Regional Holiday Traditions

[Thorn Wilde]

So, I was a bit inspired by the Christmas Tree topic, but thought I'd take it a step further. I'm interested to know about traditions that are particular to where you live, or even to just your family. We have users here from all over the world, so there is so much to choose from.

 

Do you celebrate Christmas? If not, do you celebrate any other holiday around the same time? What do you eat? Do you decorate your house? Do you get a visit from Santa Clause? I really want to know!

 

A thing we do in Scandinavia that I think is pretty unique is the televised advent calendar. Every day in December, there's a short episode of an ongoing story that culminates at Christmas. It's made for kids, and you can buy a calendar in the shops where you open a door every day and there's a picture related to the story. It's how I knew it was nearly Christmas when I was a kid, was when I sat down at 7 in the morning, before school, and watched the advent calendar on telly.

 

 

[joann414]

I was brought up celebrating Christmas as the birthday of Christ first, and the coming of Santa second.  Of course, living in a house with four siblings, Santa was very prevalent.  We started getting excited as soon as Thanksgiving was over.  Back then, relatives would stay a week or more at a time during the holidays.  Thankfully, they don't now.

Since the death of my parents, the family Christmas celebration is usually at my home the weekend before Christmas.  It's traditional fare, turkey and dressing, potatoes, pies, cakes, the candies, and presents for the kiddies.  Too much food!

Christmas Day is spent at my home or my daughter's home.  We fix whatever we want on that day.  Steak, gumbo, shrimp, whatever pleases everyone. The day is spent lounging around, watching movies, football, or playing cards.  Very laid back

[Thorn Wilde]

We do our Christmas celebration on Christmas eve, and eat traditional food for my part of the country, which means pork rib grilled in the oven, with crackling and stuff. Very different from the way ribs tend to be served stateside, I think. Looks like this:

 

 

It's served with potatoes, red cabbage, a sort of gravy made from the rib fat, various pickles and jellies and the like. For dessert we eat ice cream with cloudberry jam if we're at my mum's and cloudberry cream if we're at my brothers' mum's. 

 

Christmas was always very important to my dad, so even though our family was basically split three ways we always celebrated Christmas together. He broke up with his ex-wife, with whom he had two children, in 1974 or there abouts, but they kept celebrating Christmas together, and when my mum and I happened, we were included in that, and even after my parents broke up in '96, we continued the same way we always had. After my dad passed away, we kept at it still, though we don't do it every year anymore, and not everyone's always there, as two of my brothers live in Sweden now and have families of their own.

 

Magpie and I have started our own tradition of having a Winter Solstice dinner party for some of our friends on the day of the Winter Solstice (which is usually some time between the 20th and 22nd of December). This years we have grand plans of serving Christmas goose, just for the hell of it.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Thorn Wilde

[Breeze]

A lot of our traditions seem to gone now. As a child however, it was always at my Granny B.'s house usually Christmas eve. A huge turkey dinner with all the traditional fixings in the early afternoon.After, a group of Granny's choosing would do dishes, while the rest lazed around or worked on a puzzle. Granny always bought a big 1000 piece puzzle that would get worked all day. Then before the presents were handed out, all of us kids had to perform our part from the Christmas play at church. This was  amusing when you considered that we didnt all live in the same place or attend the same church, lol. So usually there was a couple of Marys and Josephs and more than 3 wise men, lol.

This was all mixed in with my immediate family's Christmas,plus at least 3 family(Dads side and Moms side) reunions during Christmas week. I have a HUGE(numbers wise) family.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Breeze

[JamesSavik]

Mississippi Thanksgiving Traditions

 

 

Thanksgiving week is the traditional time for the opening of deer season and the Ole Miss vs Mississippi State grudge match.

 

The footbrawl game usually means very little to the national standings but between these two teams, the rivalry is intense. A coach can lose all his games and win the rivalry game and survive.

 

Our food might vary from the traditional Thanksgiving fare. Many times the turkey is fired and beef or shrimp or beef & shrimp become the main course.

 

If you want to try some of our favorite Thanksgiving sides:

 

Shrimp & Wild Rice casserole  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/shrimp-and-wild-rice-casserole-recipe/index.html

 

Classic Pecan Pie   http://karosyrup.com/recipe_details.asp?id=485

 

Pecan Pralines  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/yummy-pecan-pralines/ 

[rustle]

When Mom was alive, on Christmas Day, the food was traditional. Usually, turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes baked with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, green salad, green beans, etc.. The standout was the desserts. Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, chess pie, mince meat pie, apple pie, 5-6 types of Christmas cookies. I remember spending an hour cutting up dried fruit for the cookies.

 

Christmas Eve, we'd have a normal dinner of whatever. Sometimes Mexican food, sometimes roast beef, sometimes Chinese. We might go to church, since they usually had unusual music, like the hand bell choir. One year, we went to the symphony. Afterward, we'd get to open one gift apiece. Lots of Christmas carols. Two pianists, two guitars, two ukuleles, a banjo, 5 singers. Five members of the family. One year, we went over to the house of one of Dad's co-workers, where everyone played folk music for hours.

 

Christmas morning, we got up early to open gifts. Santa came as long as we believed in him. Then a big meal, followed by phone calls to everybody and their brother and the kids playing with their new toys.

[Aditus]

In the past I called Christmas time hiking time. The family couldn't decide which traditions to celebrate, which resulted in each doing their own thing. They expected me to be there nevertheless so I walked around the city  until I was finally at home around 11 pm Christmas Eve.

Now we celebrate together, this year it's my turn. As we are the odd mix religion-wise we just do what we/the host likes. Which usually is Christmas Tree, dinner with the family and presents on Christmas Eve. When I'm the host this means vegetarian dinner of course, *snicker* Well I would cook meat/fish/birdies if someone couldn't live without, but so far everyone was okay with it as long as I made feta cheese pizza, fresh bread and tiramisu among other things.

We play music, traditional and not so traditional christmas songs. Then there are the presents, mostly for the kids, after this the family members who want to go to Christmas Mass do that.

Next year I'll dig a den somewhere outside the city and have my private Christmas. I need this once in a while.

[Never Surrender]

depends where we are

 

at home, we have alcohol, presents, alcohol, church, alcohol, lunch, alcohol, presents, alcohol, chill, bed then normally see extended family at some point between Christmas day and New Years day. we have a 4 bird roast with all the trimmings normally. 

 

if we're in Scotland, we have presents ASAP (my cousins are still very young lol), a quick meal before we go out for the Ba'  http://www.orkneyjar.com/tradition/bagame/) which starts at 1pm or sometimes 10:30 if my cousin is playing, then come home after that and eat dinner could be anything from pork to turkey to goose, or sometimes one of my uncles sheep LOL

 

we're normally at home, though

[Thorn Wilde]

depends where we are

 

at home, we have alcohol, presents, alcohol, church, alcohol, lunch, alcohol, presents, alcohol, chill, bed then normally see extended family at some point between Christmas day and New Years day. we have a 4 bird roast with all the trimmings normally. 

 

if we're in Scotland, we have presents ASAP (my cousins are still very young lol), a quick meal before we go out for the Ba'   http://www.orkneyjar.com/tradition/bagame/) which starts at 1pm or sometimes 10:30 if my cousin is playing, then come home after that and eat dinner could be anything from pork to turkey to goose, or sometimes one of my uncles sheep LOL

 

we're normally at home, though

 

Dear Orkneys,

 

Can we buy you back please?

 

Love, Norway

 

Sounds like a fun tradition, that ba' game. I would love to see that some time.

[Zombie]

Oops, missed this. I'm a "Christian" by culture only, not belief, but I like the ritual and tradition. It gives a comforting and reassuring structure to the end of the year. From earliest memories Christmas Eve has been the beginning of Christmas - kicking off in the afternoon, listening to the live broadcast of A Festival of Nine Carols on the radio, with the boy treble singing unaccompanied the opening lines to Once In Royal David's City before the rest of the choir of King's College Cambridge join in - probably while I'm wrapping up presents... or preparing the sprouts Much later I wander off to the local church to ring the bells with the other bellringers for half an hour before the Midnight Eucharist, then back a few hours later on Christmas Day morning to ring for the Carols at the Crib service. Then it's helping prepare the Christmas Day lunch at my Mum's or sister's, opening presents, then eating too much lunch and pulling crackers, clearing up the pans and dishes , phone calls, going for a walk, getting back to watch The Queen's Speech, then maybe playing some games, then the Traditional Watching Of TV Then bed

 

 

 

.

Edited December 12, 2013 by Zombie

[Former Member]

In China, Christmas is only just now starting to come around.  Teachers get apples on Christmas (which is smack dab in the middle of exam week for college kids) and kids normally get small gifts or a small red envelope with some cash.  Christmas Eve is really fun though.  If you're walking on the street, you WILL get doused with confetti and silly string from totally random people.  Christmas is more like a party here and it's a great experience!

 

If you're looking for a more traditional "Christmas" feel here, wait for late January, early February for Spring Festival.  That's the most like Christmas.  Everyone comes home and makes dinner together, fireworks, parades.  You name it!  I'm quite sad I won't get to experience Spring Festival this year...conflict of time and all that

[Sasha Distan]

my husbands family have a better christmas than my blood-family do, so guess where we end up?

 

He's one of four kids, their lounge is big enough that they each have their own sofa (the cat has an armchair) and as children these used to be covered in presents. his dad cooks, my mother-in-law makes the gravy.

 

I started a new tradition (they have to come from somewhere) the year we first moved out of home, in that each each i now create some kind of ridiculous gingerbread structure which Cris's older brother demolishes somewhere inside half an hour. last year we have house with steepled roof and tower, stained glass windows and reindeer on the roof. might try a stables this year, but still not sure. and running out of time to plan it!!!

[DynoReads]

I grew up in far northwestern PA. The day after Thanksgiving was called the great migration, all the hunters would pack their gear, hit the grocery stores and head to their hunting spots for the opening of rifle deer season the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

 

For all holidays we invited a neighbor who lived alone and didn't have family near to eat with us. After the meal, dad would settle in to watch sports, and us girls went to the theater for a movie or two. At Christmas we also would drive around and look at the lights.

 

My family is a bit off beat now. My husband often works Christmas Day so instead of a huge dinner, I make a big breakfast, gingerbread waffles, homemade sausage, mulled maple syrup, toffee hot chocolate. We eat, open gifts, he heads to work , and the kid and I take a nap.

[Sasha Distan]

My family is a bit off beat now. My husband often works Christmas Day so instead of a huge dinner, I make a big breakfast, gingerbread waffles, homemade sausage, mulled maple syrup, toffee hot chocolate. We eat, open gifts, he heads to work , and the kid and I take a nap.

 

enormous breakfast and a nap? sign me up.

[mickey1952]

I'm curious. Is turkey for Christmas dinner more of an American tradition than not? It seems like a lot of others talk about roast pork, venison, or wild foul (like pheasant) when talking about traditional holiday fare. Just wondering.

[Thorn Wilde]

I'm curious. Is turkey for Christmas dinner more of an American tradition than not? It seems like a lot of others talk about roast pork, venison, or wild foul (like pheasant) when talking about traditional holiday fare. Just wondering.

 

It is initially an American thing, but it's become quite popular Christmas food in the UK as well. In Scandinavia, not so much. In my area, pork is common. In Western Norway they eat mutton. Up North lots of people eat fish. And then there's different parts of the animal as well. In Norway we tend to use the ribs, while in Sweden and Finland it's more common to eat ham, if I'm not very much mistaken. Pork has traditionally been common because pigs were easy to keep, since they eat whatever they get, and there's a lot of food on one well-fed pig. 

 

Then there is, of course, the tradition of Lutefisk, but we don't need to talk about that... Bleh.

 

Yesterday, I cooked a Christmas goose, which used to be traditional Christmas food in England, pre-turkey, for our dinner party, stuffed with apples, bread, black currants and thyme. It was very tasty. We served it with buttersteamed sugar snap peas, oven grilled potatoes (cooked in the goose fat), parsnip puree and black currant and wine sauce.

Edited December 22, 2013 by Thorn Wilde

[Slytherin]

 

Then there is, of course, the tradition of Lutefisk, but we don't need to talk about that... Bleh.

 

Bleh indeed !   Ham, meatballs, sausage, mashed potatoes, Salmon, herring etc is okay but lutefisk - stay away from it !

[Aditus]

Bleh indeed !   Ham, meatballs, sausage, mashed potatoes, Salmon, herring etc is okay but lutefisk - stay away from it !

Should I google this?

Around here the traditional Christmas dinner is either goose or carp, although carp is also traditional for New Year's Eve.

[Slytherin]

Should I google this?

Around here the traditional Christmas dinner is either goose or carp, although carp is also traditional for New Year's Eve.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk

 

My sisters and mother always eat  Sauerkraut on Christmas eve - I have never dared to taste it  someday I will

[Aditus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk

 

My sisters and mother always eat  Sauerkraut on Christmas eve - I have never dared to taste it  someday I will

okay. :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

I love Sauerkraut. You have to wash it before you cook it though, and you might add some white beans, a bay leaf and that's that. Or do they eat it uncooked?????

[Slytherin]

I told you to stay away from lutefisk !  No they cook it with onion and something else but I don't know, never tried it

[Zombie]

I'm curious. Is turkey for Christmas dinner more of an American tradition than not? It seems like a lot of others talk about roast pork, venison, or wild foul (like pheasant) when talking about traditional holiday fare. Just wondering.

 

"Traditional" Christmas dinner in England

- turkey

- crispy roasted potatoes

- overcooked sprouts

- carrots and other veggies

- sausages wrapped in bacon

- stuffing balls

- draft belly pork with crispy crackling

- lots of gravy

- bread sauce, cooked with a cloved onion.

- cranberry sauce

 

 

Interestingly turkey was for the "toffs" when it began to be available in Victorian England - it was expensive - and goose was for the "common man" - it was cheap. Now it's the other way round

 

[mickey1952]

Thanks for all the feedback! Very interesting.

[Gypseytails]

In Austraila, Aussies would usually go to the beach for a Christmas picnic lunch or go. To the park to have a picnic lunch or use the barbie to grill snags 

[Suvitar]

In Finland we eat our main Christmas meal at Christmas Eve evening. Lots of fish (no lutefisk in our table), meat, vegetable casseroles and ham.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Suvitar