Traditions..........

When I was growing up Christmas was just awesome.  My mom & aunt would drive us to Santa Claus Lane (not sure if it's still there in So. Cal., but it was quite the display).  My dad wouldn't go and when we'd get home, he'd tell us Santa must've come while he was out and all the gifts were under the tree.  We had lots of relatives over and opened presents and then we had an open house and it was a huge party that went on into the morning.  On Christmas Day we went to my aunt & uncle's for what was always a feast.  Prime Rib and homemade ravioli (dad was 100% italian) and lots of other yummy food.
When I got older, one of the best parts of Christmas was midnight mass.  It really brought home the meaning of Christmas for me.  I keep saying I'm going to go every year, but I can never seem to stay up that late [].
 
My DH will be graduating from the firefighter academy in the next couple weeks and will start work a few days later.  He's already said he wants to volunteer for Christmas so that other firefighters with young children can spend it at home.  I think that's a wonderful idea and if we have to celebrate the day before or after, that'll be fine.

My mom & aunt would drive us to Santa Claus Lane (not sure if it's still there in So. Cal., but it was quite the display)

 
Cathy...we have a Santa Claus lane and a Candy Cane Lane in San Diego County...is this what you are reffering to?? They are awesome!!! []

We always open 1 gift (kids only) on Christmas Eve, then a reading of the original "Twas the Night Before Christmas", Christmas morning is stockings first, then all heck breaks loose . . .wrapping paper everywhere, my oldest wanting to play with whatever she opens first and forgetting about the rest, Tookey camped out underneath the tree with a squeaky toy. You hear the constant squeak for about 15 minutes on the videotapes every year until he pops the thing, then pulls out all the stuffing. And somehow, that dog manages to be in every photograph! Then we take a break and eat most of the candy from our stockings for breakfast, then go back and open more gifts. It takes about 2 hours to get through the whole process!

Cathy...we have a Santa Claus lane and a Candy Cane Lane in San Diego County...is this what you are reffering to?? They are awesome!!!

 
This one was in Santa Barbara (I grew up in Ventura County), but I'm betting they're very similar.  It was always a special little roadtrip [].
 
Oh, and being able to get up Christmas morning and go outside and ride your new bike or roller skate in 70 degree weather...well, that was pretty neat too!

Oh, and being able to get up Christmas morning and go outside and ride your new bike or roller skate in 70 degree weather...well, that was pretty neat too!

 
As a child...I guess you are right, but as an adult, the heat on Christmas Day SUCKS! IMO!![]

I have been cooking Thanksgiving dinner at my house for the past 6 or 7 years.  We deep fry the turkey (MMM MMM GOOD!) and at first, my parents were going to boycott because dad didn't think he'd like deep fried turkey - he wouldn't even agree to try it (mom even insisted that she bake her own turkey so dad would be happy!) lus I do believe they didn't think we'd be able to pull off a big dinner (we're just 'youngins' in their eyes lol).  Now... it's something we all look forward to and the only 'tradition' is that my parents bring the Banana Puddin' [].   The Christmas Tree goes up later that evening. 

And as Callie said:

And fwiw -- be cautious.  If your husband truly hates the holisdays, I'd make an attempt to find out what's up with it.  You could do yourself some serious damage building up bitterness there. 

It may have been something as simple as disappointments or presents on demand he couldn't afford.  David's Mum passed away literally a couple of days after Christmas and it was difficult for him at first.  A friend of mine couldn't deal with Christmas because after her MOm passed she just couldn't face doing things without her Mom.

I don't push my hubby with being overly happy on Thanksgiving (although he DOES enjoy the food) because his mother passed away the week of Thanksgiving (tomorrow is the anniversary - 13 years ago) and his grandpa passed away only two and a half weeks later.  I can only imagine what goes thru his mind and how much he misses having them around... so if he's happy, I'm happy and if he's down... I try to do whatever I can to help him get by.  I agree with Callie... sometimes people have their reasons for not celebrating certain holidays.

As for Christmas... Both my husband's parents and mine always made us wait till Christmas morning to open presents when we were kids so we decided when we first got married we'd open them as soon as we woke up on Christmas Eve morning lol  We've been married almost 12 years now and it's still something we look forward to.  We spend the rest of the day/night visiting with our families...
 
 
ETA: Callie... I'm lovin' your description of Christmas [] and Cathy, I think it's awesome that your DH is working Christmas so that other firefighters can spend time with their children! 

As a child...I guess you are right, but as an adult, the heat on Christmas Day SUCKS! IMO!!

Well, I'd trade you in a heartbeat.  Up here in Sacramento it's about 55-60 at the high these days.  That wouldn't be so bad, it's certainly not freezing cold, but it is sooooo gloomy, gray and damp, it's already depressing and we could have this for a few months []. 

WE DO IT DIFFERENT!!!
 
In Mexico we start to celebrate within 9 days before Christmas, we have parties and break piñatas, you can go to 5 or 6 different parties before is the 25th depending how many friends orginize their own party, those parties are called "posadas",  we have a little tradition at those parties where we form 2 groups of people, one group stays inside the house and the second outside, everybody has lighted candles, we "act" the time when the Virgin Mary was going house to house to ask for a place to stay the night after Baby Jesus was born, the people outside are the ones "asking" for housing and the people inside are suppose to be the "owners" of the house, we sing a specific song that talks about the owner of the house being afraid to let anybody in since it could be dangerous but then the people outside sings the part where they say they come with Baby Jesus and then the "owners" aggree to let them in
 
The song is really pretty and it sounds just as a Christmas song, once inside everybody drinks hot chocolate []

Well, during this time of year, we always watch "The Ten Commandments", even though we're not religious people. It's just always on tv this time of year so it became a tradition. We also always watch Rudolph, Frosty the Snow Man, and the Charlie Brown Xmas special. Oh yes, and the original Miracle on 34th St.
 
As for Christmas itself, my family usually spends Xmas Eve with my mom's side. We go to someone house (usually decided at Thanksgiving who's house it will be at) and we eat everything from turkey and ham, to enchiladas and tamales. We do a game called White Elephant, where you bring something you never used or don't need anymore and you put it in the pile and then we all pick a # and you get your gift. Some years, instead of the recycled gifts, we decide on a spending limit and all buy presents to throw in the pile. Then we come home and my brother and I get to open one present each. I still leave cookies and milk on the fireplace like I did when I was little because I actually cried when I found out Santa wasn't real. So my step-dad or mom still eats them for me and I'm 24 years old. []
 
In the morning, I'm always the one to wake up first. I wake up around 5 or 6 AM. I can't wake anybody up until 7 though because when I was younger, my parents finally had to draw the line somewhere. So 7 it was. I wake my brother up and from there's it present opening, with cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa and coffee. Christmas music is on in the background and when we're done, the Disney parade is turned on.
 
The first year I moved out, my brother had a really hard time because he didn't want to wake up on his own. I didn't realize it had meant something to him to have me wake him up and he said, "But you do it EVERY year!" So every year since I've moved out, I've either stayed the night or come home early enough to wake him up. I've told him, "I can't do this forever you know." But while I can, I guess I will. []