Holiday gift giving traditions.

Kids are grown, no grand kids, my parents have passed on and wifey only has her father, no real traditions here.

Now when wifey's mom was alive her parents had sort of a tradition, they gave each other the same greeting card each year with the new year date etched on them. I thought that was pretty cool.

I like that idea!

When we give diamonds you always give roses... women, men, boys or girls it doesn't matter..

Roses always accompany Diamonds!

Give 11 & tell her that she's the 12th

After a couple of Family Christmases we started having our Family Christmas a few days before Christmas day because of the grandkids. The kids had to open their presents, then get dressed, then leave the toys and come to our house for the Family Christmas. Having our Christmas early let the grand kids open their Christmas presents from Santa and play and not have to leave the toys to come to Gamaw and Papa's house.

That left Christmas day without the family for Christmas and I didn't want to cook just for the two of us so a tradition started for us. When it was lunch time we got in the car and looked for a fast food place open on Christmas day. In our small town the only place open was Jack in the Box. It has been 12 years now and my husband and I always have our traditional Jack in the Box lunch every Christmas Day. We look forward to it.

I got rocks and coal myself, that's what my wife and boy get as well. They don't like or dislike it, but accept it...

We do Xmas the Sunday before. The entire Family (both sides) gets together at one of the Kids house. The traditional sauerbrauten and trimmings. Everyone brings something. We use paper plates and plastic ware. Presents for mostly the kids are opened. On Christmas we all do our individual families and dinner that day becomes whatever the choice is.

What is Cut-Throat Santa? ...

Each person buys a gift that is no more than $25.00 (or what you agree on beforehand) and wraps it with the same type of paper that Company give you.

On the day of doing the exchange, All gifts are displayed so that everyone can see them. Each person Draws a number from a hat. The person with number 1 will choose a gift from the pile and open it. Number 2 has the choice of choosing a wrapped gift from the pile or taking Number 1’s gift, Number 1 then selects a gift from the pile and opens it. This cut throat madness will continue until the last number is up. The lucky participant gets to choose from the gifts already opened or the last wrapped gift from the pile.

Sounds simple eh? Well, here are a few hints to keep things moving smoothly.

1. You must not spend no more than what was agreed on.
2. Gifts may be humorous in nature, or not, it is up to you; but please your anonymity will be preserved because each gift will be wrapped in the same paper.
3. In the course of the game each gift can exchange hands only once during players turn.

Please Note:
You cannot give the gift that you received last or previous years.

If you plan on giving liquor, please make sure it is not expired.

AND THAT IS Cut-Throat Santa!!!

With our adult children we draw one name each, maximum $50 limit. Grandma and grandpa spend whatever we want on the grandkids.

When we get together with the in-laws, the host family decides. One time we had everyone by a gift through a charity, such as a goat for someone in a third world country.

Another time the guys bought guy gifts $20 max and vice versa for ladies. Gifts were marked for gender. We went around the room and grabbed a gift. We would sometimes read a story and anytime "left" or "right" was said, all the gifts shifted that direction. Sometimes, people got to steal a gift after it had been opened.