Quirky Christmas/Holiday Traditions?

[ODBJBG]

Anybody got anything unique they do each year for the holidays? I mean, like anything really. Ride around the neighborhood looking at lights? Put up a pink Xmas tree? Eat a particular food only during this season?

Let's hear what sort of traditions you do!

[B-Lister]

Nut rolls

[PNGwynne]

We have brunch as our Christmas meal.

[CrimsonGhost]

I make a giant chili on X-mas.
Don’t really do the presents thing because I just buy stuff whenever I want, but maybe we just give little things like chocolates or whatever.

I doubt those things are very quirky.

[Myoldtoys]

Usually I take off work between Christmas Eve and New Years. So I shave on Christmas Eve and not again until I go back in January. But COVID has made that an every day occurrence. Have to come up with a new tradition.

We also drive to Oglebay in West Virginia to see their light display. On the way we always stop at the Kruger street toy museum. Also not doing that trip this year. Ugh.

[pennywise]

my kids and I watch Jingle All The Way and Christmas Vacation

[Duncan]

I usually hit a bazaar in October to kick things off with a bake sale & raffle tix. In Dec we go to Winterfair (art show) on the first weekend, and maybe the concert at Ohio State. Then I'll hit 3 cookie sales (2 churches and an animal shelter) on the 2nd weekend, plus a bazaar at the Masonic lodge. Great potato soup. In addition, I need my Tastykake Xmas cookies, Hostess fruit cakes, Entenmann's fruit stollens, and a specific Kroger Fruit cake. Oh, and then there's a buffet at this banquet hall...all homemade Italian food; runs most of Dec. Then for Xmas dinner, we do Chinese/Thai...usually 1 or 2 Thai curries plus whatev.

[ODBJBG]

I usually hit a bazaar in October to kick things off with a bake sale & raffle tix. In Dec we go to Winterfair (art show) on the first weekend, and maybe the concert at Ohio State. Then I'll hit 3 cookie sales (2 churches and an animal shelter) on the 2nd weekend, plus a bazaar at the Masonic lodge. Great potato soup. In addition, I need my Tastykake Xmas cookies, Hostess fruit cakes, Entenmann's fruit stollens, and a specific Kroger Fruit cake. Oh, and then there's a buffet at this banquet hall...all homemade Italian food; runs most of Dec. Then for Xmas dinner, we do Chinese/Thai...usually 1 or 2 Thai curries plus whatev.

When I was much younger, we used to his a church bazaar every year around Christmas. They had some incredible bean soup! We'd buy oddball Christmas decorations like angels and candles that were made of cloth that fit over Pringles containers! So I can relate.

A very specific Kroger fruit cake? See these are the kind of little things I love.

I make a giant chili on X-mas.

Don’t really do the presents thing because I just buy stuff whenever I want, but maybe we just give little things like chocolates or whatever.

I dig the Xmas chili. That's unique, but I could see it being good.

Nut rolls

Excellent!

[Confessional]

With family relocating across the country and death, our family traditions have all be lost. My mom used to make incredible kolache with nuts, third generation from her Italian/Slovak side of the family. Time has passed, she's a one-in-a-million case study brain tumor survivor but and can no longer take on such laborious cooking. I can still taste it, and miss it, along with a glorious Italian feast on Xmas eve with 30 crazy people in an early 70's-era basement of my grandparents. Formative experiences to be celebrated.

In the 21st C, we brought back the Shiny Brite silver tree, and this time of year is a good excuse to add wonderful things to my wife's stop mo animation collection/library… it's fun to unexpectedly spoil her on Christmas morn.

[sprytel]

Christmas Eve pizza.

It is right up there with the family reading of "'Twas Night Before Christmas" for me.

One Christmas Eve, when I was very young, my mother slaved away at making a fancy Christmas dinner... just for my brothers and I to go "yuck!" Every year since, we have had pizza on Christmas Eve.

The eldest son goes out with his father to hunt the wild pizza, and after an epic struggle, bring back a good one from the hunting grounds. Telling the story of the hunt is part of the fun: "You should have seen the size of that 'za! It came charging right at me! I barely made it back with all my limbs!" I know it sounds ridiculous... and it is... but my brothers and I have been doing it for over 40 years.

[Mikey]

Christmas lunch was fresh (non smoked) kielbasa, perogies and turkey --- weird combo

[Nostalgiabuff]

we always went to my parents for Christmas eve, but as they have both passed on we usually just have my brother and my inlaws over for Christmas eve. but that won't happen this year. i can't think of anything really quirky we do. this year will be different in so many ways. maybe it will make everyone appreciate even more how precious life is

[Brown Bear]

Growing up we had a five foot artificial tree that we put on top of a lamp stand to make it look taller.
This created an area around the base of the tree, above the presents to put a few little decorations. Mom would put little trinkets there and one year I mixed in my old pvc Smurfs and they mistakenly got put away with the decorations. So every year after that, Smurfs were under our tree.
When I moved out my Mom said “Take these with ya!” She never got why smurfs were there and every single Christmas I put them out. Not under the tree but my mantle is filled with large light up houses and the smurfs are everywhere. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them.

[Werewolf]

Not under the tree but my mantle is filled with large light up houses and the smurfs are everywhere. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them.

That's really cool.

[Barnabas Collins]

I love riding around seeing the Krazy Christmas light displays in residential areas. There's a bunch in the Atlanta area. Also, the Pink Pig over at Lenox Square mall (but not being done this year due to the pandemic). Also like seeing the mall Santa display setups--some are quite grand, including huge red-velvet thrones for Santa. Down in Miami, I love seeing the miniature Christmas train setup at Aventura Mall.

Barnabas Collins