Let's get into the Yuletide spirit and share our favorite Christmas or Holiday traditions and/or memories.

you know what....that sounds like a great  idea!

One of my favorite memories and traditions  -- is playing an old record album -- the Chipmunk's Christmas.
This is the ORIGINAL Chipmunks ... from waaaay back in the "olden days" of the 1960's.

My older brothers, my sister and I loved that album.  I still have the album and play it at least once
on Christmas Day.

Setting up the old Lionel Train under the Christmas tree and then turning off all the lights except the tree and watch the train headlight light up the tracks and the listening to the howl of the whistle my imagination of where it was going who was riding on it ran away with me.

We used to go to my grandparents' house -- here in Rotterdam -- for Christmas Eve Wigilia Dinner ...
that is the traditional Polish dinner with fish and served in like 12 courses.   Then all of the grandchildren
(depending on the year that was 15 or more) would stay overnight.   If we were old enough, we went to
Midnight Mass with the adults.  
I remember that my grandfather was very particular about the Christmas tree -- he always bought 2 trees ..
one to be actually used as the Christmas tree in the living room  and the other for the boughs to make
wreaths and to make "implants" for the Christmas.   (If there was a "bad spot" he would attach this "implant"
bough to make the tree look fuller).

Quoted from Cel

Setting up the old Lionel Train under the Christmas tree and then turning off all the lights except the tree and watch the train headlight light up the tracks and the listening to the howl of the whistle my imagination of where it was going who was riding on it ran away with me.

Cel, your post reminded me of the National Christmas Museum near Lancaster, PA  -- one of the
exhibits is number of model train displays and the roof of the exhibit room is designed to look like
the underside of a decorated Christmas tree   .. it makes one feel like a a kid all over again.

Our tradition is putting up and decorating the tree while watching "Its a wonderful life"
Yeah, I know probably hundreds of thousands of families do the same thing, but it works.

We are putting up the tree tonight and I remembered that we got rid of our last VCR this summer and our only copy of the movie was on VHS tape. An early morning trip to Walmart fixed that.. We have a new DVD copy (B&W, no color, please!) ready to view tonight.

I remember growing up, listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate, while we all tried to un-tangle our tree lights. (large bulbs)

Today, we bring the artificial "pre-lit" tree up from the basement and voila! Then we sit down to rest and have a nice glass of wine.

Okay, our family has to have swearing going on while the tree is being put up.  The blankety-blank lights are always either flickering or burned out.  Then there's the sneezing from the dust allergy.

But then when it's done, OHHH, AHHH like Garfield's Christmas.  Kids are adults, but we still have to watch the cartoon.

Putting it up on Sunday.  Be of good cheer!

As a child, spending Christmas Day at my Grandparents' and Great Aunt's & Uncle's house on Grant Avenue
in Schenectady celebrating the holiday with extended family of about 25-30 relatives and close friends.  The
artificial tree was barely visible because of gifts piled high around it.  Andy Williams Christmas songs playing
on the TV/stereo/radio console.  The adults would sit at one table, the children at the other.

As a single young man, I remember the most beautiful Christmas Eve service that I have ever witnessed held
at the First Reformed Church in the Stockade.  I attended services alone, having never visited the church before.
But, I felt the spirit of the Lord and the warmth of those in the congregation.

As a husband and father, each year brings new memories. Years ago, my young toddler children decorating each
other with the bows.  The homemade decorations and those made in school that still adorn the tree each year.  
Today, my adult aged children still awakening at 3-4 am to go downstairs and look for the gifts left by "Santa".
My wife's amazing ring danish that takes two days to make and her brandy soaked fruitcake.  Watching Fred Astaire
and Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn.  

I have been truly blessed in this life.

When I was a little kid, we always had a huge tree.  The old farmhouse had 13 foot ceilings.  Then as a teen, we lived in the suburbs with my stepdad and we always had the fake tree but the gifts were never ending.  Then when I was 19, I moved back to the old house on my own and my brothers family lived there with me.  A fake tree was brought in and I was not happy.  So at 2am, my brother and a friend rang the bell and I opened the door to a huge stump.  They brought me a huge real tree.  

As an adult, we always spent Christmas with my mom and stepdad.  All the relatives and friends would show up for Christmas Eve and Day with food and gifts.  It was an amazing day.  After I got married and had a child, they would all show up at my house.  Little by little over the years, some of the elderly relatives passed away, family moved away and mom and dad spent the winters in FL.  

Six years ago, my stepdad passed away.  My father comes to my house for Christmas breakfast and watches my child open gifts and then goes to my sisters house for dinner.  Now Christmas dinner is just the three of us.  

But every year, for as long as I can remember, we always put up a tree and decorated the entire house, inside and out, on black friday.  Now we just put up a tree and be done with it.  Its the 10th and I still dont have the tree up.  

The holidays are not as fun as they used to be.  

Quoted from 78

As a child, spending Christmas Day at my Grandparents' and Great Aunt's & Uncle's house on Grant Avenue
in Schenectady celebrating the holiday with extended family of about 25-30 relatives and close friends.  The
artificial tree was barely visible because of gifts piled high around it.  Andy Williams Christmas songs playing
on the TV/stereo/radio console.  The adults would sit at one table, the children at the other.

As a single young man, I remember the most beautiful Christmas Eve service that I have ever witnessed held
at the First Reformed Church in the Stockade.  I attended services alone, having never visited the church before.
But, I felt the spirit of the Lord and the warmth of those in the congregation.

As a husband and father, each year brings new memories. Years ago, my young toddler children decorating each
other with the bows.  The homemade decorations and those made in school that still adorn the tree each year.  
Today, my adult aged children still awakening at 3-4 am to go downstairs and look for the gifts left by "Santa".
My wife's amazing ring danish that takes two days to make and her brandy soaked fruitcake.  Watching Fred Astaire
and Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn.  

I have been truly blessed in this life.

Well Brad - it seems of all the responses to this thread, you have the true understanding of "Christmas".  Merry Christmas to you my friend.

Quoted from Gemini

When I was a little kid, we always had a huge tree.  The old farmhouse had 13 foot ceilings.  Then as a teen, we lived in the suburbs with my stepdad and we always had the fake tree but the gifts were never ending.  Then when I was 19, I moved back to the old house on my own and my brothers family lived there with me.  A fake tree was brought in and I was not happy.  So at 2am, my brother and a friend rang the bell and I opened the door to a huge stump.  They brought me a huge real tree.  

As an adult, we always spent Christmas with my mom and stepdad.  All the relatives and friends would show up for Christmas Eve and Day with food and gifts.  It was an amazing day.  After I got married and had a child, they would all show up at my house.  Little by little over the years, some of the elderly relatives passed away, family moved away and mom and dad spent the winters in FL.  

Six years ago, my stepdad passed away.  My father comes to my house for Christmas breakfast and watches my child open gifts and then goes to my sisters house for dinner.  Now Christmas dinner is just the three of us.  

But every year, for as long as I can remember, we always put up a tree and decorated the entire house, inside and out, on black friday.  Now we just put up a tree and be done with it.  Its the 10th and I still dont have the tree up.  

The holidays are not as fun as they used to be.  

Sorry to hear of the loss of your stepdad .. that can make celebrating any of the holidays difficult,  
The Christmas of 1987 was particularly difficult for our extended family as one of my uncles (my mother's
brother-in-law) died suddenly a few days before Christmas and the funeral was held on Christmas Eve
morning.    Uncle Stan was always a big kid at heart and just loved every aspect of Christmas .. at the
end of the funeral Mass our pastor turned on the Christmas tree lights .. I am sure that my Uncle
Stan was smiling down from heaven and enjoying those beautiful lights.

I wish that I could give you a big hug to help you feel the warmth and fun of the season once more.

Just got back from one of my favorite Christmas traditions .. our parish's annual celebration of Wigilia with
a visit from Saint Nicholas (Wigilia is the Polish Christmas Eve dinner).    I have been helping to put this on for the last 13 or 14 years.  It is a great way to pass on the Polish Christmas traditions to our young folks.  
In a couple of weeks, many Polish families will be celebrating the Wigilia dinner with their families at home
and then attending Midnight Mass.
The Wigilia begins with the breaking of the wafer (Oplatki) .. and then an odd number of courses are served ..
herring, soup, fish (never meat), vegetables - usually beets in some form and/or cabbage, candies and nuts,
cheese, bread of all kinds, fruit compote.  Then we end singing Polish Christmas carols (Kolendy).