a fun meal and play speed scrabble, a fun, fun game. Thanks for the giveaway. quiltexas@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWe make cookies and have a cookie exchange.
ReplyDeleteWe make a big pot of wassail and drink it throughout the day.
ReplyDeletemichaelacking (at) gmail (d0t) com
I look forward to evening snow walks with my husband each year!
ReplyDeleteI love to spend Christmas with my family. We don't celebrate traditional holidays. Thanks for the chance to win:)
ReplyDeleteI really like having pizza and desserts at my in-laws! Such a nice break from the big holiday meals!
ReplyDeleteWe decorate the tree as a family - my grandparents always gave us a new ornament every year, so it is great to see so many old friends!
ReplyDeleteWe love digging out our tree and all our "special" ornaments each year on the day after Thanksgiving. We throw in a Christmas movie or two and start decorating. It definitely beats fighting the crowds on Black Friday.
ReplyDeletersgrandinetti@yahoo(dot)com
Tacos for Christmas Eve dinner, and everyone gets a new ornament every year
ReplyDeleteWe love making things ourselves to decorate for our solstice celebration.
ReplyDeletelovelydomesticdiva (at) gmail (dot) com
We get together every Christmas Eve to watch a movie (the Muppet Christmas Carol) - I can't wait for this year :)
ReplyDeleteWe decorate the tree together. Talking about favorite ornaments, who gave them to us or why they are special to family members. A fun way to begin the holiday season. Thanks for the chance at your giveaway.
ReplyDeleteHow I would love to win that wool yarn and make my daughter a scarf or some gloves! My fav tradition is having the whole family around the fireplace and listening to Luke's Chapter 2. Good memories!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful giveaway! Our holiday tradition is to have the kids make cookies with their Dad, who is a much better baker than me!
ReplyDeleteTammi
songsiren1@yahoo.com
WHAT A NEAT GIVEAWAY!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS SO FOR SHARING!
WE AS A FAMILY LOVE TO GO CAROLING AT CHRISTMAS+I THINK THOSE WE SING TO LIKE IT TOO!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
My mom will usually insist that we drive around town, checking out everyone's outdoor light displays! Most are pretty, some are hilarious. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy holidays!
Christmas Dinner - standing rib roast and Yorkshire pudding. Thanks for the giveaway! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI love going to Choral concerts at church. It's a nice way to sing and celebrate Jesus for the Christmas season.
ReplyDeleteWe traditionally go out for a Christmas dinner buffet, I go for the old faves, turkey, roast pots, my hubby for the seafood table and my DD wants to head straight to the dessert table!
ReplyDeleteohhh #4!!!!
ReplyDelete:-)
we celebrate hanukkah with latkes, gelt, dreidels and gifts. we also celebrate christmas and winter solstice! what a wonderful time of year filled with warmth and love.
thanks so much for the chance to win!
In mid December I like to have friends over for dinner and then we walk down a popular street in our neighborhood that that goes crazy with Christmas lights, it is fun.
ReplyDeleteMy son was born on Jan 1st(almost 4 years ago) and my tradition since is to make his Birthday cake the night of New Years Eve. One year a dragon, another a 3-d duck. It is great fun!
We open presents on christmas morning, during breakfast, then go to church together.
ReplyDeleteWe only celebrate Christmas and we start decorating the house and put up the tree on December 1st.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway!
ap_lemos at yahoo dot com
I love everything about Christmas, starting from the first Sunday in Advent. I love the carols, the baking, the making of presents, the opening of our Nativity Advent calendar each day, spending more time with family.... I'm thinking of introducing Winter Solstice and St Nicholas next year though too!
ReplyDeleteOh, we do have a couple of holiday traditions. Here in Germany Advent calendars are HUGE! Usually they contain chocolate or little toys. I did get kinda sick of that - so since a few years we have an activity calendar my kids love. I make it out of little socks that my kids grew out of
ReplyDeletehttp://muffinsnmore.blogspot.com/2010/12/quick-advent-calendar-tutorial.html
We also have a "book calender" and we light Advent candles. We celebrate St. Niklas and the kids get tiny things at the 6th of December in their shoes. We bake Christmas cookies of course. And we make tiny gifts with the kids to give to grand parents and kindergarten teachers. Also we try to make Christmas cards with the kids. But I try not to make too much - so it does not get too stressful!
Have a great holiday time!!!
Love
Ms Muffin
Thanks Star for your generous giveaway offer. Here in Australia Christmas falls in mid-summer and is also the start of the long school holidays. It is often very hot so lots of people go to the beach or have casual family barbecues in the great outdoors. It's a time for families and for relaxing and is generally very laid back and casual, in keeping with the holiday lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteYour knitting is looking excellent. Have just joined your site. Happy Christmas to you and yours.
http://aussieknittingthreads.blogspot.com/
Big family dinner on Xmas Eve!
ReplyDeleteWe don't really have any true christmas traditions yet, our kids are 2 & 3 and this is the first tree we've had in 3 years, and this year is the first they learned about this Santa fellow - but my very smart 3 yr old already doesn't buy it! :)
ReplyDeletethanks for the giveaway!
We enjoy picking out a live potted tree, decorating it, and when Christmas is over, we plant it in our backyard.
ReplyDeleteWe seleprate Christmas at the evening of the 24th. Together with my three daughters I decorate the tree in the afernoon of the 24th. We listen (and sometimes sing) to traditional Chrismas songs like "Silent Night" wile we do this. Later all 5 of us cook together and have a unstressed meal, than everyone get's some (handmade) gifts. The beautiful end is a moonshine walk in the snowy nature.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely giveaway!
we enjoy reading the Christmas story
ReplyDeleteOurs is that the day after THanksgiving is decorating day, not black friday!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any fabulous traditions - many normal ones, though. But a schoolmate of my daughters makes a little hot air balloon out of tissue paper and attaches a thank you note to Santa every year after Christmas. The balloon carries it off to the north pole. I think that is not only fun, but sweet, too. I also think, though, that it would be lovely to do on the solstice. Something about that little light traveling up into the dark night sky on the longest evening of the year is so peaceful.
ReplyDeletewe have a selection of christmas books we like to read during the month of dec. to prepare us fro christmas.
ReplyDeleteWe put up an advent calender and have fun with that all of Dec. and then we have a big pot luck brunch Xmas day then open gifts. Looking forward to starting new traditions when grandkids arrive.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway, the yarn if looking wonderful.
We enjoy lots of board games and big dinners.
ReplyDeleteOne is that the youngest child in the house gets to put up the manger scene.. and another we do the hiding a pickle ornament in the tree. whoever finds it gets to open the first present! WE get to do it again this year as we got a nice new locally hand made porcelain ornament to replace our broken one!
ReplyDeleteWe do a gift or 2 on Christmas Eve and then Santa comes (except the kids know there isn't a real Santa but we all kind of play along) and in the morning there is a filled stocking and more presents.
ReplyDeleteMy family eats dim sum on Christmas morning. :)
ReplyDeleteIt includes so many different things - from tree decorating, cookie baking, wandering around to see the lights, making secret little gifts to our old neighbors, baking a special cake I've inherited from my mom...you name it :)
ReplyDeleteWe play lots of board games and eat way too much food.
ReplyDeleteWe do not have many traditions partly because we are not a very religious family, but we always all gather on christmas eve.
ReplyDelete