What traditions have you brought from your childhood?

[Larrytheleprechaun]

Just that really? What little things did your parents do which have carried on in your own family?

On Christmas eve we light candles and leave in the windows to light the way for Mary and Joseph. We always left our wellies out for Santa to fill so my kids do this now. Big fry up on Christmas morning is another (although am considering dumping that this year).

We use my Mum's Land Army socks for Christmas Stockings. Khaki, wool, stretchy and darned, but nostalgic.

Marking the end of the football World Cup with a special meal (loosely) based on the cuisine of whichever country won. A rather bizarre tradition, perhaps, but I always enjoyed it.

New outfit for Christmas, Birthday and Easter (even though we dont celebrate Easter!)

Panto just before Christmas (still going at nearly 30!)

Opening Christmas pressies after lunch with the exception of one to be opened before church. The main reason was my dad was the vicar and he liked to ask everyone what they got. Most years, the congregation were very coy so we were primed to shout 'look what I got!' and then chivvy everyone else along. Yes it make it sounds like a panto and some years it looked that way too.

Opening one present before xmas and a token Boxing day gift

Putting FC letters in the fire,
Opening the presents under the tree (not from FC) after dinner although we have moved this to Boxing Day,
Wishing each other God Jul as my Grandma was Swedish.

We do the candle on Christmas Eve too, and my mum would lead a decade of the rosary after youngest lit it and dad would remember the good and bad things about the year just gone. Youngest still lights it here, and I do the remember antes, but we only do a couple of prayers (DD might be up for a decade this yr).

Santa always brought fruit (red apple, green apple, banana, orange, clementine, and something else), a half pound box of sweets and a book among the booty - each. Everyone got their own collection of fruit instead of rowing about who got the 1 red apple (there were 6 of us). (Santa still does to anyone sleeping under my parents roof on the Eve - youngest sibling just turned 30!). Here, Santa turns up with the same half a fruit bowl, sweets and a book among the goodies.

In dh's house (and ours in the past maybe 20 years, but DH since his childhood), there was spiced beef as part of the festive meats. We can get it locally but it's not the same, so DH makes a trip to Cork for it! Cooked Christmas Eve and served cold on Christmas Day.