christmas traditions

I just love Christmas, and it's the little traditions that make the season extra special.  Getting the decorations down from their high shelf and rediscovering old favourites, letting the girls choose a new decoration for the tree each year, opening the Jacquie Lawson animated advent calenders that come alive with a new scene every morning, Christmas scented candles, Boxing Day left overs and cricket.  
We usually make gingerbread houses, and when I say make, I mean assemble and decorate.  I am going to be featuring how to host the cutest ginger bread decorating party soon.

diy present wrapping see here  

Everybody has their own special traditions.  My friend Andrea celebrates in Austrian tradition, where the tree only gets put up on Christmas Eve.  A friend from New York remembers ice skating in Central Park with her family(how romantic).  A Danish friend spends a day baking spiced Christmas cookies with her family.

What are your traditions?  I would love to hear, we could always add another one.