Homemakers staff share with you some of their all-time favourite holiday traditions and now it's your turn. Click on the microphone icon on the top right of the screen to tell us what your absolute favourite yuletide tradition is.
Stocking surprises
On Christmas morning my family lets slip the grip of bed to check out Santa's gifts. Even though at 32 I'm the youngest in the room, and we've all stuffed goodies in one anothers' stockings sometime the night before, we all put on our best surprised faces and gasps. We even have my partner JP doing this, though he's not as convincing. We take turns appreciatively discovering our stocking's contents, marvelling at Santa's insight into our personalities, even for the items that we've tucked away for ourselves. I guess it's our way of preserving the magical feeling of Christmas, if only for one another's amusement. - Jessica Ross, executive editor
Oh, Christmas tree!
Every December my family and I trek to the country to cut our Christmas tree. We return to the same Christmas tree farm each year. Like clockwork my dad will make the same joke about picking out a Charlie Brown tree, and we'll search for the perfect one until our feet feel like bricks of ice. That this ritual is dependably the same makes it a holiday staple in our household.
Dayna Boyer, assistant web editor
Stocking stalking
Holding on to a few traditions from England, my family has always had our Christmas stockings left at the end of the bed.
When I was a kid, on Christmas morning my sister and I would open our goodies as soon as we woke up, then jump on my parents' bed to wake them up and help them open their stockings. This tradition has continued over the years and now our husbands, boyfriends and grandkids all descend on Mom and Dad's bed with us, all in our pj's, to open all of our stockings together.
Suzanne Lacorte, associate art director
Spirit of light
It's rare now to see a big church packed to the rafters. But our church, Emmanuel Howard Park United in Toronto, draws 1,000 people -- from many other denominations and even faiths -- to a service known unofficially as "Christmas Eve Unplugged."
While the sanctuary is lit only by dozens of candles, hundreds of people from all over the city join for a mix of ancient carols sung by an amazing chancel choir and folk-gospel songs performed by recording artist Ken Whitely. Christmas Eve can so easily become a last-minute crush of food preparation, gift-wrapping and house-cleaning that the spirit we really long to capture is sidelined by shopping and silver-polishing.
In this sublime hour, we find it again in the arms of our families, neighbours and friends.
Kathy Ullyott, editor-in-chief
Santa's wee helper
I grew up with six brothers and three sisters (no twins!). You can imagine the chaos and fun on Christmas morning. We were allowed to open only our stockings before breakfast.
After we ate, the youngest child able acted as Santa's (Dad's) helper in delivering the gifts one at a time to each recipient. "Is Jane here? I have a present for Jane. Is Jane here?"
"Yes, yes, I'm right in front of you!"
We had to wait and watch the recipient open his or her present, thank the giver and test it out before moving on to the next person's present.
Stopping only for the Queen's annual telecast, the gift opening lasted for hours. Over the years, I realized that giving was more fun than receiving. I would wait, near hysteria, to see the reactions to my carefully chosen presents.
Jane Curran, national account manager
Spiritual journey
Every December our meditation group gathers for a magical event: an all-day meditation in honour of Christ. At first, eight hours of stillness seems impossible. But as time passes, our minds really do clear; shopping lists are forgotten, and the silence wraps us as warm as our blankets.
By the time we're softly singing nativity carols in the candlelight, the joy we feel is indescribable, truly a taste of peace on earth.
Meanwhile, at my parents' house, little kings and shepherds appear in early December all over the living room. Their goal: to reach the Holy Family on the mantelpiece by Christmas Day.
The shepherds range the mountains of the bookshelves, while the wise men bravely climb through the jungle-like branches of the Christmas tree. And, magically, they move only when no one is looking! A miracle? Or is the miracle how much fun this is, after 20 years?
Janet Rowe, senior editor
Jiggling all the way
My family decorates the tree on Christmas Eve and stuff stockings, but the tradition that sets us apart has to do with our Christmas dinner. It started almost a hundred years ago with my great-grandmother Monroe.
Every year on the table with the turkey and the stuffing and the cranberry sauce, holding pride of place in a dish we use only once a year, are two quivering piles of red and green Jell-O. For us, the meal just isn't complete without the jewel-toned Jell-O in the middle of the table (or scooped onto our plates, melting into our turkey and gravy).
Sometimes Jell-O is just Jell-O, but four generations later, at our Christmas dinner, it's much more.
Austen Gilliland, senior copy editor
Memories by the box
I go home a few days before Christmas to spend the holidays with my parents. While the tree is up, it is not entirely decorated. On the dining room table, left for me to put on the tree, is a box of ornaments I made as a child.
As I find just the right place to hang Mr. Peanut (made when I was five), and a clay sleigh and Santa (age seven), my mom puts on some music ("Snoopy's Christmas" is a must) and my dad makes us all hot chocolate.
Wendy Graves, copy chief
Winter's path
I grew up in a small village in Germany near beautiful Lake Constance, which also borders Switzerland and Austria. I've been living away from Germany for over 14 years, though I still visit my parents back home.
Usually I fly home for Christmas, as do several of my best childhood friends, whom I grew up with right from the stroller.
Germans celebrate Christmas Eve within a tight family circle. Most families go to church, have dinner at home and then unwrap presents, but I have my own tradition. Before dinner I will meet my old friends (most of whom I haven't seen since the Christmas before) for a lovely two-hour evening walk, starting from my parents' home.
We start when it's still light and walk along the lake. We'll pass beautifully lit churches; sometimes we can hear the organ and Christmas carols. We'll pass vineyards and grazing sheep. If we're lucky it's a snowy Christmas.
By the time we get back it's dark, we've exchanged all the important news of the year and we are ready for Christmas dinner with our families.
Annette Waurick, senior associate art director
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