Christmas Traditions

[Magicman]

As our family has evolved from us having a young family and visiting our parents on Christmas, we are now the "Old Folks".  Our Children have their families and even a Grandchild, so the majority of the day is theirs with their families.

Instead of the traditional Christmas foods/meal, for several years Pat has made a large pot of Gumbo.  The "clan" will begin gathering here around mid-afternoon and we will all enjoy a hot bowl of Shrimp Gumbo for our Christmas evening meal. 
This has become our Christmas Tradition.    :christmas:

[trapper]

Not a tradition but my wife is making a big pot of rabbit stew from wild rabbits  for today.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

My Dad was saying just about the same thing the other day Magic.
My Mom has been gone almost 5 years now.
Its just my Dad, My Brother and his wife, me Julie and Paul.
The only difference we do now since Mom is gone....we invite an older couple that lives down the road from us to spend Christmas with us. Their family is scattered all over the West. Its hard so see them alone a Christmas without their children and grand-children, so they eat with us.
We have a Honey Baked Ham with all the fix'ns , a fire in the fireplace, and just talk, laugh and yes, shed a few tears when we talk about the ones that are not with us.
We are blessed and thankful for this time.
Merry Christmas to all Y'all!
smiley_christmas

[firecord]

I cook breakfast or brunch as some people call it.  My kids, their kids, my parents, inlaws, and some friends.  All arive around 8, gives the grand kids time to enjoy their santa and then off to papaws.  It is the favorite couple hours of my life! 

[sandhills]

Our family is much the same, we used to always spend Christmas eve evening at Grandmas but now everyone has their own families and spread out over several states so it's become more of 'when ever it works for everyone' sort of thing.  We do still spend Christmas eve with my wife's family though so that's the plan for today, this will be our third get together in as many days, I do believe I've foundered.  Merry Christmas everyone!

[drobertson]

We get together with Christy's folks on Christmas Eve and Christmas day with the extended family, around 40 aunts, uncles, cousins. After noon diner we play naughty santa with the gifts,  Although this year Christy and I will be heading north, burr! to see our daughter and son in law, leaving in the morning, I did my first brisket last night in a smoker, later today will be the feed,  Merry Christmas to all and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!   david

[r.man]

We will watch Its a Wonderful Life together and this year we may balance the oozing niceness with The Ref.
I do not recommend The Ref for anyone who minds coarse language. Turkey and the works plus a vegan substitute for my daughters.

[clww]

Tonight, my wife and I will go to her 91 year old Mother's house for our traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner. I think there will be six of us eating tonight. A portion of the food was blessed by the priest at last Saturday's Polish Catholic Mass. This is held once a month in Norfolk, and spoken entirely in Polish. We eat a meal beginning at twilight when the first star appears, always consisting of an odd number of courses. No meat is eaten, but we'll have bread, wine, pickles, pickled herring, Polish sausage, perroggies, borsh, and fish.

[RynSmith]

clww, what is Polish sausage?  ???

[clww]

From my understanding, it is created, seasoned, and cased using traditional Polish methods and recipes. I do know that it can be difficult to locate, as only specialty stores and markets will have it.

[Roger2561]

This evening after I eat dinner, I'll call my siblings and wish them and their families a wonderful and Merry Christmas.  I'll then pour myself a glass of bourbon to sip on while either listening to Christmas music or watching a Christmas special on TV.  Around 11:00pm, I'll get ready so I can attend the mid-night Mass where I'll bump into 4 of my 8 siblings.  Our mom and dad are no longer with us and some of the traditions we had when I was younger have fallen away but we have made our own traditions to take their place. 

I have a wonderful memory when I was child; every night a week before Christmas dad would have an excuse to go to the barn to check on something around 7:00pm in the evening.   As a child our minds were not on what dad was doing, it was on the pending arrival of Santa.  On Christmas Eve, around 7:00pm dad made the same excuse that had to check on something in the barn.  While he was in the barn tending to whatever it was he had to check on, Santa would do a fly-by.  Mom said it Santa checking on us kids to be sure we were behaving ourselves.  When he flew over, we could hear the sleigh bells ringing.  If ever you want to get children excited about Santa, try it sometime.  You'll never get them to bed.    When we got older we learn that dad had a set of bells stored in the barn just for the occasion.  He hid them until the next Christmas Eve.   Dad always worried that we find the bells but we never did.   Merry Christmas, everyone!  Roger

[Stephen1]

For 27 years that we lived in the old house,  everyone, family and friends would visit, sometimes as many as 50 people, and we would all walk next door to church for some hyms. We would then return. Santa Clause would be dressed up and come visit with everyone children and adults, such smiles from young and old ;D
In the morning I would make brunch for the family.
This year we no longer do the Christmas eve as we are no longer in the old house. Everything changes! :(
I will still brunch for my family on Christmas morning though.
Merry Cristmas to all,  :new_year:

[Ljohnsaw]

clww, what is Polish sausage?  ???

My dad was Polish but didn't speak much of the language, though his mom (my Grandma) did - especially when she got a little angry    My dad would make pork sausage from scratch every year.  It would sit right along with the turkey for Thanksgiving and be primary at Christmas.  We had a family of nine and a nearby Uncle and Aunt with their two would join us for either meal.  Sometimes, grand parents would be in town from the east.  I think the last time he made sausage was mid-70's.  He's been gone now 30 years and the tradition was lost with him :(

Our tradition was snacks Christmas eve and a big meal on Christmas.  A little empty now with my wife gone 3 years.  I can usually get my sister and some of her 3 girls to join us so we have a crowd instead of just me and my two kids.

[GATreeGrower]

We are gearing up for our 4th annual "Bird Supper".  Family gathers together on Christmas Eve for fried quail, grits, biscuits, and gravy.  And sweet tea of course

[pigman]

This will be the first annual Christmas where all the children and grandchildren gather at my house. Maybe the tradition will last more than one year. :-\

[Ken]

I will spend a bit of time tonight at my grandparents next door.  Their will be a large crowd there after a church service.  My kids will be here for the night and there will be a huge brunch tomorrow at my moms.   Lots of food, a bit of drink and good times.  My oldest is 5 months pregnant so next year there should also be a young one in the midst. 

Cheers
Ken

[okmulch]

Our tradition is that we are always home on Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day so our boys can wake up and come down stairs to their tree and see what Santa brought them. We have always lived away from our families so we do not go anywhere. However any of our families whether my wife's side or mine are welcome to come out and stay with us over Christmas. This year it is my mom and my brother, cedarman had to stay home and man the sawmill.

[WH_Conley]

We usually have the big dinner at Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is Christmas breakfast. Will be on toward ten O'clock. Ham, Sausage, Bacon, Country eggs, fried apples, Home made biscuits, gravy, fried potatoes. Anything else that might be thought of.

[Magicman]

PatD has already started on the Gumbo, but I guess that should go in the Food Board.

[beenthere]

We usually have the big dinner at Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is Christmas breakfast. Will be on toward ten O'clock. Ham, Sausage, Bacon, Country eggs, fried apples, Home made biscuits, gravy, fried potatoes. Anything else that might be thought of.

Curious.. when you say "Country eggs" do you mean just fresh eggs from the country, or are they prepared a certain way... like some kind of egg dish? 

Fried, over easy is what comes to mind for me.  Just wondering.

[Dusty Rhodes]

Times change and we adapt.  Mother and I now celebrate, usually by ourselves, with my brother and his wife. We will invite a widow or widower to our Christmas dinner so they are not celebrating alone. Our children are all living away but still within about three hours from here. They celebrate with their own families now on Christmas. We all gather here at the house for our Faux Christmas either the weekend before or weekend after Christmas. This year it will be this coming weekend. This old house will come alive again with Four daughters, our sons in laws and our 8 grandchildren.  They begin arriving the day after Christmas and will stay till next monday.  We still bake a Baby Jesus Birthday Cake and sing happy birthday to our Lord.  Our daughters have had that tradition since they were little girls. And we will bake some sugar cookies using my Grandmothers Christmas cookie cutters.  In spite of life's ups and downs, God's grace still abounds:)  Merry Christmas All!

[GATreeGrower]

When we used to do our own setting, the tradition was to do Santa in the morning for the kids and plant pine after dinner.  The women made us stop that   :D

[hardtailjohn]

We just started a new tradition this year, and one Kate and I are excited to do.  The old ranch that I grew up on (born there) is now an alcohol and drug treatment center for kids (http://www.wildernesstreatmentcenter.com/ )  . The guy that manages the livestock there usually takes his team of Belgian horses and gives the boys a sleigh ride, dressed as Santa on Christmas Eve. This year, Larry retired his team and asked us if we'd be interested in bringing a team over. Of course we are honored. It was a blast, and the boys sang Christmas Carols as we drove along..... loud, but at least most of them were on the same song! haha  It was great to see them having fun, on a day that they are so far from home and alone...... wish we could do more!
John
Lilly and Daisy doing the work with Kate, Me and Santa (Larry)


 

[WH_Conley]

Beenthere. They are from either my or other local chickens. No comparison to the taste of commercial eggs. Over medium is the most requested way to cook them.

[Dusty Rhodes]

HardtailJohn and Kate.  What a wonderful New Tradition I think you have started.  The spirit of Christmas is giving and you certainly nailed that theme. May you be richly blessed for the gift you have given! 

[MrPete]

There is nothing like a sleigh ride on Christmas!  I had a dear friend that used to do it every Christmas.  They invited anyone that wanted to go.  People would come from near and far just for that peaceful Christmas ride.  He passed away 4 yrs. ago but his youngest son now carries on the tradition!  Merry Christmas everyone!

[chain]

We broke traditions this Christmas, instead  Christmas in Mississippi , it,s in Arkansas  with sil, Hot Springs area. Merry Christmas!

[John Mc]

We continued a pre-Christmas tradition that my parents started when I was a kid.  Every year, when the tree was up and decorated, each of us 5 kids would hang our hollow ornament ball on the tree.  When we came down the next morning, the "Ornament Elf" would have left us a Christmas Tree ornament. 

In our very young days, the ornament would be inside the ball. As we got older, there would be a clue (a rhyme, if we could read, or a picture if we were to young to read) about where in the house we could find our ornament.  It was a great warm-up for Christmas, and also my Mother's way of making sure each of us had a collection of ornaments to decorate a tree when we moved out on our own.

[Chuck White]

My favorite all-time Christmas Tradition is celebrating my wife's birthday, along with Christmas!

Sheila was born the same day as Jesus (not the same year , just the same day of the year) we usually (in order to separate the two) celebrate Sheila's birthday Christmas eve!

[John Mc]

My wife's B-day is Dec 30, my mother's Dec 26th, and my father-in-law Dec 24th.  A busy time of year for us.

[Chuck White]

Wow, busy month for you John, much to remember!

[Larro Darro]

We go back and forth between my sister's house and our house from one year to the next. Mamma is 85 now, so she doesn't do much cooking. My BIL has little grandkids, so they wanted to spend Christmas day with them this year, and with both our weird work schedules, Sunday morning was the best time for us to do our meal and gift exchange. We had a nice brunch. But Margie went ahead and cooked another Christmas meal today and we had Mamma over.

I'll tell a quick story about a Christmas tradition that didn't catch on here at the Larro Ranchero. 30 years ago I had just got home from the Navy. I was living at our little house by the pond, and had a few friends spending the holiday with me. Since my Uncle James was in north Georgia with his inlaws, and my pantry was bare, we walked though the woods to see if his collards needed cropping. {they did need cropping} When we got there, we saw a big coon run into a knot hole way up an oak tree. When he wouldn't come out, we shot him through the knot hole. Luckily Uncle James had a tall ladder. It took a lot longer to get that big ol' coon out of that knot hole that it took him to run in it. But after much pulling and tugging, we were able to get the coon on the grill and the collards in the pot. It was a pretty good meal, but one I have never had again. At least not on Christmas.

Larro

[Bill Gaiche]

HardtailJohn, that photo is very impressive. bg

[Magicman]

The entire family gathered last evening for present swapping and also the eats.

The Gumbo and also the Shrimp Chowder were real treats.  Of course there was also the usual candies, cake, blueberry "pie", bread pudding, etc.   

[samandothers]

Hardtailjohn that is great helping out and must have been great fun.

Larro, like the story about the coon.  I have been hunting with my dad for squirrel and seen him take a stick and with his knife 'fuzzy' up the end of the stick and run the in a hole of a tree and twist it to get it tangled in the squirrels fur and pull the squirrel out of the tree.  I would never have thought to do that nor thought it would work if I had not seen it. 

Traditions change as families change.  At home mom always did the big spread on Christmas morning breakfast and then again in the evening.  As we had kids we stayed home on Christmas morning and would travel to visit in the afternoon.  For my family we started having a meal on Christmas eve to help facilitate this schedule.  Our 'meal' became a Louisiana oyster stew which was chicken broth base and a lot of hot sauce, chalets artichoke hearts red pepper flakes and some cream it is spicy and good!  It was from Southern living cook book.  Around this is more an arrangement of appetizers like sausage balls, jalapeno poppers, cheese ball and crackers etc. We would 'graze' and attend a Christmas Eve service and come home and graze some more!

[Chuck White]

Hardtailjohn that is great helping out and must have been great fun.

Larro, like the story about the coon.  I have been hunting with my dad for squirrel and seen him take a stick and with his knife 'fuzzy' up the end of the stick and run the in a hole of a tree and twist it to get it tangled in the squirrels fur and pull the squirrel out of the tree.  I would never have thought to do that nor thought it would work if I had not seen it.  

Traditions change as families change.  At home mom always did the big spread on Christmas morning breakfast and then again in the evening.  As we had kids we stayed home on Christmas morning and would travel to visit in the afternoon.  For my family we started having a meal on Christmas eve to help facilitate this schedule.  Our 'meal' became a Louisiana oyster stew which was chicken broth base and a lot of hot sauce, chalets artichoke hearts red pepper flakes and some cream it is spicy and good!  It was from Southern living cook book.  Around this is more an arrangement of appetizers like sausage balls, jalapeno poppers, cheese ball and crackers etc. We would 'graze' and attend a Christmas Eve service and come home and graze some more!

We used to do that back when we used to "fur hunt"!