Christmas is a time for family, friends, and getting together with people you care about. Sometimes it’s about gifts, but it’s often the preparation, the panic, and the anticipation that reminds us that it’s so special.

Personally, I love the lights and the start of the holiday-special TV episodes. The Hallmark movies are always on in our house, even though they always have one of three possible plots:

1. Busy businesswoman is sent to/stuck in a small town and falls in love with a handsome, but single father.
2. An unlikely couple is pushed together in a storm/ baking contest crisis/ by a wish that someone made but forgot about.
3. An off-duty policeman without shoes is begrudgingly recruited to save the day against heavily armed criminals.

I wish more were like the third, but sadly they’re all the first two.

Another favourite tradition is going to see the lights at the nearby botanical garden. There’s mulled wine, music, and enough lights to keep my daughter entertained until we realize it’s past her bedtime and a meltdown is imminent.

I asked you for your personal stories of traditions, and here’s just a few of the many that we sent.

For Christmas Eve my mom makes a big dinner with Chili, rice, and tamales. We eat while watching old-timey Christmas specials and we wrap up with peppermint hot chocolate.

-Nikki, Cedar Park. Merry Christmas!

We always mix dry oatmeal and glitter and mark out reindeer footprints on the front lawn. My little sister probably doesn’t believe it anymore, but she’s not telling that to our parents!

–Sarah, via Reddit.

More of a winter tradition than a Christmas one. On the first day of snow – where there’s actual accumulation on the ground, my brother and I go out for ice cream dressed in shorts and short-sleeved t-shirts. We’ve been doing this since he was in high school in the early 90s and have since introduced it to our kids. We don’t live in the same state anymore so we text each other pictures of our families at the ice cream shop as proof of following the tradition.

–Nic Casey of The Faithful Geek.

We spend weeks baking and freezing, then assembling and giving away candy and cookies to our friends. We call it Yule Drop.

–Justin Cascio, South Florida

Tony Conrad of the Bad Dad Joke of The Day podcast shared: “One [tradition] is shopping and making shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. I love putting boxes together for children that are less fortunate than me. I also look forward to fun pyjamas that are Christmas themed.  Our family on Christmas day eats breakfast pizza for brunch and has a Christmas picnic for supper.”

Beyond the Rhetoric said: “We haven’t really established any family traditions, per se, but one that has emerged organically is we almost always check out the Bright Nights in Stanley ParkChristmas train. The whole plaza is lit up in gorgeous decorations and I mean, who doesn’t like riding the train?”
http://btr.michaelkwan.com/…/bright-nights-stanley…/

Here’s a truly delicious gluten-free Gingerbread cookie recipe from my friend at Buttons Bakery.

Tell me, what are your traditions at this, the most wonderfully silly time of the year?