Etsyblogger Carnival: Holiday Traditions

This carnival is brought to you by Ms. Moo from Spotted Cow Soaps. These were the choices:

1. There are many different holidays and celebrations this time of year. Share some of the traditions from your holiday celebrations.
2. Share your favorite Holiday recipe and tell us why it has become your favorite Holiday recipe.

I do have a new holiday recipe that I love to make, but I have written about it before. So I will go with traditions.

Fist off...the tree. Every year we get an ornament from my mom. She always finds the perfect one. My tree is covered with most of my ornaments for as long as I can remember. Well, except for those few I left at her place. It's always fun to search her tree for some old faves. My boys and hubby also get one. Someday this tree will be dripping with ornaments. Until the boys move out and take some to their places.

Traditions tend to change over the years as family is moved and added to. Hubby and I got lucky in that there was not too much overlap once we merged traditions. We always did Xmas Eve at my dad's parents with all his sibs & their families, the morning was the usual immediate family opening Santa's gifts at home followed by Xmas afternoon at my mom's sisters with her side. Hubby did Eve at home & church and pretty much the same thing again the day of. Big difference in family quantity living nearby.

So, since his family stuff was the same group both days & mine were different sides, we still hit everyone. Eve has moved to my parents house for my dad's side - very convenient for me since they live closer than Grandma. We leave just a bit early so hubby & the boys can get to the church service (depending on how awake the little guy is). The morning is spent just us opening our gifts to each other...and from Santa. We have brunch with hubby's sis + family & parents. We have switched to our places instead of his parent's since we live about 1 mile from his sis. Very nice :)

Xmas day afternoon is still at my aunt's. We don't spend quite as long as we used to, but long enough to visit for a bit. Bonus - she is just a few blocks away! It also serves to be the marker for us to grab my parents and head over to their house for the last stop on the Xmas tour. This is the most relaxing portion of the whole shebang. It is just us - me, hubby, the kids & my parents. We nibble on leftover goodies and open our gifts to each other. My brother would join us except he was a traitor and moved down to the Nashville area. Sheesh - just because you are offered a fantastic job, in a beautiful area & can live in a gorgeous new home...can't understand why they would defect to , um, well, okay, so I know why. I just miss 'em so I have to rag on him a bit :)

Sounds hectic, but it really isn't too bad. Lots of family - very lots with mine - good food, fun gift exchanges and not too far away. And we do not have the kind of family that fights, so even better. Hope your holidays are as happy!