11.22.2010

12 Days of Xmas - Day 1


I can't miss out on Aly and Molly's fun little 12 Days of Christmas Challenge
(lord help me, I couldn't keep up with Katie's 30day blog challenge... let's hope I can manage 12)

Day 1 : Christmas Traditions

Every Christmas Eve everyone on my mom's side of the family goes over to my grandpa's house for dinner and presents.

When we sit down to dinner there's a Christmas Cracker at each place setting. When my mom was 3, my grandpa (who worked for Allison Transmission / Rolls Royce)packed up the family and moved them over to England for a few years while he was working on a big project over there. That's where the Crackers came from, they are a tradition in the UK. You pull on each end, and they pop open, ours are usually filled with a small toy, a joke and a paper crown. 
(Sis-in-law, Courtney and I with our paper crowns and trinkets!)

That's why we always wear the silly hats... if you think we're nuts yet just wait! It's hilarious to watch everyone eat dinner with colorful paper hats on!
(How adorable is my grandpa?!)

When my cousins and I were younger we would race through dinner and then sit in the living room chanting "presents! presents! presents!" until our parents finished eating (and gabbing, and drinking wine, and gabbing some more!) and we could open presents.

Once presents are opened it's bingo time! I briefly touched on our bingo tradition last week

The past few years we've wrapped up the night with Apples to Apples too. I love our crazy family traditions!
And here's a little somethin for your viewing pleasure - a 'cousins' picture from a few years back! (That's me on the far left)
 Photobucket

13 comments:

Unknown said...

What lovely traditions! I might have to find a way to experience this Christmas Cracker thing... It seems cute and fun.. The pictures are cute and Bingo is always fun! :)

Neely said...

WE love Apples to Apples! So fun!

Molly said...

SO fun! Love the hats, too funny! You're family sounds hilarious girl!

Apples to Apples= one of the best games ever!

Kristen said...

I love the hats, what a fun tradition!

Your Christmas sounds like a blast!

krystal said...

We always did the crackers when I was younger too, but now that my grandparents have passed on I've tried to incorporate the crackers into my fiance's family... they didn't really "get" them and no one wore their hats!! :( :( I'm going to try again this year!

Jamie Kubeczka said...

These are so much fun! We had our first go round last year and it's become a tradition!

Ashley said...

What is apples to apples?

My husbands family always does the crackers too and we wear the crowns the whole night. The first year I thought they were nuts!

Mateya said...

Oh I love it! How funny to wear those crowns the whole night haha!

Brittany said...

HOLY CUTENESS! I love it :))) Family traditions are the best!

Kit said...

I love the traditions and the crowns are so cool! I love your blog! I can not wait to get to know you better...I am your newest follower!

Caroline said...

So fun. Love the story behind the crackers!

L said...

Aw, sounds fun! I dont think I've ever seen a Christmas cracker before though, sounds cool. And your baby picture is freakin adorable your sooo little! haha.

L said...

Aw, sounds fun! I dont think I've ever seen a Christmas cracker before though, sounds cool. And your baby picture is freakin adorable your sooo little! haha.