Do you have any customs/traditions regarding the holidays that you consider to be unique?

No. Sometimes I've gone hiking on a big holiday and enjoyed being a bit more alone on the trails cuz more people are celebrating with families.

We have everyone open one present on Christmas Eve; but it has to be a present that is a clue to a bigger present and not very useful in and of itself.

It's not very interesting... we always have sausage sarnies for breakfast.

Not really, unless you count ornament making parties. I'm not holding one this year though

What is a sausage sarnie?

A sausage sandwich

Would that be a plain sausage sandwich, or do you also have eggs, cheese, potatoes...something else in the sandwich?

Interesting idea. When the kids were little, we did stockings, breakfast, gifts under the tree, dinner. We always had guests for dinner. Now that we're The Grandparents, we go to our kids' homes, it's just easier for their little ones. They've already done stockings and breakfast. We arrive for gifts under the tree and dinner. Certainly not unique, but we've always made it a day of total revelry and warmth. It's the little things - hanging paper doves on the tree to remember those loved ones who've passed, playing charades, the round-table grace and gratefulness when everybody is given a chance to say how their year was impacted by the others, the toasts, the phone calls to far-away friends and family, eating food made only at Christmas, going for a group walk. We might have a newborn in the family by Christmas - another grandbaby, #5. The customs change, the love doesn't.

Just sausages and ketchup. I mean, if it wasn't Christmas and there's so much to do food wise anyway I'd have cheese and onions in there too.

OK, is sarnie a uniquely English word or do some of the "colonies" use it as well?

so then your answer is...no. Yeah, yeah, I know. But do you want to play, or not?

I think it's pretty much a north of England word. Same with 'butty', and 'bap'. I don't know why we have so many different word for sandwich.

interesting...so different parts of England, and I guess the British Isles, have different words for sandwich. I wonder how that happened.

Yes, on Christmas Eve, we all get together and split up into two groups: males and females. The guys each drink two glasses of Johnny Walker Blue and the girls drink two "hot buttered rums". Then...

> so then your answer is...no. Yeah, yeah, I know. But do you
> want to play, or not?

Huh? Why did you wink? What do you know? Didn't I play?

No i do not

No.

No, I can't think of anything..But back in the day when my mom was but a wee lass, every Christmas they would have a birthday cake for Jesus.

McDonald's isn't open on Christmas Day.

We can barely manage to pull off any tradition.

Where you live, maybe, but the McDonald's 1.2 miles from my house has big signs which say "Open until 5pm on Christmas Day." The whole world isn't podunk California...thank goodness.

Really? Why is that?

cynicism, laziness, apathy

Anywhere I've lived around the country nothing was open on Christmas Day but gas stations, convenience stores and movie theaters.

Certainly you're aware that retail businesses are continually increasing thier hours. Was it really so inconceivable that a McDonald's could have been open until 5 on Christmas?

Christmas Eve we each get to open one Christmas gift, from an approving family member, that was under the Christmas tree.
This tradition was first introduced to deal with sibling jealousy of me opening my birthday presents on Christmas Eve. Now that we are all old and parents ourselves, all of my siblings and I continue that tradition with our own young families.

Not inconceivable but definitely not normal.

I am going to adopt the McDonald's as an act of humility tradition.

My mom used to have a lab named Wilson who loved to unwrap Christmas presents. He was always very excited that he'd get wrapped toys. Her younger lab Katie would always just sit and watch him and take the toys after they were unwrapped. The fun was over for Wilson, but for Katie.. it had just begun.

Wilson died this year. It was a hard loss for the whole family. When Mary was there opening her birthday presents, Katie became very excited. For the first time, just like Wilson had always done, she started very gently peeling the paper from Mary's packages with her teeth. Mary quickly took some of the paper and wrapped up one of Katie's toys. Katie was so happy And Wilson would have been proud of the way she opened it.

No, there barely is any traditional anything. The only tradition I can say I have is slipping into a depression like coma till the night at my mothers is over. I am wondering if I will get the call to tell me when to be there, or ask me when I am coming...why don't I call? Because I am slipping into a depression like coma.

Really? McDonald's kinda sucks. Maybe you could eat gruel and read a chapter from Oliver Twist on Christmas.

(I can't stand McDonald's)

Yeah, I've never thought about it before. It's not like we have a reputation for good sandwiches or anything, either.

I make a point of enjoying my favorite things & that starts with Marijuna

lots of tequila!
when i was a youngster, i lived in a little shack in salida, Co.
had three roomates i think.
about a week before christmas, one of my roomates asked if his friend could move in.
i said sure
well, on christmas morning the friend showed up at 9 am and woke everybody up. he had 2 big litres of tequila and a bag of groceries!
we had a great day and didnt even get arrested.
so ever since then, i think about tequila on christmas.

We have a few regional names for really big sandwiches like hero, sub, grinder (my favorite), and hoagie, but it seems much different where you are.

"Anything really, like eating at McDonald's on Christmas Day out of humility. "

FUNNY!