How do you 'do' Christmas

[saltypete]

G'day,
I am interested in the differing ways that we all spend Christmas and any traditions, food, drink and of course smokes which are part of it. As most of the people here are form the US and Europe, it would be nice to hear of how you guys spend a Northern Hemisphere Christmas. Apart from one year spent in the UK, I have spent every Christmas South of the Equator.

I'll start by telling you guys how my family 'do' Christmas downunder. Firstly and obviously, it is summer here, and in Queensland that means bloody hot. The last week temps have been reaching 35C (95F) so this year promises to be as hot as ever. My family get together on Christmas eve which ensures (thanks to my Dad who is just a big kid) we rise at first light (5am) Christmas morning. After opening presents we have ham and eggs for breakfast.

We tend to get together with extended family for lunch. We start about Midday and sit down to lunch at about 3pm when it is cooler. Seafood is traditional for many Aussies, and prawns, mudcrabs & Moreton Bay bugs have all been on the menu in the past, washed down with good Aussie red and sparkling wines. I usually buy some imported beers like Hoegaarden and Chimay for later and finally a super premium smoke (Ashton VSG Sorcerer this year) to round out the day. The cigar is usually accompanied by a Benedictine and hopefully a thunderstorm which is a pretty regular occurrence and serves to cool the whole place down.
Thats my Christmas, I'd love to hear how yours is spent.
Seasons greetings to all.
Pete

 

[Devil Doc]

Well being that were of Italian descent here, we celebrate Christmas eve, also known as the feast of the 7 fishes. So we eat fish. Lobster, Calamari, octopus, shrimp. bacala (salt cod),crab, and clams. I also have some rainbow trout I caught last spring that I'll probably break out. It costs me a fuggin' fortune, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Doc.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Well actually, I observe Yule, or Jul, which is a bit older . . . the historic literature uses "drinking" as the appropriate verb for its celebration, as in "the King will be drinking Jul with his men this year." Special spiced, extra-potent ales called "Julbiers" were brewed for the occasion, and every farmstead was required by law to provide a set amount of it to the Great Feasts.

So . . . yeah. For twelve days, I make sure I have a few drinks. Since I don't have a fireplace for a Yule log and it's seldom cold enough here to burn one anyway, I keep lots of candles lit instead. And on Yule Eve, since this is, after all, Texas . . . the whole family comes over for tamales.

~Boar

 

[KeyserSoze]

My tradition consists of going to my sisters with all my family and BIL's family with alot of italian and greek food. Eat, smoke a cigar with my bil, eat again, play with my neice, eat, nap, eat, go to my fiances home, eat, play scene it or wii, eat and go to bed after half a bottle of tums. Good times.

 

[IBQTEE1]

Well being that were of Italian descent here, we celebrate Christmas eve, also known as the feast of the 7 fishes. So we eat fish. Lobster, Calamari, octopus, shrimp. bacala (salt cod),crab, and clams. I also have some rainbow trout I caught last spring that I'll probably break out. It costs me a fuggin' fortune, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Doc.

x2 Our seafood is a little different. My brother married an Italian girl and every time we go to visit them that is what we get on Christmas Eve. The first time I was like are there 20 more people coming?? It was great. I am heading to GA next Tuesday to keep the tradition alive!!

Happy Holidays Everyone

 

[flamchop]

Starts off by celebrating my Dad's birthday which is on Christmas Eve. He has a party every Christmas Eve.

Usually either me or my mother or both have to work on Christmas Day (the joys of working in television), so usually a quick holiday dinner of ziti, also maybe ham, maybe turkey, mid-day before I have to go in. This year I'm working a day shift and my brother is in the middle of a divorce so my mother, my brother, my step dad and I will be having Christmas Dinner after work and exchange gifts then. Again, probably ziti lol. We're Italian, but not 7 fishes Italian I guess.

 

[sticksnstones]

Well, we start by going to Midnight Mass, then - after a few hours of sleep - it's up with the boys and dogs for a noisy, chaotic morning around the tree. My wife always makes sticky buns for brunch w/ some kind of special coffee. We usually have a quiet family dinner -- sometimes w/ extended family, sometimes not depending on the year. When the weather's good, we enjoy a family walk. That's my signal to take a cigar along for the ride. Hopefully, it'll be an Anejo Shark this year.
Merry Christmas to all.

 

[grateful1]

Oh yea...traditionally.

 

[Macion Grey]

Christmas is at my place for the first time this year. Looking forward to it.

We will be having lemon garlic prawns, marinated chicken, fresh lobster, lamb hamburgers infused with black truffles and spiced lamb cutlets.

Good times.

 

[Aeroscott]

Christmas is at my place for the first time this year. Looking forward to it.

We will be having lemon garlic prawns, marinated chicken, fresh lobster, lamb hamburgers infused with black truffles and spiced lamb cutlets.

Good times.

DROOL man that sounds good!

When all the Grandparent were alive, we used to all meet at Grandma & Grandpas, Early afternoon we would eat usually a Turkey or Goose, but fresh Dungoness crab was always the Christmas Tradition, I also remember all the goodies like Peanut clusters, Salami w crackers & cheese, and my favorite, Devilled Eggs (yum). later after it got dark, we would then take the small kids out for a drive to look for Santa Claus, we always just missed him and when we got home the milk and cookies we left were eaten, and the room would be filled with bicycles and the other big gifts, ah to be a child again!

 

[tomthirtysix]

When I first started dating my wife, I would drive up to her parents for Christmas Eve. 45-60 minute drive, in no traffic, which doesn't happen in NY, especially for the holidays. Dinner and Midnight Mass up there, drive back to LI, couple of drinks with the roommates, then be out to my parents at the crack of dawn.

Then I got married, and the schedule pretty much stayed the same, minus the drinks with the roommates. Then my son was born, and that took Midnight Mass out of the equation. All that changed though was making the drive to her parents earlier.

FINALLY this year I have to do no driving. The tradeoff, though, is cooking for her family on Christmas Eve, and then mine on Christmas Day. We'll see how this goes.

 

[mrrt]

Our Christmas is similar to alot here. Since Sandy's Family is Italian we do the fishes dinner as you do Doc. Alot of family at her sisters house for Xmas eve dinner. Kids running crazy everywhere. Somehow the craziness of it all just makes it something special. We usually end up going to see my Mom on the 23rd. She is a nurse and usually works Xmas day to give the younger nurses with family a chance to celebrate with their families.

And for Xmas day Sandy and I set up the web cam so we can talk to my kids in Fla, have a quiet brunch, and relax for our Xmas.

Art

 

[Rob_k]

Well being that were of Italian descent here, we celebrate Christmas eve, also known as the feast of the 7 fishes. So we eat fish. Lobster, Calamari, octopus, shrimp. bacala (salt cod),crab, and clams. I also have some rainbow trout I caught last spring that I'll probably break out. It costs me a fuggin' fortune, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Doc.

Same here Doc, my Mom insists that Christmas Eve is her night, so the entire family gets together over their house and we eat, and eat, and eat. Christmas day, we head to my brothers house, then to my in-laws for a brunch, then eventually find my way home and enjoy a nice glass of wine or something and a smoke, and then it is all over, and try to loose the 10lbs I will prolly gain.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Rob

 

[anvil]

I will be spending Xmas eve with my Dad, it will be the first time I have had a beer with him on Xmas for 8 years so that will be cool. As for Xmas day I will be going up to a place called Whangaparoa for lunch with lots of wine, Crayfish and a Barbecue, followed buy my last Graycliff Espresso Elegante Lancero. Then I will be getting picked up by a good freind to go on a ride somewhere. Then when all the bikes are parked up, we will be drinking heaps of Piss(BEER) and getting mellow. With a few cigars to boot. I am thinking maybe a LFD factory press followed by a Greycliff 1666. It will be my first Xmas with lots of freinds around me in 8 years so I will more than likely be getting fed all sorts of toxic substances :whistling: .

Who knows maybe I might even get a Xmas hug