Christmas Traditions - How did yours start?

So here's the deal. I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. That meant we didn't celebrate any holidays, or our own birthdays. I was taught that Santa isn't real. I didn't learn about Halloween and Easter until I was 9. Of course, I was expected to just KNOW about Valentines Day, and mothers and fathers day. My mom got angry at me when my sister made her a pretty card and I didn't. Annoying!

So, getting into the Christmas spirit was pretty tough for me. When my parents divorced, we were "disfellowshipped".... i.e. kicked out of the fellowship. (Which personally to me sounds like a cult.) My dad remarried and I moved in with him. At first, he would actually take me out with there was a birthday party going on with my stepmothers family. After a while though, we stopped pushing the religion. I believe that my dad thought it might shock me if we had suddenly started celebrating things.

Traditions that I have developed though, include baking lots of cookies! I also make homemade gifts mostly. I buy my boyfriend a few things, but that's mostly it. I prefer saving money by getting $10 of quilters blocks, and making a bunch of mug rugs and cup cozies, which is what I did this year. Last year, I made corn bags... Fabric bags full of corn feed. You put them in the microwave for 3 minutes and they stay warm for a while. They stay warmer longer than rice in a sock!

My traditions came about as lack of money. I hate being expected to get gifts though... Because... My boyfriend and I have literally starved for the last week because we spent our money buying people gifts. I don't have a job yet and his job went from being amazing with great pay to barely a job at all. Yet I want gifts from people, so I feel bad if I don't get them anything.

Have any of you had such a deterrent to holidays, or maybe something else? How did you handle it? How did your traditions start?