Christmas decorating

[Dezzy]

Hubbie and I are very careful to ensure that our kids know the religious meaning of Christmas and not just the commercial aspects of pressies.

Because of that, we tend to only decorate the house two weeks before Christmas. Our special tradition is to make a Birthday Cake for Baby Jesus and blow out the candles on Christmas Day.

What traditions do you guys like to follow?

[Ciors]

awwww...I like that birthday cake idea! I have to admit, I set my tree up on Dec 1st, and it comes down New Year's Eve...I love Christmas, for all the caring sharing reasons...not just the 'silly season' ones. One thing that was always a tradition in my home as a child was my mother's nativity scene...I never had a christmas without it. As an adult I reflect back on it, in reality it was this cheap plastic little thing, but it was the best thing about christmas...it got lost after she died, and I'd give anything to have that cheap plastic thing back lol. I've looked for years to find a nice nativity scene for myself, to start that tradition for myself as an adult, and this year I've treated myself to some Willow figurines...I love those. It hasn't arrived yet, and each year I'm going to add another figure or two to my set.

[Vivo]

We like to remember the reason for the season too. But we also turn Christmas into a out of the ordinary relaxed fun day. If you live at home you get a Christmas stocking which ALWAYS has an orange in the bottom and cherries on the top (chocolate and objects of some exciting nature in the middle). Christmas breakfast (prior Cohen's) was always either what was in your stocking or a gift of food someone had given you. On the day if someone gives you clothes as a gift it is compulsory to wear them for the day - to some hilarious results!!

I always visit my son's grave too. Each year I purchase a new Christmas ornament for him and put it on the christmas tree; each ornament on the tree is special.

House traditionally gets decorated on the same day as the annual Santa parade.

I love Christmas. Its special.

[Dezzy]

We've always taken our decorations down 15 days after Christmas... Mum used to tell us that it was because it was two weeks after the Birth that the Wise Men visited the stable with their gifts so Jan 6th was the day we took all the decorations down. I guess I've just followed mums traditions. But that means that if they were to go up earlier (say dec1st) then it would be 6 weeks of them! And with two small kids and a very excitable dog, we'd be constantly picking up broken bauble and tinsel. So..... Four weeks is enough!

Ciors, as kids mum also had a beautiful ceramic pottery nativity. One of my sisters now has it (she was the first of us to have kids, so she inherited it) but I was lucky enough to find one very similar. That has now become my families traditional piece. My youngest gets to put the baby in the crib on Christmas Eve.

I do love Christmas and the whole feeling of anticipation that goes with it. Just have to shake my head every now and then at the commercialism of it!

[Michellebell]

When my children were smaller our local church held a Children's Nativity service. From the children who attended some were chosen to dress up as Mary, Joseph, 3 Wise Men, etc with simple gowns and sashes. They then followed the story as it was read and were guided to act it out. Younger, rather than older, children were chosen for these parts. Both of my children really loved this and it provided the non-commercial side of Christmas for them. It is a really special memory. As for getting them to attend church now? Let's just say, I have my memories!

[Collie]

As regular mass goers in the Catholic Church as well as attending catholic schools, my kids sure know the real meaning behind Christmas.

We have an enormous 9ft tree at home which is highly decorated and ornate and rather fun, but in the most public and prominent position in the house is our beautiful nativity scene, which has Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the 3 wise men, the shepherd, and animals (it was a manger after all!!). We also hang the star of Bethlehem above the nativity scene. As much as the kids love the Santa and commercial sides and lets face it, it's a great threat to use to get them to behave to tell them Santa is watching...........,,they also hold great value to the religious side of it too.

As a family of musicians, we are all in the throws of rehearsals for the vigil mass music which we present at our local church.

It's a lovely time of year for our family. Thank god I'm not hosting the sit down dinner this year, my sister is having it and so far the numbers sit at 41. That's a record. I hosted 2 years ago with 36 and that was big then. There's been a few babies born this last year in our family and a couple of engagements/marriages. What we do with each other is extreme but we love it and none of us would be able to imagine Christmas without each other!!!