How are you "getting your Christmas on?"

If you do such a thing! For me: baking, carols, sitting in the dark with the Christmas tree lights on--contemplating! And of course, spending time with family.

New house, new habits. I’m slowly easing Christmas decorations out of the storage closet and replacing the fall decor. Thanksgiving already let me bring out the bowls of jeweled/glittered fruits. Taking down the yellow, orange and red leaves from the permanent greenery around the windows and adding in pink, mauve and red ornaments.
I’ve gathered up the sheep that grandbaby plays with in the farm set and corralled them for their nativity role.


A few angels have been seen.

Without children nearby, it’s less fun to start the three wise men on their journey, but I might pull their tent and gear out anyway.

My new neighbor put an upholstered chair on the curb several months ago, which signals it is available for adoption. When no one took it, she dragged it back to the corner of her house. I might find some oversized Christmas decor to add to it, for fun.

Oh, and Christmas cards are laid out in the second bedroom, but nothing further has been done.

I miss my fireplace mantels!!!

Family still living has dwindled to just our son, and we are not in great health. So Christmas has become much more centered on religious observance. Advent candles and creche at home. Christmas Eve we usually watch "A Christmas Carol." Mass and small dinner Christmas Day. Walk in the evening to look at the neighbors' lights. We no longer do gifts, just donations to the local Food Bank and Humane Society. I still enjoy sending cards to and hearing from long-time friends. It is very quiet and pleasant. I wish we had simplified the holidays years ago!

Kids are grown with their own children. So, we have a calmer Christmas. A few decorations and a tree. We give the "adult kids" cash and the grandchildren gifts to open. But everyone gets a Christmas stocking. I fill 6 stockings and my husband fills 1 (mine). We have supper, which is beef tenderloin, Yorkshire puddings, green beans, Waldorf salad and lemony new potatoes. Dessert varies from year to year. Last year was Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, not sure what it will be this year. The only thing I cook beforehand and just finished up yesterday is pecan log. I give them as gifts to friends and neighbors.

You mean Festivus?
I left it up to my kids, who for the next couple of months are all in their 30s, as to when I make the traditional holiday breakfast I've made for over 60 years. (Think of an Egg McMuffin, only with better-quality ingredients.)
Festivus is on the 23rd, so they decided to do it this coming weekend.
I got a LOT of cleaning up to do!

My husband's family always had a Christmas Eve dinner with spare ribs (the bar-b-q sauce I have already made and in the freezer), lefsa (potato flat bread), Swedish meatballs and Swedish sausage for some. I make the rosettes the last day.
My kids and some grandkids will be here. I have 4 sons and 1 daughter.
December is hard for me for personal reasons.
I like to watch Cardinal Dolan from St. Patricks for Sunday Mass and it helps me.
Today, it looks very Christmas like as my trees are all covered with snow and frost. Nice I do not have to drive anywhere. As I was typing this, I got an alert on my phone that we have a winter storm warning until 6 PM tomorrrow, I am in Minnesota.
I grew up in Texas.