It’s CHRISTMAS!

I have a huge family that is rich with tradition and Christmas spirit. All 30 of us celebrate over the course of several days. Christmas Eve is spent at my moms house with a big lunch, lots of homemade cookies and desserts, followed by visiting with extended family.

In my house, it isn’t Chrismas without….
– dad’s Christmas CDs – he has the worst taste in music (ever heard of Yani’s Christmas Special? I have!), but we absolutely cannot open presents without one of his CDs playing.
– mom’s cinnamon bread. We drink coffee & eat mom’s homemade bread while opening presents
– family. My husband humors me and takes me back to my parents at 8am every Christmas morning so I can be there with my family to open gifts.
– nana’s cooking. She may go completely overboard with all the food (hello, 10 main dishes!) but it wouldn’t be the holidays without her risotto, cornish hens, cucumbers, ziti bake and potatoes. Yummmm!
– A Christmas Story. It’s like a law that this movie has to stay on for all 24 consecutive hours and no one is allowed to change the channel.
– Practical Jokes. My Aunt Christi has been teasing Ben since I met him. Our first Christmas together, my Aunt Christi wore a t-shirt to Christmas dinner that read, “I Heart Big Ben” on it. My husband was so embarrassed… but the next Christmas, he wore an “I Heart Christi” shirt. Then, she made a Flat Ben (remember flat stanley???) and made him sit at the dinner table with us. It’s been WAR ever since.

So, what about YOU? What are your favorite Christmas traditions??