What Christmas Traditions Do You Have?

[mexolic]

I still prefer the midnight mass. Parishoners singing* real *Christmas carols. I’m of Mexican descent. My Christmas’ are semi-Mexican traditional. I have never participated in any of Las Posadas-the reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. Tamales are a must for me. Sometimes they are bought made. Other times it’s family gatherings and homemade tamales. I prefer the latter. I can’t wait for some hot champurrado.:winter: I think traditions are important, especially at Christmas. What Christmas traditions do you have?

 

[Immacolata]

Almost every year, my family puts the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving. This year, however, we put it up around the 5th of December. It’s still pretty, though and I love the ornaments. My mother also usually puts up her Nativity set when we put the tree up, but I put it up this year before the tree.

This year, I’m going to start my new tradition: going to church on Christmas (I’ve just gotten into my religion and have never gone to church on Christmas). I’m debating whether to go at the 5:30PM Holy Day Vigil at our church, or at noon on Christmas Day.

 

[pablope]

I still prefer the midnight mass. Parishoners singing* real *Christmas carols. I’m of Mexican descent. My Christmas’ are semi-Mexican traditional. I have never participated in any of Las Posadas-the reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. Tamales are a must for me. Sometimes they are bought made. Other times it’s family gatherings and homemade tamales. I prefer the latter. I can’t wait for some hot champurrado.:winter: I think traditions are important, especially at Christmas. What Christmas traditions do you have?

The Misa De Gallo…nine novena masses before Christmas.

 

[7armyrugrats]

Midnight Mass, tamales, being together with family.

 

[gxensen]

1. • From the beginning of Advent to the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe
   • If possible, a pilgrimage to the nearest Catholic Parish every day; with people decked out in their religious gear, someone with maracas, someone else with an ape mask, someone with an instrument (preferably a guitar or violin), someone carrying a portrait of Our Lady, dancer people, and people praying the rosary; all in a group going to the Church. On weekends, the pilgrimage is recommended instead be towards the nearest Cathedral.
   • Daily consecrations to the immaculate heart and venerations of Our Lady of Guadalupe…having prayed the rosary of course, too.
   • Fridays or Saturdays (it’s usually agreed upon by the host and the majority of the guests) become “party days” where everyone gets together to celebrate advent, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the coming birth of King, Jesus Christ. All the villancicos (Christmas carols) are religious, secular music is a “no, no.” Every group invited cooks a different meal or offers a different talent to the party. Tamales, of course , tacos, and pastry that is decorated in purple (due to advent), purple sweet tamales (they’re yummy ), red rice, other typical Mexican food (including samplings of the pastry that is baked on the Three Kings day).
   Some of these parties will actually have a Rosary prayer session before the party begins, some don’t. Then, there’s also the blessing of the feast…sometimes a priest is there to make it that much more cool, sometimes not.
   
   Then, my favorite part of these parties is that towards the end, everyone starts having a “pun fest.” People playing on words all over the place. It’s hilarious. I think it’s only my relatives and their friends that do it though.
   • Some years we’ll let a small purple drape hang from the balcony, some years we wont. This year isn’t one of them.
   • The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is told to the kiddies, and sometimes we’ll have reanacctments of the tale at the Friday parties. Or a talented story teller will tell the great tale.
   • Also, some people will fast, in the same way you’d do during Lent.
   • Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe
   • A huge pilgrimage/parade from the outer edge of the town to the local Cathedral, similar to the one I described before (only 10x bigger and 10x grander). As the end of the parade passes by, spectators will start tagging along, usually all chanting the Rosary.
   • Then everyone assists the mass devoted to this Feast Day
   • The day ends with parties in the streets, between neighbors. It’s a great day. Similar to that of the “Friday Parties…”
   • December 13-25: “Las Posadas y el Nacimiento de Cristo Rey”
     Each family tries to find “godparents” who will hold the posada, for that day. For example, I’ll go ask my neighbor if he wants to be my godparent for the posada that day. He’ll say yes, and then the reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem will be held at their house, a couple of people and I representing pilgrims and two people representing Mary and Joseph. The posadas are a more intimate affair. Unlike the celebrations held during Advent, which unite the whole town, the posadas are usually celebrated with family and/or close friends. After the reenactment is held, there is a Rosary prayer session. After that is done, there is a small feast, some chit-chat, and then people go home. Then, another posada is held the next day, and so on.
   • The final posada, on December 24th, is held late in the evening. There is more special reenactment, usually more dramatized, and maybe with some musicians. After, a small feast, dancing, socializing, etc. is done. Then, at 11:10 PM, everyone gets together in one room and prays the Rosary. And then…(just keep reading)
   • Starting on December 13, people have to then start assembling their Nativity Scene, too. My family usually built it slowly, to finally being done on December 25th. On Dec 13 we’d assemble the stable, the land around it, some sand, some trees etc… On Dec 14, we’d start putting animals around the the stable, sometimes they’re made out of legos. Haha. Dec 15, we start adding shepherds, and a village in the background. This continues all until Dec 24. On the day of Christmas eve, only one thing is missing from the nativity scene. Baby Jesus.
   • Now, remember how I told you that we pray the Rosary late at night on Dec 24th, and end up finishing it at Midnight, the beginning of Dec 25? Well, at that time, the mother of the household (at which the posada is hosted) goes and carefully places Baby Jesus on the manger, to symbolize his birth, therefore also completing the nativity scene, beautifully. Then, the father of the household goes and carefully picks up Baby Jesus from his manger, asks for his blessing, and then offers for people to come and kiss Baby Jesus on the forehead. Then, everyone gets in a line, to go kiss Baby Jesus on the forehead, his hair, or on his palm.
   • After that, some villancicos are sung, then everyone goes home…'cause it’s really late…
   Then, Dec 25th is held as a special day to just be celebrated at home, in prayer, and happiness that our savior and ever loving God has come. And, LOL, finally it’s just you and the family, in addition to tamales, of course.
   
   Starting on this day, too, people start decorating their homes, planning where to buy presents for the children, what pastries they’re going to cook, what music to start learning, etc, for the Day of the Three Kings, on January 6th. And, 'till then, the kids eagerly wait for their presents.

 

[Julia_Mae]

A few years ago, my adult daughter and I started a new tradition: we stopped buying presents for each other and get one of those cards with names and ages of kids to buy gifts for instead. It’s WAY fun, we get to do it together and wrap the presents and all of that. The card says how many parents are in the home, so we also include a gift each kid can give to mom. We haven’t had one where there are two parents, yet.

(We also get the gift receipts and include them.)