Winter Holiday Traditions

It always bothered me that the tune to 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' was different.  Mind you, I quite like the British tune but it's not the Bing Crosby version.  I believe the original song was written by Rector Philips Brooks of Philadelphia and his church organist.  To my mind, the American tune is more suited to the lyrics -- more peaceful.

I totally agree!  I know there are a few other carols, or general hymns, that use different tunes than we're used to in the U.S., and for the most part, it doesn't bother me.

But I just can't listen to the UK version of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem.'  I literally switch the station if it comes on.  For whatever reason-- and I enjoy the tune itself, having used it with other hymns-- I just find it really jarring.

My family gets together with other families on Christmas Eve and its always a Themed Night -fancy dress and food.  This year is Mexican (yay!!) and I'm going home for the first time in many Christmases so I am very excited!

I always have to have Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes as part of my run up to Christmas. Mmm, full of fake things and lots of refined sugars and bad fats, but I love them!  If I'm not in the US anywhere near xmas, shipping is my friend. 

We didn't have any other traditional Christmas food growing up, except my Mom's scalloped potatoes.  Thanksgiving was for tradition but Christmas was for making lots of decadent stuff -but based upon whatever my Mom fancied/found on sale/could be arsed doing.

Living in South Florida for almost 7 years, I loved all the Cuban-Puerto Rican-Latin-Carribean food that always came out at our Christmas parties.  I would love to have some of that stuff right now! 

In the UK I am a big lover of Christmas cake, mince pies (we often had a mincemeat pie for Thanksgiving, but a big one not the bitty size ones), and my friend makes a stunning Christmas pudding.    Kilted Pigs/Pigs in a Blanket are heavenly.   

Love all the port-sherry-booze offers this time of year and I enjoy a good glug of mulled wine or a snowball.  Big fan of all the Christmas beers out now.   

Mmmm..food......  booze..........

Panto!! Love going to the Panto!

Doing lots of Christmas Caroling myself right now, with the brass band.  Love doing it! (Have been doing carolling of some ilk on the trombone since I was 10)  Normally go carol singing with the choral society, but I'm not doing it this year as it clashes with a few things.

J's family does board games on Christmas night, no telly in sight, which is very fun.   My family usually ends up watching home videos of Christmas pasts.

J's family just all opens up all the presents at once. No one can really see who got what, which I am disappointed in, because I like their face when they open it up.  But I go with it, because that's how they do it.

In my family, for gift unwrapping, we go one at a time.  We drink coffee with Baileys and get slightly tipsy whilst doing so.   The youngest chooses first for whoever to open and then whoever opened picks the next one. It takes ages and ages to open everything. Not because we got crazy and overboard on the gifts, but just that we have a big family and we all spend lots of time oooing and ahhing and laughing. 

I don't mind traditions and making new ones or even mixing it all up and doing new things.  Whever I am and whoever I'm with and whatever I'm doing, I am to make it fun and festive. 
 

J's family just all opens up all the presents at once. No one can really see who got what, which I am disappointed in, because I like their face when they open it up.  But I go with it, because that's how they do it.

In my family, for gift unwrapping, we go one at a time.  We drink coffee with Baileys and get slightly tipsy whilst doing so.   The youngest chooses first for whoever to open and then whoever opened picks the next one. It takes ages and ages to open everything. Not because we got crazy and overboard on the gifts, but just that we have a big family and we all spend lots of time oooing and ahhing and laughing. 

THIS!  My husband's family just opens their presents as they are handed out and it throws me off.  I love spending the whole morning going around the family circle watching everyone open their presents.  Definitely a tradition that I hope to continue when I have children.

Stockings vs pillow cases!  I had a stocking made by my Grandma with my name embroidered on it.  Hung it over the fireplace every year.  DH had a pillow case (don't think he got any more in it) on the foot of his bed.

My kids each had a stocking (starting with baby ones crocheted by Grandma) and I would put a small satsuma in the toe of each, a candy cane (sent over by my mother), a bag of chocolate coins, small gifts, and usually a new toothbrush  !!  We had no fireplace so they had to hang them on the shelf over the telly 

Stockings vs pillow cases!  I had a stocking made by my Grandma with my name embroidered on it.  DH had a pillow case (don't think he got any more in it)  Guess what my kids had!

A pillowcase makes it easy to rip off the pillow to have at the foot of the bed for Father Christmas   


Christmas Day didn't even become a public holiday in Scotland until the 1950s and Boxing Day in the 1970s!  Traditionally quite quiet in Scotland for Christmas because of the Church of Scotland, with Hogmanany getting the limelight.   

Christmas Day didn't even become a public holiday in Scotland until the 1950s and Boxing Day in the 1970s!  Traditionally quite quiet in Scotland for Christmas because of the Church of Scotland, with Hogmanany getting the limelight.   

I remember when New Year's Day was not a holiday in England!

I remember when New Year's Day was not a holiday in England!

Hehehe!
Thanks to New Year's being such a big thing up here, I sure enjoy my 4 public holidays this time of year!!!     

I suppose in yesteryears Christmas in the US was never OTT either?  I was pretty horrified when I was in the US for work a few weeks ago that there were houses all decked up in mid November and there were radio stations blaring Christmas music since goodness knows when (I remember one said radio station just used to play some  Christmas music on Christmas Eve/Day but now they start in October or something silly like that!)
 

I'm getting some awesome ideas for some new traditions

Crimbo... that's the first time I've heard that!

DH and I may celebrate our Christmas before the actual holiday. We are thinking about going to a dinner and masquerade ball type dealie hosted in town. He usually has to work on the holidays if someone calls in sick, so planning anything... well we can't count on it happening! I'd like to make some loco moco though. Yes, it's a plate of heart attack, but boy is it good and I've not had it in forever! Maybe some holiday loco moco lunch!

I'm a big fan of making cookies. Although we never eat all of them and they go to waste even giving them to friends. Does anyone know if you can donate home baked things to nursing homes and such? I know a lot of residents have different dietary needs.

Was not aware of loco moco! Wow!

With all this talk of the Christmas meal, no one has mentioned the most divisive question asked at any UK Christmas table. Would you like some Brussels sprouts?

On Christmas carols; being on the sombre side, I now have two new favourite carols. 'Once in Royal David's City' and 'In the Bleak Mid-winter'. I have heard them played on US radio and TV, but only on classical stations/programmes.

And finally, my contribution to establishing new UK traditions for the Christmas meal.

I sat through  3 or 4 family Christmas lunches in the UK (before I was part of the family). This was in the 80's, and the food was boring. Once married into the family, and with Christmas at our house, three new ingredients were added: Stove Top dressing, real turkey gravy, and extra moist Duncan Hines chocolate cake. The adults now demand the Stove Top, and there is a major panic on this year regards the cake. I haven't been back to the States in two years, and the supply has dwindled. The nieces and nephews are insistent they have Uncle OAP's chocolate cake. The Christmas meal can't go on without it, full stop. Amazon to the rescue. The gravy...meh.

With all this talk of the Christmas meal, no one has mentioned the most divisive question asked at any UK Christmas table. Would you like some Brussels sprouts?

YES! Oh My God. I am a convert as of 3 years ago. I used to think they had to be gross because of how my parents cooked them, boiled/steamed in vinegar. gross. If they're halved, tossed in oil with cracked pepper and salt, then roasted in the oven until they're crispy edged and tender. *drools* soooo good.

The only food DH truly detests is Brussels, so never a problem with us.  I don't mind them if they're lightly cooked -- not turned to grey mush.

Reminds me of the 'Vicar of Dibley' Christmas show where Geraldine gets stuck with having Christmas lunch with all her parishioners.  Stuffing Brussels in her face 

Ahh, I love Brussells sprouts. They are brilliant and fresh right now, happy eating for many meals, not just the Christmas ones.    They are an amazing vegetable, especially the purple ones.