Favourite Christmas Foods?

AussieGirl · 12-08-2009, 04:42 PM

What are your favourite foods/meals or any traditions that you have at Christmas?

My favourite foods we usually have for Christmas is prawns - yummy, scorched hazelnuts and a nice cheese platter.

The only tradition I can think of that is kind of different is a Hungarian one we would do as a child when spending Christmas at my Dad's house, you would eat garlic and a walnut both dipped in honey before dinner (to scare away evil spirits or something lol) and after dinner an apple would be cut into as many pieces as there were people sitting at the table, the whole apple represented the whole family and was meant to "keep" the family together the following year, there was something about not eating the seed though. I haven't done that for years ......

Ron · 12-08-2009, 05:11 PM

stuffing for sure

then turkey

daisy'smom · 12-08-2009, 05:51 PM

My problem is there isn't too much I don't like! We do a prime rib on Christmas Eve and the kids usually want me to make my mac & cheese which everyone devours! I am looking forward to my 2 Lb. box of See's Candy I get every year. YUM

Ruby Red · 12-08-2009, 05:59 PM

My favourite food is chocolate! Ha ha! I love all the rich/fancy chocolate that you can get at this time of year. I love all the Christmassy foods as well, such as Christmas cake - fruit cake covered in a layer of marzipan and then a layer of glace icing, mince pies - pastry pies filled with currants, apples, raisins, cherries, spices, warmed in the oven and served with cream. Christmas pudding - a steamed pudding of sultanas, brandy, nuts, raisins, treacle served with brandy or rum sauce, mmm, very heavy, but soooo nice. Dinner for us is basically a roast [but without any meat – typically people here have turkey, sausages wrapped in bacon and sausage meats]. We have a nut roast or fish, chestnuts and loads of yummy veg – typically roast potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts as they are very traditional, and my favourite - parsnips cooked in maple syrup, mmmmm.

As for traditions, when I was a child, I always used to hang a stocking up for ‘Santa’ on Christmas eve, and my parents would fill it with little toys and chocolate and I would open it as soon as I woke up. Now, Graham and I have a little penguin pillow that we fill for each other in the same way and we open it first thing Christmas morning. The only other ‘tradition’ is taking the dogs out for a 2 hour walk and me going to Church – that makes Christmas Day really special for me.

KeeperBoy · 12-08-2009, 06:14 PM

Cookies. Mexican wedding cakes are my favorites, then those peanut butter ones with the hershey kiss.

Doreen · 12-08-2009, 08:47 PM

Our tradition for christmas Eve is PLENTY of food. My entire side of the family gathers (was always at my house, but the whole thing is changing this year). It started out at my grandmothers, then passed down to my mom's, then passed down to me. I've been doing it for about the past 20 years. And believe it or not, we have fried chicken and ribs (catered) plus I make a whole bunch of side dishes, salads. Some people bring pots of food, desserts, cheese and veggie platters. It is a big eating fest! But last year it changed when my niece wanted to take it over. Her husband did all the cooking (which I thoroughly enjoyed!!). I didn't have to do a thing. Everyone hated it!!! (not telling my niece... ssshhhhh..) They are all begging to have it at my house again. I just can't physically do it anymore. So we are changing up the tradition. It will be just my immediate family here, doing the same foods, but scaled waaaay down. My niece is not happy with me, but she'll just have to put her big girl panties on and deal!!! LOL. She will have a gathering in January when everyone is more relaxed. It had just gotten so out of hand now with all the kids married and kids of their own, trying to go to this in law and to church..... IT was getting to be more hectic than enjoyable for me and my kids, so I said, not this year. Oh well.... life will go on LOL. I will have a more relaxing day this year!!! Ahhhhhh.....

AussieGirl · 12-08-2009, 09:06 PM

It does get crazy doesn't it Doreen, when we had our first child I said to everyone - thats it, no more travelling around to everyone's house for us, if you want to see us, you can come to us. I'm not going to drag the kids away from their presents as soon as they open them and then pile them into the car to visit Aunt so and so and be bored out of their minds all day. So the usual thing for us is the immediate family comes to our place (my niece is in her teens now so it's all about the younger ones), my GF (also the children's God Mother) drops in with whom ever she is seeing at the time lol I always forget their names I just can't keep up

and DH's good friend (children's God Father) has a holiday house near us (this year we will go to their holiday house just for a few drinks because they have a new baby - can't wait for a cuddle!). The kids like it better this way too, I usually catch up with everyone else somewhere between the week before Christmas and New Year.

I forgot about midnight mass - we used to always do midnight mass, not anymore I can't handle going to mass then getting the kids to bed and doing all the "secret" business........by the time we get to bed we only get two or three hours sleep before the kids wake up (why oh why do they wake so early on Christmas morning lol) and then I'm grumpy all day.

Doreen · 12-08-2009, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AussieGirl

It does get crazy doesn't it Doreen, when we had our first child I said to everyone - thats it, no more travelling around to everyone's house for us, if you want to see us, you can come to us. I'm not going to drag the kids away from their presents as soon as they open them and then pile them into the car to visit Aunt so and so and be bored out of their minds all day. So the usual thing for us is the immediate family comes to our place (my niece is in her teens now so it's all about the younger ones), my GF (also the children's God Mother) drops in with whom ever she is seeing at the time lol I always forget their names I just can't keep up

and DH's good friend (children's God Father) has a holiday house near us (this year we will go to their holiday house just for a few drinks because they have a new baby - can't wait for a cuddle!). The kids like it better this way too, I usually catch up with everyone else somewhere between the week before Christmas and New Year.

I forgot about midnight mass - we used to always do midnight mass, not anymore I can't handle going to mass then getting the kids to bed and doing all the "secret" business........by the time we get to bed we only get two or three hours sleep before the kids wake up (why oh why do they wake so early on Christmas morning lol) and then I'm grumpy all day.

My son was having the same problem with getting to midnight mass and getting the "secrets" under the tree and maybe something that still might need wrapping, LOL. I felt sorry for him and my DIL the most.

AussieGirl · 12-08-2009, 09:55 PM

I have to say I am really surprised by some of your replies......I just assumed you guys would all be having roasts, turkey or pumpkin pie lol (probably because of what is on American shows we get over here) what is that other stuff .....yams - what are yams?

bruinsBoxers · 12-09-2009, 08:00 AM

Yams are sweet potatoes .

For the last 7 years we travel for Christmas . So we do not spend Christmas eve or christmas day at home . It would just be too hard to spend the holidays without any family - yet it is still hard to pack 3 kids and a dog and drive for 7-8 hours or longer.

My Mom and I will make lots of cookies and the kids will help . So now that is the tradition for my kids - to make cookies with their grandma .
We usually have a ham dinner on Christmas . We spend half of Christmas with my family and the other half of the day with My in-laws .

We spend a few days so we can visit everyone . Then it is another long trip home to see what Sants has left at our house , so the kids get a second Christmas .

It is hard to travel every year and someday I know we will no longer do it , but for now while the kids are young we will tough it out .