Real Nestie Holiday Secrets
We asked what traditions you have for the holiday season, and here are some of your answers.
"We cook a huge pan of fried rice for breakfast. It's a tradition my husband’s family does every Christmas morning. We open ONE gift on Christmas Eve, then save the rest for Christmas Day." -- Margaret & Shawn
"We've been together for five years now, and every year we get one ornament. Someday all we'll have on the tree are our 'special' ornaments. We cut down our tree every year -- two weekends before Christmas, we go out and chop down our own tree, come home, and invite all our family and friends over for milk and cookies. We then trim the tree together." -- Jen & Eric
"We live a thousand miles away from our families, so spending Thanksgiving with either family is impractical. We both love food and spending time with friends, so we issue an open invitation to those who are going to be in town and don't have other plans. My graduate program often has visiting students from other countries who probably wouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving otherwise. We did something similar last year, and there's an open invitation again this year. So I guess it's become somewhat of a tradition. And inviting people from distant lands to break bread with you is somewhat reminiscent of the original Thanksgiving, I think. I make sure our guests give me the recipes for their international dishes. Maybe one day I'll put together an international Thanksgiving cookbook!" -- Margaret & Adam
"New Year's Eve is a culmination of events -- the Seafood Fest (shrimp, crab legs, lobster) with a chilled bottle of champagne and a fizz of strawberry soda swirling in a wineglass (throwback from childhood!). We reminisce about the year -- what we loved and what we'd rather forget -- and laugh the evening away, watching old movies, and waiting for the ball to drop. I usually have to wake him up to get my New Year's kiss!" -- Allison & John
"This year, we're planning a New Year's Day party with friends. We have a wild gift exchange we've done the last few years before Christmas, with everyone bringing a dish (heavy hors d’oeuvres) and a gift (under $20). We eat, then we exchange gifts by selecting numbers. Each person in turn gets to open a gift or steal any previous gift from someone else. By the end of the evening, there's wild gift-swapping going on and lots of laughter. A great way to end the season!" -- Valerie & Neal
"Since we spend Christmas at various relatives’ houses, we take time in December to have our own special little Christmas. We roast a chicken and potatoes, have peas with cream sauce, and make some kind of dessert. Sometimes we give our little puppy a present to unwrap that night. We save all of ours for Christmas Day." -- mrschiliman
"We buy new pajamas and then wear them while we watch a Christmas-y movie on Christmas Eve. We usually make Christmas Eve our day since Christmas is spent between four families. I can't wait until we have kids and don't have to travel all the time!" -- dancingnancers