Christmas Traditions
In addition to our massive gingerbread houses, my family -- like so many others -- has a handful of Christmas traditions.
It starts with the sweets. Hard candy, truffles, fudge, divinity, caramel. Cookies in various forms.
Then, there's the bread. Russian black bread and crescent rolls in particular, with any number of other recipes coming out as they fit with random family meals. This year, it's sourdough in abundance.
My family also does the real tree thing every year. When I was younger, it involved getting a permit and going out in the Hills to cut a tree or finding a cedar tree out on my grandparents' land. When I got older, it involved going to a tree farm just a few miles away. That's where my parents go now for their trees.
My mom is starting to suggest a fake tree more strongly because she's tired of vacuuming needles. We'll see what route that one goes.
Now, that's all before the 24th.
Christmas Eve is specific. Seafood gumbo and chili for supper, driving around looking at Christmas lights before and after we usher at the last candlelight service at church, peppermint stick ice cream afterwards and one gift before going to bed.
Hmm. I don't think I realized just how structured that is until just now.
Christmas morning, the kids get up first. When we were younger, it was because we were excited -- and we were usually up by 5AM. No joke. Now, it's because we have to get Mom and Dad's stockings out and it's not usually till 7AM. Then, one of us starts the first pot of coffee and the cinnamon rolls that Mom or I mixed up the night before. I'm pretty sure that one started because we were impatient little kids and cinnamon rolls were easy and had comparatively few dishes in the morning.
After breakfast (and, more now than ever, several more pots of coffee), we open presents. Stockings first, then the Others. Last year, we made it more of a process and started taking turns opening gifts instead of the free-for-all that it was previously ... Took a lot longer. It was a good change.
Eventually, we get around to making dinner. It's a lot like Thanksgiving -- turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, crescent rolls, green beans, sweet potatoes, pie. Everybody jumps in and helps cook. For dinner, all of the "good dishes" come out ... and then we argue about who has to do dishes, since the "good dishes" require hand washing. After we're done cleaning up, the afternoon usually involves cards or new games opened that morning, a movie or two, and leftovers.
Christmas Day is much more relaxed than Christmas Eve. Everything on our own schedule, unless we have company (which is much rarer now that my siblings, cousins and I are getting older).
Our traditions aren't huge (well, except the gingerbread houses) but they're quite reliably there. This year won't be any different -- in a few short hours, we'll sit down to eat, and then we'll all start getting ready for church. And tomorrow morning, you can bet that I'll be up bright and early to start breakfast.
I think I'm going to get back to the last of my gift wrapping and help Mom with dinner. With that, have a great evening, folks, and merry Christmas!
It starts with the sweets. Hard candy, truffles, fudge, divinity, caramel. Cookies in various forms.
Then, there's the bread. Russian black bread and crescent rolls in particular, with any number of other recipes coming out as they fit with random family meals. This year, it's sourdough in abundance.
My family also does the real tree thing every year. When I was younger, it involved getting a permit and going out in the Hills to cut a tree or finding a cedar tree out on my grandparents' land. When I got older, it involved going to a tree farm just a few miles away. That's where my parents go now for their trees.
My mom is starting to suggest a fake tree more strongly because she's tired of vacuuming needles. We'll see what route that one goes.
Now, that's all before the 24th.
Christmas Eve is specific. Seafood gumbo and chili for supper, driving around looking at Christmas lights before and after we usher at the last candlelight service at church, peppermint stick ice cream afterwards and one gift before going to bed.
Hmm. I don't think I realized just how structured that is until just now.
Christmas morning, the kids get up first. When we were younger, it was because we were excited -- and we were usually up by 5AM. No joke. Now, it's because we have to get Mom and Dad's stockings out and it's not usually till 7AM. Then, one of us starts the first pot of coffee and the cinnamon rolls that Mom or I mixed up the night before. I'm pretty sure that one started because we were impatient little kids and cinnamon rolls were easy and had comparatively few dishes in the morning.
After breakfast (and, more now than ever, several more pots of coffee), we open presents. Stockings first, then the Others. Last year, we made it more of a process and started taking turns opening gifts instead of the free-for-all that it was previously ... Took a lot longer. It was a good change.
Eventually, we get around to making dinner. It's a lot like Thanksgiving -- turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, crescent rolls, green beans, sweet potatoes, pie. Everybody jumps in and helps cook. For dinner, all of the "good dishes" come out ... and then we argue about who has to do dishes, since the "good dishes" require hand washing. After we're done cleaning up, the afternoon usually involves cards or new games opened that morning, a movie or two, and leftovers.
Christmas Day is much more relaxed than Christmas Eve. Everything on our own schedule, unless we have company (which is much rarer now that my siblings, cousins and I are getting older).
Our traditions aren't huge (well, except the gingerbread houses) but they're quite reliably there. This year won't be any different -- in a few short hours, we'll sit down to eat, and then we'll all start getting ready for church. And tomorrow morning, you can bet that I'll be up bright and early to start breakfast.
I think I'm going to get back to the last of my gift wrapping and help Mom with dinner. With that, have a great evening, folks, and merry Christmas!
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