Anyone have funny Christmas traditions?

[Bernadine]

We're hosting ILs for the first time this year.  Previously, the ILs have done Christmas Eve with extended family, where they would re-enact the nativity and sing carols and the kids get a religious book and ornament.

MIL is insisting that since we're taking over Christmas Eve, we need to start a new tradition.  What's something fun and easy that we could do?

[joenali]

Drink more.

[Bernadine]

Dec 8, 2014 9:23:21 GMT -5 joenali said:

Drink more.

Lol, I should tell her that is the new tradition.  There was no alcohol allowed where they used to go.  It will be flowing freely at our house!

[darkling_glory]

Yankee swap?

[rosiedozie]

How many people?

[redheadk]

Christmas charades?

Pop popcorn and watch a Christmas movie?

ETA: I hate charades but if they acted out the Christmas story for YEARS, something tells me they may be into it.

[dexteroni]

The new tradition is not letting your ILs dictate how you handle your own get-together. Who orders the host to start a new tradition, and on their first time attending that holiday, no less? Good lord. Do what you want. If you don't want to start something new, then don't. If you do, well, this is your DH's family, so it's his job, and either way, you're off the hook. lol.

[W.T.Faulkner]

We get drunk and watch Labyrinth.

[jinkies]

My mom has a set of 12 days of Xmas drinking glasses. At dinner, she makes us sing 12 days of Xmas, and you have to sing whichever day is on your glass. it's always a scramble to get a high number so that you do as little singing as possible. Unless you are my aunt, who always switches around so that she can sing the "five golden rings" part.

As for traditions I actually look forward to, they are all good related. Mainly gorging myself on appetizers, bc they are my favorite.

[MixedBerryJam]

I like the yankee swap idea, but honestly your MIL sounds insufferable. Insisting you need to start a new tradition? No, thank you. But we spend Christmas Eve stringing popcorn and putting it on the tree because we're super boring.

[Deleted]

We do a themed white elephant gift exchange. We have all these weird rules where we can steal/ swap gifts and it gets pretty crazy.

We also sing Christmas carols and everyone wears headlamps. My uncle busted one out one year so he could read his sheet music better and now we all wear them.

[noodleskooze]

DH's family does a swap. They call it Dirty Santa, which I find hilarious.

Each person brings a $10 gift card and packages it with a "gift". Some people do gag gifts, some people do just practical things like ziplock and outlet covers haha.

[dexteroni]

Ok, real answer this time (although I still stand by my last one) - what about reading a Christmas story of some sort? The Night Before Christmas or something else. Everyone who can read and who wants to participate can pass the book around a read a few lines. It's fast, cheap, and not ridiculous.

[Bernadine]

Dec 8, 2014 10:00:58 GMT -5 @booby said:

Dec 8, 2014 9:22:26 GMT -5 Bernadine said:

We're hosting ILs for the first time this year.  Previously, the ILs have done Christmas Eve with extended family, where they would re-enact the nativity and sing carols and the kids get a religious book and ornament.

MIL is insisting that since we're taking over Christmas Eve, we need to start a new tradition.  What's something fun and easy that we could do?

we don't have any interesting traditions for the holidays.  i mean, for xmas eve, we tend to eat really delicious appetizers (or we have perogy night) and just laze around getting drunk and watching tv/movies (not even holiday related ones).

however, one of my newer friends was telling me about their family christmas eve.  they do a regular family christmas thing on the 25th, but on the 24th, alllll of the family comes over and they always do a theme.  and the themes are hilarious and people go ALL OUT.  the food is themed and people dress up and try to incorporate christmas AND the theme.

previous years' themes:

- redneck christmas
- ugly sweater 70s christmas
- get me to the greek christmas
- nerdy christmas

you get the idea.  the pictures are hilarious.  i mean, people really turn it up a notch with the costumes.  and then i think they also do a FUNNY white elephant exchange.  like, people focus all year on trying to find the BEST gift and i think there is a legit prize for the person who brings the most popular gift. 

i would love to do this, but i think you need at least 8+ people to really make it worthwhle and hilarious.  my family is too small and boring. 

Oooh, we have 16 people. I love the idea of the a theme, but that might be too late for this year.