While we're on the subject...

[conuly]

I've decided. I can't leave holidays up to their parents. Because Jenn'd mess everything up!

*blinks*

No, really, this isn't as crazy as it sounds. Jenn really doesn't get as enthused about holidays as I do, so it makes sense that I should, um, be a driving force here. Besides, it'd give me something to *do* with all my holiday-related enthusiasm, while giving Jenn et al. a chance to not have to do anything.

Naturally, I'm taking my reasoning as an excuse to go completely overboard with holidays of all sorts.

So! *cracks knuckles* What're some common things people do for various holidays wherever you're from? What do you think of those things? What does your family do?

Yes, this post is prompted by the discovery that one can order Christmas Crackers online and get them in the US. It sounds about as fun as fortune cookies, and I'm always up for that. (Hey - it's for the kids, right? As we all know, that justifies everything! Yes, even that! And that! In all seriousness, I think it justifies letting me do something constructive with my insanity.)

Edit: They don't have to be strictly holiday traditions. Just post.

Edit again: I still don't want kids of my own. They'd be spoiled brats. Seriously. And I wouldn't get to go home every day.

Comments

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

You don't have crackers on sale normally? You poor deprived people! ;-) That gives me an idea of what to send some US friends next year, then.

Carol services, carol singing around the houses, Christmas tree and decorations up on Christmas Eve, mince pies out for Father Christmas that night (it's 9.40pm here and we've put our son to bed and eaten the mince pies already <g>), stockings hung on the bedposts or draped over the foot of the bed, getting up very early and eating the traditional chocolate/satsuma/nuts out of the stocking, turkey dinner (not the same set-up as a Thanksgiving dinner, though), crackers at dinner, the Queen's speech, Christmas sitcom specials on TV, selection boxes (Cadbury's chocolate bars, mmm), sherry for the grown-ups and coma-inducing sugar highs for the kids, turkey curry on Boxing Day, bank holidays (two this year, Monday and Tuesday), 12 Days of Christmas culminating in a Twelfth Night party when all the decorations come down. ;-D

[conuly]

Crackers aren't an American custom at all. I've been interested in them since reading Prisoner of Azkaban, though.

Now, on the stockings. In the US, you buy these very stylized stockings and hang them over your mantlepiece (or, failing that, someplace mantle-like) and they stay there until you take the gifties out later. But I remember reading that in England you use actual socks?

12th Night, that's the day before Little Christmas, right? Which you only find a very few Americans celebrate (mostly Hispanics, and they call it Three Kings Day, I've discovered) - we're really deprived :(

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Stockings - yes, not the stylized kind at all, but usually 'Dad's old socks'. We used to use my dad's football (soccer) socks; my son's got one of my stripy over-knee socks tonight. ;-) In recent years we've generally moved a bit more towards the US style ones being available, and some people use ones cut-out in felt (plain, but not socks), and still other people use pillowcases. I have a cross-stitch design or two for the more ornate ones and I might finish one before my son outgrows the idea.

12th Night - yes, the night before Epiphany. Epiphany's not widely celebrated in the UK, except via Twelfth Night and church, but much of Europe makes a fuss of it and thus so do my Italian half of the family. We may keep up those traditions for my son, we may not, not sure yet.

[missfahrenheit.livejournal.com]

My brother and I are seventen and nineteen respectively, and my mum still hasn't given up on the stockings (I think- we shall have to wait and see what tomorrow brings :D).

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Heh, my mum's just had her 60th birthday and she still gets a stocking. ;-) I like to find her funny wind-up toys and things for it, although it's my dad that assembles it. I had one every year I was with my parents for Christmas morning before I was married (so, most years right up to the year I was 29) although after I was about 16 it had stuff like jewellery and pens rather than chocolate.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

have you seen the windup nun that shoots sparks from her mouth? best windup toy ever!
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/bobbleheadworldstore/nununspwi.html

[conuly]

Pillowcases??? Now, that's overkill.