We had a pajama tradition, but we wore our pjs on New Years Eve. I started the tradition with my family, but slacked off the past so many years. We started going to be at the regular time, so we weren't bringing in the new year. Just waking to it.
We have a pizza dinner and then go to a candlelight church service on Christmas Eve and come back for a popcorn snack and a Christmas DVD (Charlie Brown Christmas). On Christmas morning the kids open their stockings before breakfast. After breakfast we open gifts one at a time. We opened gifts on Christmas Eve when I was a child and stockings Christmas morning.
YEAH!!! I just learned that Dad's church is having TWO services Christmas Eve, one at 4:30 and one at 6:00 (the "normal" time). That means we can go to the earlier service with Dad, and he can come here to have dinner and open Dad's presents. I can put a roast in the crock pot or electric roaster and time it to be done after church. We can watch a video (White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, or whatever!), and make a rather early evening of it. No traveling for us!!! And even Dad liked the idea of going to church before dinner!!!
We have started a Christmas Eve tradition of going to McDonald's for dinner! LOL! It's cheap, fast, the kids love it, and we can go to the one down the street from the church! So we get all dressed up for Christmas Eve Mass, then eat at McD's (careful! No ketchup on your pretty dress!), then head to 6:00 Mass. After Mass we head home and open (you guessed it) PJ's! The kids get changed and go to bed, then DH and I pull out all the gifts to put around the tree, fill the stockings, and enjoy a cup of eggnog before bed. In the morning the kids usually jump on us to wake us up. DH goes down and takes pics of the tree with all the gifts, and makes us coffee, then the kids get to head downstairs for the rip fest. LOL! We don't have an order or anything, but usually we kind of take turns watching other open their gifts. DH and I are usually the last ones to finish because we like to watch the kids. Somewhere during the gift opening we take a break to toss a coffee cake or egg casserole in the oven and usually eat after gifts are all opened. Our family all lives at a distance, so we usually make plans to see them after Christmas. This year we are heading up to my family Christmas the weekend after Christmas, then driving straight from there to my in-laws for New Year's.
