My mom's birthday is Christmas Eve, so we'd throw a neighborhood and extended family birthday/Christmas party every year. We'd make chili and bread bowls, sausage dips, and Dad would make raisin-nut clusters (we'd buy the BIG block of candy makers chocolate), and he make plain nut clusters, and fudge, all on his marble slab. It was tradition that we NEVER put baby Jesus under the tree in the nativity until Christmas morning, before we opened presents, and the baby of the family always got to do the honors (then, as we added grandkids, that meant the baby of them). My son got to do the honors last year. It was sweet. We can't really follow that tradition, since my nativity has a baby Jesus sculpted right onto the manger. But I did buy a small nativity at our local dollar store, and I let the children play with it, to act out the story with it, etc.
Our neighbor's birthday is Christmas Eve, and so we celebrated his birthday with a party since my mother is a few states away. We'll still call her though (of course!!)One tradition I'm considering starting is inviting a less prosperous family to share in our Christmas Eve dinner with us. We're doing it for sure this year, as a family that my husband visits (as an LDS church member, each member is assigned 2-3 other families to visit monthly, to see how they are and give a short spiritual thought. It really helps keep people from being forgotten, and we can take care of each other.) has been out of work for quite a few months. He has just found a new job, but he and his wife are barely making rent on a room within a house, not even a full apartment. I wish there was more we could do for them, but as students we don't have much to give! But, a dinner for Christmas is something I can definitely handle.

DH took DS (3) with him on his visit to them today, and they packed fruit to bring with them. They tried to help another fellow on the street, too, but only had a box of Nutrigrain bars left when they met him. He said he was diabetic and couldn't accept them. DS was bummed because he was really in the giving spirit today.

Thanks for sharing your traditions Anhata. It was good for me to pause and think of ours again today.