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Dec-10-2008 14:18

Hi all -- Breit is recovering from her to-do this summer and my mother is gearing up for a round of radiation therapy, so I'm really trying to bring some cheer to our holidays. I'm doing everything I can think of, including Dungeness crab and Canasta for Christmas Eve and a movie night this weekend. But my question to you all is, What are some of your holiday traditions? And yes I don't care which holiday you celebrate, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas or none of these; I just want to see if I can find some ideas and have a laugh at the same time. So Happy Holidays and let fly all!!!

Not Breit

Dec-18-2008 15:00

Ok this isn't a tradition but it's christmas related so I hope you don't mind me putting it here :)

This year is going to be the first year I have Christmas dinner with my mum AND my Dad. My parents divorced when I was a baby and I grew up with my Dad. Mum has always had Christmas with her partner whilst me and Dad have always gone to my grandmas with the rest of the family. But this year it's not only the first time I'm cooking Christmas dinner but also the first time I have it with Mum and Dad. So whilst I'm 23 it's probably the most exciting Christmas I've ever had :D I should point out that they get along better now they're divorced just in case anyone's thinking it could all end up in tears :)

Of course that may change once I realise I've served raw turkey, burnt roast potatoes and lumpy garzy :D

Anyway sorry for interupting the traditions, keep them coming they're great to read :D

Dec-18-2008 15:12

well that is awesome Ms Helen!! :o))

Dec-18-2008 19:45

That's wonderful, Ms. Helen!! Sounds like a great way to start a new tradition!! Thank you for that, I'm glad I got to hear it. And I hope things go fabulously!! ;-D

Merry Christmas!! (regardless of how well the stove works ;-)

Breit

Dec-18-2008 20:21

Just a word of advice Ms Helen:

When roasting the potatoes, if the recipe says to bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, don't try to take a shortcut and bake it at 500 degrees for 15 minutes! ;-)

And for all of you wondering, no I have never done that, but having worked in a kitchen for 20+ years I've seen some really funny stuff! ;-)

Dec-20-2008 12:33

Hi all -- Just wanted to let you know, we had the pizza and movies party on Wednesday night and it was a BLAST!!! They loved the cranberry drink (I'd found a recipe for a cranberry cooler and zinged it up a bit)! They were less enthusiastic about the safety pin game (actually they didn't want to play). But it was a fantastic night and everyone had a ball!

I'm thinking i'll try to get them to do the gift grab idea for Christmas Eve. I'm hoping they'll want to play along for that one. Wish me luck!

And thank you EVERYBODY for your terrific, grandi0se, wonderful, formidable (that's french) ideas!!! Keep them coming guys!

Not Breit

Dec-20-2008 18:39

To Miss Helen -- I'm delighted to hear that you will be having a wonderful (if untraditional for you) Christmas. I did have a tiny idea for it, although you'll have to decide if you want to do it or if it's even practical. You might want to incorporate a favored (or at least liked) dish in the menu for each parent. Now if one is just wild for Strawberries and Sour Cream and the other is allergic to strawberries, that might not work. (My great-grandfather also had a thing for Limburger cheese -- no kidding -- and i'm not sure that I would want to put that in the menu if i were in your shoes, as it were.) But food has a wonderful way of bringing up memories and warming up the atmosphere. So if one likes chestnuts, roast away!

Hope it goes well!

Not Breit

Dec-22-2008 12:23

Hello all, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Holidays, and such.

For some reason, my dad's side and my mom's side can NOT celebrate Christmas together, so I will attempt to explain.

We have a company Christmas party, as it's the family business. Everyone is really close and we all have a grand time. However, tonight is only the third ever Triple E Services Christmas party. My cousin has hurt himself in time for the party the past two years; to continue tradition, he has only four hours to hurt himself!

We have a "Secret Santa" thing. We draw names and so on. Quite simple. We also pass present wrapped multiple tmes to music; think musical chairs. Whoever has the gift when the music stops peels off a layer. Again, simple.

For Christmas eve we go to my uncle's. It's my mom, dad, sister, uncle, aunt, two cousins, grandma, and random friends. This year my neighbors are coming. Last year, a new employee came. We watch the amazing ventriloquist, Jeff Dunham, and Christmas movies. And the rest of the family delights in a once-a-year treat; SHRIMP!!!!! I, however, don't like it. The others gorge on it. We hand around till about 3 am then go home.

Christmas day is spent at my mom's mom's. Her kids (my mom, two aunts, and two uncles and spouses) attend. We eat, take pictures, have a "How many candies in the jar" contest, among others, and open presents.

However, my Auntie Twila doesn't get her kids Christmas day, so this party is moved to Christmas eve. Aunt Darla has to stay down South whether Savannah's biological dad wants to visit or not, and Uncle Jeffrey never comes up from Alabama so... We will have drastic population decreases.

Dec-22-2008 18:03

David, Breit, Not Breit (jeez you all get confusing :p)

I'm pretty lucky both my parents like the good ole traditional turkey, christmas pudding and all the trimmings affair so thankfully I've not had to worry too much :) I've actually bought a 'make your own gingerbread house' kit this Christmas which we're all going to make Christmas Eve just before we all go to bed. My mum and dad are like big kids when it comes to present opening (so am I) so we'll all be up about 6am drinking the traditional cup of tea and opening presents :D

Oh two other things. Do you all have Christmas pudding in America? I don't remember and what on earth is 'Limburger cheese'? :)

Dec-23-2008 20:56

First off, to Sara Lou, I hope your parties went off well and that you got a few surprise guests from down South. (I know, it probably won't happen, but I can hope -- after all 'tis the season.) So come on up for crab (we have plenty) since shrimp isn't your thing and everyone deserves a treat for Christmas and its Eve. Or if you like come for Christmas itself; roast beef is on the menu and we'd love to have you all.

To Miss Helen -- Enjoy your gingerbread house! Yes we (or at least our family) have Christmas pudding. Our family calls it plum pudding and we serve it with a hard sauce (butter and powdered sugar) and a brown sauce (carmel and lemon). Sorry, no sixpence though.

As for Limburger cheese, it's one of the blue (or when I had it green) cheeses that is VERY smelly. Think old shoes that have been left out in the weather for several weeks and dragged through a dump a few times. It doesn't taste as pungent as it smells, but I don't think the insurance will cover the cost of decontaminating my house if I served it. Something about willful and malicious damage inflicted by the owner. So even if I'd met my great-grandfather (he died before I was born), I have to believe that he wouldn't get his Limburger. And according to him, the party didn't start until somebody brought out the Limburger. EWWWWWW.

Happy Holidays all!!!

Dec-23-2008 23:06

Hmm... let me share some of the christmas traditions observed by my country and family.

Christmas is a month long celebration. Of course, there's the usual christmas party in schools, in offices and in every groups or organizations you belong to. There is also Caroling. Wherein, people go from house to house to sing christmas songs. Then the owner of the house would give them something, usually cash. This should only happen during December, but some kids would start doing this even during November.

We also have the Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi or Night Mass. Being a Catholic country, most of us go to mass at 4 am, for 9 days. From 16th up to 24th. They say if you complete this 9 days of mass, your wish will come true. I was able to complete a mass 10 years ago, and just recently, my wish came true. - so I guess this is true? ;)

We also have Noche Buena. It's a midnight feast on 00:00 of December 25. What usually happens is that on the night of the 24th, every household in the country is busy preparing food to welcome the birth of Christ. So at turnover, there is a get together among family members to eat and exchange gifts and such.

During my younger days, my parents would make us sleep on the night of the 24th because Santa Claus is due to arrive to give out gifts but only if we are asleep. My brothers and I would go to bed, while the adults would be busy preparing for the noche buena. Then, they would wake us up before 12 midnight and there would be gifts (mostly candies) from Santa Claus. This tradition was kept for a long time, until we saw the real Santa Claus putting gifts in the stockings. But yes, I still believe in Santa Claus, and the essence behind it. ;)

Then on the 25th, again most of us would go to church. Then children would visit their godfathers or godmothers hoping for some christmas gifts. Others would visit their grandparents to pay their respects.

These are just a few, like I said it's a month long celebration. :)