Christmas Traditions

In my family, for as long as I can remember we've celebrated on Christmas Eve. Over the years we've done various things in the evening, but we always end up at my parents' house to open presents, eat food, and sometimes play games. There are certain things that mean Christmas to me, whether on Christmas Eve, or during the holiday season...

Movies. Yes, I do love the classics, like White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut, and It's a Wonderful Life and I try to watch them with my mom, but for me, Christmas isn't Christmas without Elf and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! I've seen each of those movies hundreds of times (even multiple times each year) and still laugh at the best parts. Of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original version, please) are also important ingredients, though I don't own the Grinch on DVD yet. I DO own the CD version and listen to it at least once (usually while traveling) during the season. I actually just added Home Alone to my collection too!
 
A tree. For most of graduate school I didn't have a tree since I was gone for most of the holidays/winter break. A couple years ago, I bought this little potted Norfolk pine because I just couldn't be without a tree anymore. It's grown a lot since then, nearly died a few times, and survived a cross-country move. It's my own little Charlie Brown tree! Maybe next year I'll have a big tree...maybe.

Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp. My sister has us over for Christmas Eve lunch for homemade Alfredo, with salad and bread. Mmmm. Love, love, love it. Honestly, the recipe is super-easy, but it never actually tastes the same when I make it.

Taco dip. After all the presents are opened, we pull out tons of food, including taco dip. Mmmm. My younger sister and I usually try to "forget" about bringing it out, because that means it might just last a little bit longer...which means more left over...but everyone knows what we're up to. It wouldn't be Christmas without taco dip. Yum. 

Christmas stockings. When I was a kid, our stocking always had a HUGE orange and apple inside, which honestly wasn't my favorite part when I was young. Now our stockings are filled with all kinds of useful (and fun) stuff, like contact solution, cooking utensils, chapstick, lotion, and on and on. It's fun opening each little present...you just never know what you're gonna get!

Christmas Day leftover taco dip breakfast. Yes, it has become a tradition for my sister and I to pull out the leftover taco dip and eat it when we wake up. Now that she is married and has her own place in town (and I stay with my parents, since I live out of town), I try my best to wait for her... or at least save some. 

Christmas Day breakfast. On holidays we usually have a big breakfast/brunch with hash browns, eggs, kielbasa, fresh rolls, and whatever else my mom decides to throw in (like hot-from-the-oven blueberry muffins). Yummy. 

Music. I've been enjoying a lot of Christmas music on Pandora this year, but I have my collection of holiday favorites, too. Christmases past have found me and my brother enjoying holiday hits on loooong car trips, singing and acting goofy... I kinda miss that this year!   

So. Those are my favorites...what are yours?