I like the Christmas season but have learned to moderate my expectations for Christmas day. I like the decorating, shopping, wrapping, cards, parties that surround Christmas. The day itself is just exhausting - cooking, cleaning, etc. We usually have a small breakfast with a small group and a big late lunch with extended family. Sometimes we do something on Christmas Eve as well, before or after church. The family part is all great and that's what it's all about. It used to be more spread out among family members but the last few years it's all been at our house.

If you saw a snapshot of us you would say it was the perfect family Christmas--big tree, stockings, decorations, carols, and millions and millions of presents. What you wouldn't see is the incredible amount of headache and expense that goes into it, and particularly the obscene amount of money that is wasted on useless gifts by people who really can't afford to do it. Literally, everyone (including adults) will probably open at least 20 gifts each, plus stockings. A few of the family members are really having a tough time financially, and it's difficult to see them waste their money on so much crap. We've tried to introduce the concept of buying just one nice gift for each person but it was not received well. This is my DH's family and this is how they've always done it.

I love Christmas. When I was a child my grandparents went all out with creating the magic and it is one of my fondest memories of them. I also grew up in Germany where Christmas is done way better

Anyway, fast forward to 3 little kids and no immediate family in this country, it is all on my to create that magic! In addition, we always seem to hit some finacial constraints reound this time of the year so it doesn't allow me to do all I would like to do. My biggest thing to give up was that we may not be able to go to church with the kids because it is super stressfull even at the kids' service. But the Christmas service really puts me in the mood.

My husband always says that Christmas is not about me anymore but to pass the magic on that I experienced as a child.

I like Christmas...for some reason it's so much less stressful than Thanksgiving is in my family, maybe because there are more days to spread out the celebrating so everyone feels like they get their time in and we still have a bit of time to ourselves on the side. We claimed Christmas Eve dinner as our own time a few years before we had kids, and I'm so glad we did - as nice as it is to be with everyone and go everywhere, it's also nice to have something peaceful that's just our little family. I have definitely gotten more into decorating since our daughter was born, and I've already bought a few extra things for this year now that I've seen how into Halloween decorations she was this year. She's only two and a half but we've baked together each Christmas so far (obviously with varying degrees of participation) and I love that.

yeah. my whole family gets together, and everyone pretty much gets along. On christmas eve we make christmas cookies to leave for santa, read the night before christmas and the bible sections on the birth of jesus, and sing carols even though no one can sing. On christmas morning, santa has come and filled the stockings and left presents. We open the stockings, have breakfast, open presents, go to church, come home and start making christmas dinner and playing with the things santa brought.

At first I thought "No" but then I thought maybe yes. Now, we don't all sit around in our matching jammies and have huge breakfasts with snow coming down gently outside, but we do have huge family Christmases on my husband's side where almost everybody in the family gets together one night and does Christmas- huge dinner, tons of presents, etc. The past few years since our DC was born we spend a lot of Christmas season traveling to visit all sides of the family, but I love Christmas, so I don't really mind.

Yes. My siblings, our kids, our families and parents are together every year with fabulous traditions and love. I thank my parents for cultivating such great memories and traditions and keeping all of us so close. We all can't wait to get together every holiday.

I love Christmas, but for the past two years, my son has become very overstimulated by it and has really acted terrible. I am assuming it will go better once he is older.

For me, Easter is bigger than Christmas but I find movies and some Christmas songs very empty. For mt family, Christmas has been always about celebrating Jesus' birthday so most movies and songs make no sense.

It's a very spiritual time of the year for us because we begin to prepare for Easter so it's when we start to put our differences aside and open our hearts to ask for forgiveness and to forgive. It's very humbling but I'm not sure I can say it's perfect.

I find bits of my life in all of these postings. Something I enjoy each year is looking at my tree and the memories that my ornaments evoke. It makes me miss my mom. I'm still lucky to have her but I don't get to see her that often. I realize now how hard she worked to make Christmas special.

I love Christmas because of my child. We have a small family and we never entertain at home so that makes it much less stressful. The only semi-stressful part of the holiday is the decorating. Some years I just don't feel like doing much more than the inside of the house. So we don't have the big family Christmas at all but it is me, my son and my mother. We usually go out to eat and have a fairly relaxing day. We also like going to midnight mass.

Christmas is amazing. I was really into decorating and experiencing all of what DC had to offer (Mormon Temple, botanical museum, union station, light shows in the various parks, National and Capital trees, etc.), baking, hosting a great party. Then I adopted kids and it became even more amazing. To see your kids experience Santa and the wonder of Christmas morning. Then to teach them about giving and making the holidays special for others. It's so magical.

Our favorite movie is Miracle on 34th Street - the remake. Our favorite cookies are cutouts and chocolate chip. We start decorating the second we finish Thanksgiving dinner. Each year, I get each kid a Whitehouse ornament and an ornament that reminds me of them. ONe of my favorite things is watching my kids decorate the tree.

And, whenever we find a friend or family memer with no plans, we invite them, so we never know who's spending the night or coming to dinner.

Hectic, we have to split our day between two families (mine and DHs who are both in the area) both families are a bit dysfunctional and we had a big blow out one year that really ruined it and it was in front of the kids, a big ass mess.

I do think that Christmas is better with kids because you get to experience it through their eyes. I was never into decorating, but now love to do it with my oldest child who gets so excited about the lights and everything. Now that Halloween is down, I'm already thinking Christmas decorations, which is will be sure to start on after Thanksgiving.

Anonymous wrote:As I get older, I find myself getting more and more into Christmas. Decorating the house and watching every Christmas move I can find. In the beginning of December I literally go through the entire month on my DVR searching for words like Christmas, Holiday, Winter, Snow and record more than I ever have time to watch. I love it. I never used to be this way when I was a kid. Sure, I loved Christmas just like any other kid, but I'm borderline obsessive about it now. I know it's probably because my holidays are far from perfect. I know that's true for most people, but I still have to wonder how many come close to what is idealized on TV and in the movies. Full house of family that gets along. Just joy.

I have a small family with a lot of issues and I haven't had that huge family Christmas since my grandparents passed many years ago. So I think I try to fill the void by trying to create the perfect Christmas as well as watching others have that perfect Christmas in movies.
Christmas is at once my favorite time of the year as well as quite sad. As you might be able to tell, I am single and have no kids. I have no doubt that the simple act of having kids makes Christmas that much more amazing.

What are the holidays like for you?

This is true, but not in the way that you think it is.

When kids come into the picture, you begin to realize the "real" meaning of Christmas. When your baby is sick with a high fever and you spend Christmas Day in the emergency room, for example, you give up a lot of these fantasies about what holidays "should" be like and you become very thankful for the imperfect people in your life that make it real.

That said, I know what you mean about wanting the magazine-spread image of Christmas for your life. I'll be interested in the responses you get to this most honest posting.

As I get older, I find myself getting more and more into Christmas. Decorating the house and watching every Christmas move I can find. In the beginning of December I literally go through the entire month on my DVR searching for words like Christmas, Holiday, Winter, Snow and record more than I ever have time to watch. I love it. I never used to be this way when I was a kid. Sure, I loved Christmas just like any other kid, but I'm borderline obsessive about it now. I know it's probably because my holidays are far from perfect. I know that's true for most people, but I still have to wonder how many come close to what is idealized on TV and in the movies. Full house of family that gets along. Just joy.

I have a small family with a lot of issues and I haven't had that huge family Christmas since my grandparents passed many years ago. So I think I try to fill the void by trying to create the perfect Christmas as well as watching others have that perfect Christmas in movies.
Christmas is at once my favorite time of the year as well as quite sad. As you might be able to tell, I am single and have no kids. I have no doubt that the simple act of having kids makes Christmas that much more amazing.

What are the holidays like for you?