Weird Christmas Traditions
Nov 29th 2008
Sabrina JeffriesOn Writing!
When Pocket asked Julia and I to do novellas for our new anthology, they first said that they wanted the theme to be unusual Christmas traditions, which is why Julia mentions Hogmanay and sword dancing, Jane Feather covered the Lord of Misrule, and I incorporated Snapdragon into my story. Then they decided not to do it. Oops! So there we were, with all our weird customs worked into the stories. C’est la vie.
But in the course of researching my story, I discovered there really were a lot of strange Christmas customs out there, especially in Great Britain. Take Wales, for example. They have one involving a dead horse’s head. I kid you not (the Mafia would have loved this one). It’s called the Mari Lwyd, and it involves carrying around a horse’s head on a stick dressed in a sheet. Sort of like caroling. Only with a horse’s head.
My family had a less bizarre Christmas tradition, though it WAS weird. My dad always made pretzels on Christmas Eve. You know, the kind they sell in the mall–the bread-y kind. I don’t even remember why or how it started. Then there was the year he made chocolate ones, and they looked, um, exactly like turds. Rather unappetizing. He never did that again. But that tradition has stayed in our family for years.
So what about you? Any weird Christmas traditions in your area? Any odd ones practiced by your family? Or are you all just traditional folks at Christmas?
61 Comments »
LisaK on 29 Nov 2008 at 6:49 am #
Well, I don’t know if I’m traditional because I don’t exactly know what’s traditional in the US.
In Germany, the handing out of presents is on 24th December in the evening. The tree gets decorated in the morning of the same day, at the root of it we arrange a little crèche with little wooden figures of the Holy Family, the shepherds and ox and donkey. During the day, we eat home-baked biscuits (the actual word is “Plätzchen” which, I think, you can’t translate properly - “biscuits” comes closest to it) and at five in the evening we go to church where the children always make a cute play of the Christmas story. After that, the children come together in one room (when my father still lived with us he used to be there, too, while my mum said she just had to look for something in the basement and would join us then, too), singing Christmas carols until a bell rings. Then the children go into the living room where the candles on the tree shine, the presents are lying around the tree and everything is so beautiful I always want to weep. *sigh*
Oh, and not Santa Claus brings the presents here, but the Christ Child.
I love Christmas!
Freshechelle on 29 Nov 2008 at 7:58 am #
My friends jokingly created a tradition which I celebrate with them called “Christmas Erve” - December 23. As kids, all the excitement really started on Christmas Eve, therefore the day before was the day filled with anticipation hence the day needed it’s only holiday name. Enjoy your Christmas Erve.
Freshechelle on 29 Nov 2008 at 7:58 am #
My friends jokingly created a tradition which I celebrate with them called “Christmas Erve” - December 23. As kids, all the excitement really started on Christmas Eve, therefore the day before was the day filled with anticipation hence the day needed it’s own holiday name. Enjoy your Christmas Erve.
Freedom Writer on 29 Nov 2008 at 8:04 am #
No odd traditions here. When we were kids we would have dinner on Christmas Eve, usually ham, and then go out in the car looking for Santa Claus, and wouldn’t you know, the Jolly man himself was just rushing out the back door as we got home. We even heard the sleigh bells and a hearty Ho! Ho! Ho! I still have the bells.
Then on Christmas Day our extended family got together and ate a big Turkey Dinner.
Margaret on 29 Nov 2008 at 8:19 am #
No odd traditions for me, either. I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about them.
Sabrina, pretzels are a big deal here in PA Dutch country. The kind you mention, we call “soft pretzels”. I love to get them from an outdoor vendor on a cold, preferably snowy, day. They are hot and freshly steamed. Add a bit of mustard and you have a bit of PA Dutch heaven. I never heard of one till I moved here. I can see why your dad makes them at Christmas. They go with cold weather.
LisaK, I love the idea of decorating the tree at the last minute. I’m thinking the Christmas tree originated in Germany. Along with some great Christmas traditions and hymns. Unfortunately, I’ve already seen decorated trees peeking out of picture windows. And Thanksgiving weekend is the big weekend for folks to decorate their yards/houses with more lights than an airplane runway. But I enjoy those. I just want them taken down on Boxing Day. Or Jan 2 at the latest.
Sign me Scroogette.
Meg on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:04 am #
Sadly enough, there are no wierd traditions in my family. Only the same old normal ones. I have always wanted to start some sort of different thing to do, but nothing ever same to mind. Any suggestions?
But that is too funny about the “turd”-like chocolate pretzels!! LOL!!!
Karen Hawkins on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:07 am #
What interesting traditions! I am jonesing for pretzels now, too. Hmmmm!!!
I decorate the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving and take it down the first weekend of January. We open our presents on Christmas Erve — Thanks, Fresh! I’m going to use that now!:) — and have a big family dinner on Christmas Day. We’re pretty traditional, although when I was growing up, my father’s family passed around a frozen zucchini as a gag gift for years and we all lived in dread of getting ‘the cold package.’
Margaret on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:23 am #
Hmmm, KarenH. I’d love to know the story behind that zucchini. Was it the same one every year? Or a new frozen one each time?
Michelle B on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:23 am #
I don’t know if our traditions are weird, but they do have Polish roots. We celebrate “Wigilia” on Christmas Eve with a meatless dinner so we have fish and shrimp, perogies ect. Before dinner we have Christmas wafers that we go around breaking off pieces from each saying, “Health, weatlth and happiness”. The table is set with a white cloth and some hay or straw under the cloth (think manger) and an extra place is always set in case a stranger should come for dinner. After dinner we clean up (it was always the kids job when I was growing up) then we can open presents.
Stockings at our house are and always were done on December 6, which is the feast of St. Nicholas. We call it Michoulaus Day (sp?) which I’m told is Polish for Nicholas.
Christmas Day we always have one family gift to open, something we can all do together. This one DH and I started.
Cail on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:26 am #
well, my christian relatives have me make matzoh ball soup as our soup dish for xmas eve dinner. that’s pretty odd.
Lisa H on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:31 am #
On Christmas Eve after our nice dinner, opening presents from Grandmas Grandpas, aunts and uncles, we would have dessert, clear the dishes and proceed to play poker until 2 or 3 in the morning. As kids, we would sit under the table hoping quarters and dimes would fall on the floor where we would quickly grab them. Throughout the night, the grown-ups would “accidently” drop about $10.00 in change. My brother and I thought that was the best part of Christmas!
Deb Marlowe on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:31 am #
My friends have this funny yard decorating tradition–though it’s really a game they play with their friends.
They buy the ugliest, tackiest outdoor decorations they can find. They try to sneak them onto their friend’s lawns or houses during the season. The rules of the game state that if you get the tacky decor up without getting caught, the victim has to keep it in their yard until Christmas. If you get caught putting them there, you have to put them on *your* lawn. And man, who knew how many supremely wierd decorations there are out there! Man, we’ve seen some real doozies in this game!
Lisa H on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:31 am #
Cail - did you get your hair cut? Post a photo!
LisaK on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:33 am #
Michelle, we do celebrate St. Nicholas (or “Nikolaus”, as it is here), too, but not with stockings but with boots which are placed in front of the door in the evening on December 5 and which are full of sweets the next morning. That’s the “general Germany”-way. In Bavaria (not in general, but in many families) the Nikolaus comes on December 5 and leaves little bags or plates with chocolate, apples and clementines (no idea why clementines, but it is like that). It’s always like a little pre-Christmas.
elsiehogarth on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:48 am #
Happy Belated Thanksgiving everyone. I was in cooking and eating mode for 2 days. Now, that we no longer have “little kids” there are no more 5:00am road trips, on Black Friday, so we can sleep.
In my family, we don’t have any weird traditions but we try to incorporate a little bit of all our cultures: English, French and Spanish. We always have a party, on Christmas Eve, of very close friends and immediate family. The kids loved this because this was the time we exchanged presents from each other. Then on Christmas Day they received presents from Santa. More presents is always a good thing.
Judy F on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:10 am #
I am trying to think of any weird traditions… We put up our tree normally thanksgiving weekend or the next and it has to stay up till after Jan 6th.
A new years tradition is eating Sauerkraut, its supposed to bring good luck in the coming year. I am 48 and still waiting. LOL
Kathy on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:13 am #
Our Christmas tradition is to have Chili on Christmas eve. At first the chili was spicy hot with jalepenos on the side. Now it is very mild and nary a jalepeno in site. When we were in lur twenties my three brothers and I drank with the festivities. That has created a family story or two. It was allso when we exchanged gifts. Stockings in the morning and off for visit with one relative or another. Check out what the cousins got for Christmas.
Now Dad and Von don’t travel or host Christmas any longer. Somehow it turned into a burden for my dad and who was grateful anyway. I have Christmas Eve at my house. And we eat chili and drink toddies, and watch the grandchildren get presents, and the youngest. We all oh and ah about the presents the kids get. We are all on a buying moratorium for the Adults. Who doesn’t have enough stuff,? raise your hand_or comment.
I try to get the christmas decorations up by Christmas. And I try and get them down by Valentines Day. LOL
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:14 am #
I love hearing all these traditions! Yes, Margaret, a lot of our Christmas traditions come from Germany, and, oddly enough, a lot of them came to America BEFORE they went to Great Britain. So in the Regency era, there were no Christmas trees or Santa in England, BUT they’d already started appearing in America because of the immigrants here. I found that very interesting when I was doing my research.
So LisaK, your country originated all of it! Or most of it, anyway.
Margaret, guess what I’m doing today. Putting up our tree! I’m one of those horrible people who can barely wait until after Thanksgiving to do the Christmas tree. I do manage to hold off until Thanksgiving but it’s hard. I love Christmas! Yesterday, we put up our lights. Given my recent surgery, it exhausted me, even though hubby did all the climbing ladders and hard work, but they’re so pretty! It’ll probably take me a week to decorate the tree.
Hubby isn’t into that part, and I love it, so I usually do it by myself. But I’ll have to go slow this year. I still get very tired.
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:21 am #
Oh, and the one thing WE do that isn’t like our neighbors is we keep the tree up until Epiphany or King’s Day (January 6th). It’s a New Orleans tradition that we always follow. In New Orleans, King’s Day is the beginning of the Mardi Gras season. You take your tree down and you start bringing King’s cake places. Whoever gets the “baby” in the king cake (a little plastic baby most times) has to bring the next cake to the next gathering. Like typical New Orleans foodies, New Orleanians eat King Cake from Epiphany until Mardi Gras. None of that after-Christmas dieting for US! And you wonder why I’m so big ….
Cail, that’s funny about the matzoh ball soup! Maybe they just like it! Or maybe you make it particularly well.
Deb, I love the lawn ornaments tradition. Have they ever suckered you and hubby into it, or do you manage to stay out of it?
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:25 am #
Kathy, LOVE the chili tradition! That’s one my dad would embrace wholeheartedly. He always made the chili in our family.
So, how many of you wait until Christmas Eve to put up the tree? And how many of you exchange all your presents on Christmas Eve? We open one present each, but the bulk of our gift-giving is on Christmas morning.
Gannon on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:27 am #
We’re pretty traditional in our family. We usually put up out tree the first week in December and leave it up until Epiphany. The kids are allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve–my sisters and I used to do the same thing–and then we open the rest on Christmas morning.
For some reason, it’s become something of a tradition for me to make chili for our Christmas Eve meal. My kids always request that. Also, one of the kids will read Twas the Night Before Christmas (really titled, A Visit From St. Nicholas). Around here it’s all about family….and food.
Margaret on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:38 am #
That’s OK, Sabrina. I love you anyway. LOL
Which reminded me of one of my favorite books. “God Rest Ye Merry” by Charlotte MacLeod and featuring her character of professor Peter Shandy. I love her books.
The neighbors at Balaclava Agricultural College go overboard each year with a Christmas yard decoration contest. Professor Shandy doesn’t decorate but is nagged to death about. So, he puts up every tacky Christmas thing he can find, installs an audio system with a speaker on the roof which blares loud Christmas music, locks the door and goes on a cruise.
That was my first MacLeod book and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on all the others. So funny. Such characters and names.
I forgot about Epiphany and King’s Day. Yes, New Orleans has such good food! I’m hankering for some beignets and coffee now. Love me those beignets.
Lisa H on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:53 am #
Sabrina - I know I’m a weirdo, but we put our tree up the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We take it down on New Year’s Day!
Deb - your lawn decorations game sounds like a hoot!
Margaret on 29 Nov 2008 at 10:56 am #
KarenH’s visit to Plot Monkeys. Great blog title, don’t you think?
It was so cool, KarenH. I think I’m a mixture of 2,3 & 4. I take a nap every day. Sue me. I’ve earned it.
After you all have dallied here at TGB for awhile, I recommend tripping on over to http://www.plotmonkeys.com and take a look at people watcher Karen’s comments. And find out who you are.
Judy F on 29 Nov 2008 at 11:14 am #
We exchange presents christmas morning. I remember we had to try to wait till 7 am when we were little but we never did. LOL Poor mom and dad.
We swear my sister puts up her tree as late as she can and takes it down when we leave her house. LOL
JudyPatooty on 29 Nov 2008 at 11:53 am #
No major traditions in my family, except for food traditions. We would always have ham for Christmas dinner. For a while, my father would receive a huge (HUGE) fresh ham from his employer each year. So my mom would get to spend a week working on that giant sucker. Get out your copy of Joy of Cooking and see how much work that was!
We also have what we call Christmas Bread every year. It’s actually Stollen, a Scandinavian (or German?) bread with cinammon, nuts, and dried and candied fruits in it. You’d think that maybe our family was of Scandinavian (or German) ancestry, but we’re not. We’re as English as they come. My mom cut the recipe out of Family Circle magazine back in the 1960s! How’s that for a real American tradition? Borrow a tradition from some other culture!
P.S. Tree and decorations go up about 2 weeks before Christmas. Presents opened Christmas morning.
P.S. The PlotMonkeys post is excellent, Karen! I’m a cross between 1, 3 & 4 depending on what needs to get done.
Becky on 29 Nov 2008 at 11:55 am #
I think the oddest thing is that we are really strict with our traditions. First after the Christmas eve meal is the reading of the Nativity story. This one has kind of gone away as we’ve started going over to some friends house and they have little kids who do the nativity. My sisters and I are usually sheep and/or donkeys. Then we go home for our own thing. The presents always stay up in my parents’ room until Christmas eve and then the kids file upstairs and bring down all of them and we rearrange them under the tree. I think this is my parents way of forcing relaxation for themselves, cuz they just watch and listen to Christmas music. Anyway, then my mom goes upstairs and brings down our hidden Christmas Eve presents, which always consist of a new ornament for each of us as well as Christmas pajamas. Then we change into the new pajamas and come back down, turn off all of the lights except for the tree, and then my dad tells us a story that he makes up on the spot involving all of us kids and how we somehow save Christmas. He’s really quite good, and it is always very exciting and utterly hilarious. Then all the kids go sleep in the same room. That’s how it has always been.
Kay on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:02 pm #
Those pretzels sound great! Well, maybe not the chocolate ones.
I remember my family putting up the Christmas tree (the day after Thanksgiving) while listening to “The Chipmunks Christmas Album” and a selection of Elvis gospel albums. We drank hot chocolate and ate cookies that were my Grandmother’s recipe.
Then, for dinner, we would eat turkey & rice casserole made from leftover turkey, leftover gravy, leftover green beans ( see the pattern?) and as much broth as needed to keep it from getting dry while you bake it a 350 to heat through. Yum.
We’re having that for dinner tonight, with the last of the turkey, while we put up our tree. And yes, we have the Chipmunks and Elvis on the iPod.
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:02 pm #
Ooh, Becky, my dad was a big storyteller, too. On Christmas he told some story that I’ve forgotten, about a shoemaker or something. And Mom read her favorite poem, “The Christmas Star.” I forget who it was by, but the poet was Mom’s favorite.
But he used to make up stories all the time about Ikey the Caterpillar, who had lots of adventures. Whenever we were bored, we’d beg him to tell us an Ikey story, and he would make one up on the spot. We’ve been saying for years that he should write them down, but he never has.
Clearly, though, I came by the storytelling gene honestly.
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:04 pm #
Kay, that turkey and rice casserole sounds good! What a great idea!
I usually use the leftover turkey to make gumbo. My husband LOVES turkey gumbo. I use the carcass and every bit of the turkey, plus I add some sausage. I usually end up freezing a good bit of it.
evlqn on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:05 pm #
When we were kids 95% of the time we had Christmas at our grandparents house. We all went to Midnight Mass and then came home and slept on the floor in front of the tree. Santa always came while we were at church. In the morning we ate breakfast, in shifts (78 first cousins) and then opened our gifts.
We drew names at Thanksgiving so we only had to buy for one person instead of everyone. The kids drew kids names and the adults drew adults and everyone contributed to Grandma & Grandpa’s gift. Big meal was in the afternoon and then snacking the rest of the day.
When the town closed the school for lack of kids Grandpa bought it and turned it into a Community Center. We started having our family gatherings there because we had outgrown every-one’s houses. Our mom is the oldest of 10 kids and all but one were breeders.
Now, we not only celebrate Christmas we celebrate Yule with our family and non-Christian friends.
Kathy/Cookiedough on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:08 pm #
there’s another Kathy on here? cool!
My family traditions are pretty standard for French Canada. My mom was Acadian and my dad loved the idea, so they had it together. and brought us up with them.
We open our presents after midnight on Christmas Eve.
When I was little, the older kids got to go to Midnight Mass. back when it actually started at midnight. My brother takes his family now but the mass starts at 11. gyp!
Usually it wasn’t over until 1:30am at which point, my brother and I were awoken to partake in Tourtierre- meat pie- then open pur present until the wee hrs, hitting bed at around 5am.
Mom or dad would put the turkey in the oven before hitting the bed and we’d wake up to the smells of turkey.
Now we all get together at either my brother’s or sister’s place for Christmas Eve ( they alternate their turns at hosting) eat meat pie at a much more reasonable hour of 7pm then wait until morning for present time.
My mom was a big kid at heart and up until her last Christmas she would very easily talk me into opening our presents at her apt when we got “home” from an Eve party. She’d get so mad when I’d make her wait until at least midnight. lol
Kathy/Cookiedough on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:11 pm #
I made a video invite for last years party at Debbie’s. I emailed it to the family. I think I’ll go put it up on youtube. giggle
Tonight there is a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.
right across from my house. We live in such a central area, We get a tree to look at when we leave through the front door of the apt hosue.
Santa is arriving on a firetruck- hopefully accompanied by hot firefighters!
lol
I WILL take pictures!
Kathy/Cookiedough on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:14 pm #
oh and Michelle B? I LOVE perogies! I was introduced to those little lovelies years ago through some friends who had a Ukrainian background. yum!
And years ago I learned how to make them and also learned how to make Latkes. potato goodness!
ladydawgfan on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:17 pm #
We have several Christmas traditions. My family is Swedish, so one BIG tradition is the annual smorgasborg, done in a cold course (fishes, cheeses, breads, Glogg), a hot course (Swedish meatballs, boiled baby potatoes, green beans), and a desert course (rum cake, Christmas cookies, mincemeat pie). There is also a Birthday cake for the Baby Jesus, and at Midnight or shortly after since we go to Midnight Mass, my mother lights a bayberry candle to light the way of the Christ Child.
Stockings are stuffed on Christmas eve and left handing on the headboard of each child and grownup, and gifts are exchanged on Christmas day. The tree is ALWAYS real, put up two weekends before Christmas, and topped with the Angel that my dad bought my mom their first Christmas together 50 years ago. Christmas is always a noisy, love-filled affair in our house - my favorite day of the year!!
ladydawgfan on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:18 pm #
BTW, my mom is one of those people who loves the front of the house to look like the Griswolds. She has me do it up until she is completely satisfied.
She’s my mom, so I make her happy.
Kathy/Cookiedough on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:28 pm #
I do have one weird tradition of my own for Christmas:
I decorate my place all pretty about 2 wk before Christmas.
but the day I go “home”-usually Christmas Eve, I take it all down and put it away.
That way I come home to clean apt and don’t get all depressed putting it away after Christmas.
2yrs ago I talked Debbie into taking her real tree down on Boxing day. She readily agreed and last year we took down her artificial one Christmas day night after her hubby had gone to bed. She has a “pee dog” that has to mark everything, so it makes sense not to give him something new for too long to want to pee on. He got my gifts one year- but smartly i had them all in a blue recycle bag, so he only got that.
eww
Kathy/Cookiedough on 29 Nov 2008 at 12:56 pm #
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_2yvk0bQSQ
it’s up
and all the pics are of my family. the 6 was made by me arranging some of my ornaments on a sheet of tissue paper.
Julia London on 29 Nov 2008 at 1:00 pm #
This is so much fun!
My family was like Gannon’s — one gift on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas morning. Our tradition was that the kids woke up very early, (4 or 5 in the morning), gathered together and shout “merry Christmas!” That wakes the parents, who stumble around and turn on lights and then we’d all rush in to see what Santa left us.
As adults, our christmas tradition is white elephant and poinsettias. Proceed carefully with this — if you have alcoholics or beligerent drunks in you family, I wouldn’t recommend it. We are all happy-go-lucky drunks. Poinsettias — take a glass of champagne and put in a bit of cranberry juice, just enough to color it. As for the white elephant, we decided years ago that a gift exchange all the way around was too much work, as none of us want or need anything. So we started doing a white elephant. the gift you bring can be a good one, or a bad one. We usually have a pretty good mixture. Its fun! and it takes a while, so you’ll need plenty of poinsettias to get you through. Last year, the gift everyone wanted was an iPod. I ended up with some solar lights for the yard. Wheeeee….
Julia London on 29 Nov 2008 at 1:03 pm #
Kathy, I love your invitation! That is so clever and so well done!
Janae on 29 Nov 2008 at 1:04 pm #
We put up our Christmas tree last night. It’ll probably be up until New Year’s. We open one present on Christmas Eve because that’s what we did when I was child. However, when I was a child, the present was always a new pajamas. If they were from my grandma, we could guarantee that the pjs would be the size we wore the previous year. Frequently, I wouldn’t have new pjs because my sister just younger than me got mine. My mom would buy me some in the after Christmas sales, though. My mom used to make a TON of divinity for our neighbors, teachers, church members, etc. I’ve adopted that tradition on a much smaller scale and with a different candy - caramel.
Janae on 29 Nov 2008 at 1:09 pm #
I forgot to mention that we draw names at Christmas because buying presents for 6 siblings would have been too much. Now, as adults we still draw names, but only family names, and we have the option to buy presents for other family members if we want. This year we have a theme - the movies. It was fun for me because I used old Hollywood Reporters that dh gets to wrap the presents and put them in a bag from the studio store. Because I have my sister who falls asleep during movies (even in the theater), I just did the movie theme for her daughter and bought my sister a Borders giftcard. My older brother and sil have our names, and I’m afraid of what they’re going to give us. I already know that we won’t receive it before Christmas because they just aren’t organized, even though, she claims that she’s organized (she’s a #3 KarenH).
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 1:11 pm #
Kathy, what a cute invite! I didn’t know your family was Acadian. Y’all may not know this, but the Cajun culture comes from the Acadian culture. Some Acadians immigrated to Louisiana from Canada, and that’s how it began. You can find meat pies all over Cajun country–they’re very popular–so I guess now I know where they came from. Although I suppose meat pies are popular in a lot of places.
Despite being raised Catholic, my dh says he never did midnight mass with his family (can’t stay up that late *G*). I’ve always wanted to go some year, but I’d have to go alone. It sounds cool.
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 1:14 pm #
Janae, I used to make divinity for my dh every year, because he loves it. I haven’t done it in a long time, though. Now I make banana bread, which he also loves. With LOTS of brandy in it.
PJane1031 on 29 Nov 2008 at 2:13 pm #
Hmmm, well for my family, oyster stew is typically part of our meal on Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve. And we do our gift opening on Christmas Eve. We’ve had bigger groups home on Christmas Eve in the past years, but typically it’s just my mom, sister, BIL & me–another brother and his family (and maybe my other sister) will usually come on Christmas Day, but most spend Christmas Eve with their immediate family. After opening gifts, we used to do egg nog (with brandy!!), but since three of the four of us are lactose intolerant, that one hasn’t happened in many years. . . .
As for strange traditions, my mom told me about one with Polish (I think) roots, for New Year’s Eve that she did growing up–you’d heat metal (I want to say lead, but not sure), and drop it/pour into a pail of water. When it hardens you try to figure out the shape in order to predict the future of the new year.
evlqn on 29 Nov 2008 at 2:29 pm #
Kathy, I love your invite!! How great. I’d show up for sure!
LisaK on 29 Nov 2008 at 3:26 pm #
PJane, we have that heating metal thing here, too (it’s called “Bleigießen”, “lead casting”, if you want to say it literally), but it’s actually something for Silvester - that’s New Year’s Eve, we call it after St. Sylvester.
Hearing you all talking about Epiphany, a tradition invented by my mum’s family (I think it was invented by them - I’ve never heard anyone else doing it) came to my mind.
I’ve told you about the wooden figurines in the crèche. There are always the Three Kings as part of the set. And, on December 24, we put them into the far side of the living room and every day they get moved forward a little so that, on January 6, they’ve arrived the crèche with their presents for the Baby Jesus.
Sweet, isn’t it?
Margaret on 29 Nov 2008 at 3:43 pm #
That is sweet, LisaK. It makes the magi more in perspective for kids.
Sabrina. One word on Acadia to Cajun. “Evangeline”. I love that poem even tho I haven’t read it in years.
I am going to ladydawgfan’s house to this Christmas to eat. LOL on the Griswolds ldf. I forgot all about them. We have lots of Griswolds around here. I’m always thankful I don’t have to pay their December electric bill.
PJane1031 on 29 Nov 2008 at 3:45 pm #
Yep, LisaK, it was for New Year’s Eve, not Christmas. . . .we have German heritage in my family as well, and so it wouldn’t surprise me if it was from there, instead of Poland!!
One other tradition my mom did was the 12 days of Christmas, BUT rather than the days following Christmas to Epiphany, it was the 12 days PRIOR to December 24th. . .My stocking would have little wrapped gifts, and each day I got to open one. . . .granted that only lasted until I graduated high school, but such fun memories!!
Oh, and Sabrina, I didn’t get a chance to comment on your post the other day!! Congrats, and I hope each day has you feeling a little better and a little stronger!!
evlqn on 29 Nov 2008 at 3:59 pm #
We decorate trees in the boys rooms so they have their own tree to look at and put gifts under until it is time to put them under the big tree.
Before Christmas we all get together and caravan around looking at the lights. And we try to go to the Portland Zoo for the Zoolights. The kids love them. This year Molly is old enough to enjoy them too.
My son has put in his request for apple pie for Christmas.
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 4:01 pm #
Thanks, PJane for the well wishes! And I could really go for some oyster stew. I LOVE oysters.
The lead casting thing sounds fascinating. As a kid, I always loved melting stuff (wax, plastic), so I would really have gone for that. It sounds like such fun!
We used to melt different colors of candle wax on the outside of a bottle for Christmas. One year, one of my siblings (I forget which one, but I think it was my sis) had a fine time breaking off all the candle wax accumulated over a few years. We wanted to kill her/him!
Margaret, I’m sure I read “Evangeline” sometime in my youth, but I’ve forgotten it.
LisaK, I LOVE the idea of moving the Wise Men closer. That really is sweet!
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 4:02 pm #
Oh, eviqn, you reminded me of two more of my own family’s traditions. On Christmas Eve, we usually drive around looking at lights, then come home to some specialty gourmet foods (pate, cheese, stuff like that).
And I, too, decorate a little tree for my son. He seems to enjoy it.
Judy F on 29 Nov 2008 at 5:20 pm #
Lisa K. my parents used to do the same thing with the wise man. Their nativity sceen was on one side of the mantel and the wise men on the other side. Each day they moved a bit closer.
Kathy/Cookiedough on 29 Nov 2008 at 5:23 pm #
I had a great time making it.
My mom spoke hardly any English at all until she started nursing school straight out of high school. Her accent came on full force when she was mad at one of us though!
It was a while before I braved midnight mass myself. I was in my teens by the time I made through a whole one.
There were so many people sometimes, it was standing room only. I remember watching someone sway and thunk! she fell down.
Paula on 29 Nov 2008 at 5:30 pm #
Since my 2 boys have arrived we have introduced a few of our own Christmas traditions. We always take the boys down to our local church on Christmas eve for the Nativity service and come home for ham, eggs and chips for tea! We buy a couple of new ornaments for the tree each year and have a real tree!
As a child my Mum bought an advent calendar which has 24 numbered doors and each day you open the relevant numbered door upto and incl Christmas Eve, My Mum bought my boys one each and they love to open it each day. I am stingy and after Christmas we close the doors back up and put it away for the next year.
I like the midnight mass service but haven’t been for a few years as I’m not keen on going on my own but this year a friend and I are going to go together.
Sabrina Jeffries on 29 Nov 2008 at 6:09 pm #
Paula, ham and eggs and chips sounds delicious (especially right now
).
My Mom had an advent hanging that was a Christmas tree you pinned ornaments on for each day leading up to Christmas. After we were all married, she sewed each of us one, parceled out the ornaments from our childhood (6 apiece) and made us each 18 more. I put that up every year. One time, my sil joked that my brother claimed to know each one of the old ones from the new ones, and I looked at her and said, “I know each one of the old ones.” We loved those. I could pick out all 24 if we had our sets together in front of us. Every day one of us got to pin one on the tree, and we loved that.
Ahh, memories. Now I just do them myself, but it’s still fun.
Paula on 29 Nov 2008 at 6:21 pm #
Sabrina the advent calendars that I mentioned are made out of card with a Christmassy picture on the front ( I like the ones with a nativity scene on) and it has 24 ‘doors’ to be opened.
In the UK we have a saying that Christmas decorations should be down by midnight on the twelve night (6th Jan) or else you will have a year of bad luck. My decorations always come down before the boys go back to scholl or by the 3rd Jan as by then I want the house back to normal!! I do know of people who put their decs up on 24/12 and take them down on 27/12!!
Claudia Dain on 29 Nov 2008 at 6:35 pm #
I don’t *think* we have any weird traditions, but then again, would I *know*?
Santa on 29 Nov 2008 at 9:59 pm #
We stretch out Christmas as long as possible. We celebrate Christmas Eve with a procession through the house and the youngest carries the Baby Jesus to the creche at Midnight. We then open our presents. My kids open up presents from Santa Claus on Christmas Day both at our house and my mom’s. Then we go to my mother in law’s house for the rest of the gift opening extravagnza. Then…my husband and I exchange presents on the feast of the Epiphany. We also give our kids their presents from us then.
The opening of presents and procession on Christmas Eve is a tradition from my childhood. The exchanging of presents on the Ephiphany began when my husband and I were dating and home from college. We’d get together after Christmas to exchange our presents. It is also a tradition in Italy because that is when La Bafana or the Christmas Witch visits little children and leaves an orange if they were good and coal if they were bad.
LisaK on 30 Nov 2008 at 3:25 am #
Hm, reading Paula’s post, I once again realize that there are some things European countries have in common, no matter what culture they have or what language they speak, because we’ve got exactly the same advent calenders and the thing with January 6 is true, too.
Lisa on 03 Dec 2008 at 5:58 pm #
We are Jewish, but we always went for Chinese Food on Christmas Eve. I never thought too much about it until I read in the LA Times that this is a apparently a custom most Jews do. A few years ago, we had to stop this because we now have family members by marriage who don’t like to do this. But this year they won’t be with us so we will probably do the Chinese food thing again.