Non-traditional Christmas traditions

What kinds of non-traditional traditions to you honor in your house? To me, it's not the holidays without listening to David Sedaris read his "Santaland Diaries" on This American Life.

I've also tried to get the_Bean to appreciate the joys of Bill and Opus. So far, it hasn't taken, she's more into The Grinch.



I'm also a huge fan of "Bad Santa" (although that, for obvious reasons, is not something that gets shared with the little one).

Everyone gets a stick of pepperoni in their stocking. I have no idea how this started, but the ONE year it didn't happen, my mom caught crap the whole day.

I love listening to David Sedaris! We're always traveling during the early morning hours of Christmas Eve, so SWMBO and I pass the time by belting off-key Christmas songs during the drive from PA to my parents' place in NJ.

I am starting a new non traditional Xmas tradition this year.....going to work

Ehhh, cant really complain too much with the way times are though. Roughly 5% unemployment and literally towns of people in Michigan being forced to take a month off. I still feel pretty fortunate.

My dad alwasy got my grandpa a pineapple for Xmas. Gramps went into the home this year so I brought my dad a pineapple. I finally asked him why he always did that and he said he didn't really know. He thought that it was the only time of year Gramps would probably get to eat a pineapple.

My dad ALWAYS made Cioppino on christmas eve for friends and family and whatever strays didn't have people to be with that year. I'm doing it this year, hopefully it's as good!

My mom's side of the family always got together on christmas morning (we'd sleep on the floor at grandma's) and in the morning gorge ourselves on food, and make what my mom's family called "creamsicles" which were no more than orange juice, ice cream, and vodka all blended up.

Our great grandmother didn't have much money, but she was always VERY concerned with making sure everyone got christmas gifts, so every year she sent either soap-on-a-rope-in-a-bag or a ceramic creation of some sort, usually a ceramic cat. We always knew it was Grandma Furnace's gift because it had a rainbow candy cane tied into the bow. Because we got 1 of 2 items, we all opened the gifts at the same time.