What are your favourite holiday traditions?

You have a wonderful spirit. I just read your last line. Instead of listing all the reasons why Christmas is depressing, you list all the positive things you do about it.

Personally, one of my private traditions (although my family has come to figure it out) on Christmas Eve, I light three candles for the three babies I miscarried before I had my two kids. I think of how old they would be, and now I know I will meet them someday.

I kind of fantasize about that day. I don't let this take up my whole Christmas Eve, but each year it does take on a deeper meaning and the anticipation is replacing the grief.

Anyway, I love your spirit!

My favourite holiday tradition has just ended a month or so back. It's when me and my friends get together for Ocx (October Xmas) when at the beginning of the month we decide how we will celebrate it this year. Ocx began when we decided that all the childish fun had gone from Christmas now that we had grown up. So, we decided to have Ocx instead and bring back the childishness of it all. We went out and bought sacks of childish gifts for each other and wrapped it all up in paper like you do. then we got on the train at Lancaster and put tinsel around the windows and a little singing Christmas tree on the table, got out the cassette player and had the whole carriage singing Oh Tanenbaum, Jingle Bells, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing by the time we got halfway to London. Also, it didn't matter what faith they were either, we had Christians, catholics, Hindus even a couple of Muslims were in there too. It was ace. The atmosphere was so wonderful and happy. We opened out toys and everyone laughed when they saw Action Men climbing all over the carriage and coloring books were out and about with crayons and all manner of other fun things. So this year, try and get the spirit back inside your hearts!! Seasons' Greetings to one and all!!!

I have 2 that top the list. The first is when my sister and I get together to watch It's a Wondeful Life - that will happen this weekend. It just starts the season for me. The second is on Christmas Eve when we open 1 gift. It's always new pajamas but my kids (15 & 19) make a big deal out of shaking the packages as though they don't know what is inside. We go to midnight church service and then come home and open our jammies, put them on, make popcorn and hot chocolate, then start to watch Miracle on 34th Street until the first person falls asleep.

I MUST watch "The Grinch" (the original, narrated by Boris Karloff, NOT the Jim Carrey version).

Every Thanksgiving, I get into the spirit by watching about a half hour of the Macy's parade and then watching "It's A Wonderful Life" - one of my all-time favorite movies.

As for Christmas songs I have to hear - anything by Bing Crosby gets me in the spirit. I'm also partial to Dean Martin's "Marshmallow World," and on the more irreverent side, "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" and "Mambo Santa."

My favorite is on Christmas Eve. We go out looking for Christmas decorations in our county and then we go to MC Donalds and then we continue to look for more and then go to my sister in laws house for awhile and go home and wait till Christmas. The wait should last forever. I don't like Christmas day. I am more for the season. Shopping makes me in the spirit. I really enjoy looking for presents for my son.

we've 3 great roast dinners. One on Christmas eve the position it is purely instant relatives and perhaps Grandparents. Christmas Day purely is composed persons having dinner. and then on New Years Day the position we've each of the relatives round! It brings the relatives jointly alongside the holiday season.

Ever since I was little, our famliy has gone on "manger counting"...that is looking for all the mangers out there...you know with joseph, mary, Jesus...it's a lot of fun...

we also love listening to Christmas music all day...and we bake a lot...

Day's off work