The holidays are here and we're all getting into Christmas trees, lights, decorations, Santa pics, shopping, making cookies, and movie-watching mode. One cool thing about the holidays is that there isn't a right way or a wrong way to celebrate with family. Everybody has different traditions and many are handed down through the years.

We did the same thing every year

When I was growing up we always celebrated with a dinner on Christmas Eve. There were always way more finger foods and cookies than anyone could possibly eat. And every year we had punch made with ice cream. It was the big night for us kids because that's when we got to open the majority of our presents. Then we would have stockings and a few things Santa left under the tree for Christmas morning. And I remember always rooting for relatives to send a gift in the mail because the rule around our house was that anything delivered by mail could be opened when it arrived!

Here's what listeners shared for their traditions

These days some of the traditions around Christmas involve us still using a bunch of neat stuff that my great-grandma made like ornaments and our childhood stockings. What about you? We asked for examples of different traditions that people have around the holidays and here are a few examples of the answers we received on Facebook and through our station app.

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  • The kids all get a new book on Christmas Eve that they get to open as well as Christmas PJs. I personally always end the night watching my all-time favorite Xmas movie White Christmas. We also go over to my mother in laws every year and do a big Christmas cookie baking day which is always fun, and who could forget a big ol prime rib roast for dinner in honor of my dad!
  • So many good ones. A weekend of holiday baking, my children's grandparents being at my house first thing Christmas morning to watch my babies open gifts... and my new favorite making sure Santa flies over Missoula for all the kiddos to see.
  • 2 years ago we started a new "tradition" of instead of all us adults buying each other gifts we all buy 1 gift then play a gift exchange dice game on Christmas Eve.
  • Oyster stew on Christmas Eve.
  • As a little girl, I use to make all my granny’s Christmas candy with her. Now that she’s passed on I’ve been trying to create those same memories with my kiddos.
  • Homemade cinnamon rolls Christmas morning!
  • Well, it started with my grandma, the grandkids and now the great-grandkids will always get 20 bucks on Christmas Day and their birthday.
  • We only open our stockings on Christmas Eve.
  • Christmas Eve, we get pajamas, slippers, a treat, and watch Rudolph.
  • Chinese Food for dinner!
  • Punch with dry ice.

Different strokes for different Christmas folks

It's pretty fun to read what other people consider to be must-do activities for the holidays. Oh, and we just got a new kitten around our house so we have a new nightly tradition this year. We spend a few minutes before bed putting half our ornaments back on the tree after our frisky feline shakes them loose!

LOOK: The top holiday toys from the year you were born

With the holiday spirit in the air, it’s the perfect time to dive into the history of iconic holiday gifts. Using national toy archives and data curated by The Strong from 1920 to today, Stacker searched for products that caught hold of the public zeitgeist through novelty, innovation, kitsch, quirk, or simply great timing, and then rocketed to success.

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