Christmas Traditions - What are your Christmas Traditions?

R

rwb

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South Carolina
We have a long established (55 years) Christmas Tradition and even longer including my parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Our principle celebration is held on Christmas Eve. We begin with hors d'oeuvres which includes pickled herring, soft cheese and rye bread. Beverages include beer, wine, soft drink or water. The main meal consists of roast duck, mashed potatoes, red cabbage and a pasta dish.

After the dishes are cleared the family gathers in the living room and we read "The Night Before Christmas", and then "The Christmas Story". The youngsters past out the presents from underneath the tree, and when all the presents or passed out, we open presents one at a time in rotation. The kids finally go to bed and Santa fills their stocking overnight. When they wake the Santa gifts are waiting.

This process has gone on during my entire marriage - 55 years as a married couple and as long as I have alive - 77 years. Before I was married, our main Christmas meal was Korv - a Scandanavian sauage that was popular during the Holiday season in my hometown.

I married a wonderful women from Denmark and their Christmas celebration was almost exactly the same as ours with one noticeable exception. For her first Christmas in the US we had the traditional meal - Korv, the Scandanavian sausage. In Denmark Korv is the equivalent of hamburger the Danish traditional Christmas Eve meal was roast duck. The next year, including every year since, we have served Roast Duck on Christmas Eve. I have been very fortuate that my two sons married lovely women that embraced our Christmas Eve traditions and have carried them forward.

What are your traditions?
 

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In Poland, the sharing of oplatki is an important part of the Christmas Eve dinner (Wigilia). In the center of the table is a plate of straw, on which lies the blessed wafers. The white wafers are distributed by the eldest to each member of the family to be shared (breaking a piece of each wafer to share) with traditional wishes of forgiveness, reconciliation, health, happiness and prosperity for the coming year. The pink wafers were shared among the animals, as it was believed that they were present and witnessed the birth of Christ. Blessed wafers were (and still are) shared with those living miles or countries away. Sent through the mail, the blessed wafer was given with wishes of peace, love and forgiveness on Christmas Eve around the world.
 

Like Deb, I grew up with Christmas traditions that ended or changed after my grandparents and parents died.

These days the best I can hope for is being Christmas adjacent when it comes to family and I’m ok with that. 😉🤭😂

Christmas is a quiet day at home with a few treats and a few memories.
 
I neglected to include one very important part of our Christmas Eve celebration - the Almond Present. After the meal is finished and the dishes cleared everyone is given a bowl of ice cream. Hidden within one of the dishes of ice cream is a whole Almond. Everyone eats their ice cream trying to guess who has the Almond or conceal it in their mouth until all are finished. The person with the Almond receives the Almond Present. The winner is then required to provide the present for the following year. This is a Danish tradition except their dessert was an awful rice pudding. We tried to use the pudding but it tasted so awful we had to switch to ice cream
 
Enjoyed reading about the different traditions/customs, very interesting, thanks. Nothing special from me really, we lived with my maternal grandparents when I was young. Only grandchild, no cousins on maternal side so mostly surrounded by adult relatives who would call round. I don't know if it could be classed as tradition but nanny always made a trifle and I've still got the dish that she used to make it in. Don't know how it's never got broken in all the moves it has made over the years. 🤷‍♀️
 
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Pam said:
Enjoyed reading about the different traditions/customs, very interesting, thanks. Nothing special from me really, we lived with my maternal grandparents when I was young. Only grandchild, no cousins on maternal side so mostly surrounded by adult relatives who would call round. I don't know if it could be classed as tradition but nanny always made a trifle and I've still got the dish that she used to make it in. Don't know how it's never got broken in all the moves it has made over the years. 🤷‍♀️
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Nanny's Christmas Trifle certainly sounds like a tradition to me. (y)
Maybe you'll make one this year?
 
I used to make the trifle each year at Christmas but once my sons left home I stopped doing it as I now go to their houses for meals on Christmas Day and sometimes Boxing Day. Both of my sons are now vegan (my trifle is vegetarian so they can't eat it). However... I now make one in the New Year and make an absolute pig of myself. 🐷😁
 
I bake gingerbread cookies and give them away every year to family and friends. They take a lot of work but they are really fun when they are done.

We cook a whole turkey Christmas Day with all the trimming.
 

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