Ho ho ho !!! What did you all do on christmas ?

I spent it with my family and enjoyed watching the kids play with their new toys. It's a time to be with family and friends, to enjoy good food and fellowship. I imagine it's much like divali, Rahul.

Do you light crackers ...or decorate house with christmas trees and various other stars and sparkles ??

I am very sure it must be good.

There were only three of us....me, the Mrs and the youngest daughter...for Xmas dinner this year, so we settled for a large chicken, roast and boiled potatoes, sprouts, carrot & swede, spring cabbage....

However, between us we have eight kids and 15 grandkids...and they all seemed to call at one time or another....total madhouse, but fun!!!!

Much beer (me!!!) was consumed, along with lots of wine (Marilyn!) and alcopops (Kayleigh, youngest daughter).....the TV was on VH-1 all day, just Xmas songs blasting out....

The living room looked like a small tactical nuke had been set off.....unlike a normal A-bomb, which takes away everything and leaves a pile of rubble, this was a Xmas nuke - takes away presents and leaves a pile of wrapping paper.......

As always, we over-estimated how much food would be eaten, and as always, under-estimated how much beer was going to be drunk....

Oh and somehow the Tele and amp got left downstairs....so I had to belt out my rendition of "Merry Xmas Everybody".......

I think this is the first Boxing day in about 10 years I've actually had notes (plural!!!!) left in my wallet rather than change in my pocket....everybody got what they wanted, so I'm classing this as a GOOD one!!!!

New Years Eve is a different kettle of fish though....we've been put down for babysitting duties.....

Ah well, one of us will have to be sober....heh heh, Marilyn's turn this year.....

:D :D :D

Vic

Lights outside and decorations inside, including a lit and decorated Christmas tree under which Santa places the children's gifts. Stockings are hung and filled with sweets. Christmas cookies and sweets are around through the season, along with some warming alcoholic drinks -- rum, punch, whisky, pick your poison.

Special music -- carols, hymns, songs, etc.

In the month before Christmas, many of us celebrate Advent -- a penitential time of waiting for Christmas. Families have wreath with four candles. Each week another candle is lit until the week before Christmas all four burn. During the lighting, Bible passages are read and devotions said.

Fireworks, if used, are saved for ushering in the New Year.

I think there most be some archetypal similarities there to the festival of lights, aren't there?

And I forgot to mention....

One of the girls brought all her kid's Xmas presents here, we put them up in the loft.... Xmas Eve, she wanted to wrap them without the kids seeing, so I took them carol singing...took guitar, finger-picked Silent Night and Oh Come All Ye Faithful ......

The grandkids earned almost £40 in an hour and 1/2......they sang beautifully, and, though say it myself, I played pretty well.....I think they owe me a drink or two!!!!

(First time they've ever been....Lisa won't let them go on their own, they're 11 and 7 - and who can blame her these days? But I,m already booked for next Xmas eve!!!!!)

:D :D :D

Vic

My grandma came from the nursing home and i played the guitar and ate!!

hey tim , do you live in germany or usa ... i am always confused over this.

Also ...yes similarities are always there between the festivals which are celebrated by the masses.The whole nation is in a jolly mood.And christmas coupled with the new year makes it a perfect combination for LOTS and LOTS of enjoyment for you guys out there :wink:

Rahul

I had to work Christmas day. But when I got home, three of my sons and their families where waiting for me. The house is decorated inside and out. My wife loves decorating for christmas, it takes her a week to get the decorations up inside the house. We had smoked Turkey, ham, chestnut stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn pudding, collard greens, my grandma's famous jello and cream cheese salad, several pies and cakes & cookies, relishes. Got to spoil several of the grandchildren. The Sunday before was my big day. It's when I sang in the Christmas Cantata at church. It's my favorite event of the year. Nothing like singing while goose bumps are running all over you.

hey can we have some pics ?? if you don mind that is ...:wink:

Tim Madsen.....all that food sounds good, but no roast potatoes? And could you please translate from American to English, what are "collard greens?" - and I seriously hope that "my grandma's famous jello and cream cheese salad" should have a comma between "jello" and "and"......

Oh and our gravy was made with....

Some of the juice that came out of the chicken....2 X Chicken Oxo cubes...2 X Beef Oxo cubes....the water came from the sprouts and cabbage...thickened with cornflour...

It was delicious!!!!

:D :D :D

Vic

Tim Madsen.....all that food sounds good, but no roast potatoes? And could you please translate from American to English, what are "collard greens?" - and I seriously hope that "my grandma's famous jello and cream cheese salad" should have a comma between "jello" and "and"......

Oh and our gravy was made with....

Some of the juice that came out of the chicken....2 X Chicken Oxo cubes...2 X Beef Oxo cubes....the water came from the sprouts and cabbage...thickened with cornflour...

It was delicious!!!!

:D :D :D

Vic

No Vic, no roast potatoes. The Collard is in the cabbage family, it's a southern tradition, people from other parts of the U.S. would ask the question "you mean you eat those stinking things". They are very odiferous while cooking. Grandmas salad is made with lime jello and cream cheese, if I told you anymore I'd have to kill you :wink:

Well we had lunch consisting od Prawns , Ham , Chicken lots of other food and I mean lots .... Prawns in Australia is I believe Shrimp in America ...My favourite food ..

Our house has had lights up since December 1 and will come down January 5 same thing every year ...

After lunch we all played songs nothing better then making music with your own children ....

I caught up with 2 of my brothers have not seen each other for years that was nice ...

My wife does not play any instrument but she even belted out some Creedence Clearwater with my daughters playing along as she sang ...quite funny actually I think she may have had a little too much too drink ...

Then on the 26 th we watched the cricket drank more ales ( beer ) and now everyone is fairly well hung over and need more sleep.

AHope everyone else had as much fun as we did ..

Till next time I'm Lotto King

have a lovely day

Being single, I went to my sister's house for Christmas, there was a total of 11 of us there. She had lights outside and just a small tree inside since the kids are getting too big for 'Santa Claus', but it still had a mass of gifts underneath. She cooked a turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, cornbread dressing, a big salad and, of course, gravy & rolls. I contributed homemade Buffalo Chip cookies, Chocolate chip & pecan cookies, gingerbread, pound cake and fudge. I know I gained at least 4 lbs. just making the sweets, and probably another 4 after eating everything!! The kids got everything they wanted and, like Vic said, took the gifts and left all the wrapping paper scattered around the living room. The weather was warm this Christmas (we very rarely have a white Christmas, but usually it's at least cold.... but not this year! It was/is nearly 70 degrees F.!! All in all, it was a very nice Christmas!

(PS... we save the greens for New Year's Day........ black eyed peas for good luck and greens for money!!!)

So glad you had a nice Xmas Elecktrablue, but it looks like you missed out on the roast spuds as well....don't you do them over there?

And Tim Madsen - lime jello and cream cheese? sounds like fun...NOT!!! Then again, I think I'm the only living (debatale!) person I know who likes Stilton cheese.....

Stilton with pickled shallots on buttered crackers....ahhhhhhhh!!!!!

:D :D :D

Vic