Category: Let's talk
Hi all,
I was just sitting around and thinking of all of the christmas traditions that my family and I share. What are some of everyone's treditions that you all have? Ours is to go to my grandmother's house on christmas eve and watch santa go buy on the firetruck. An other one is that we are allowed to open one present christmas eve, and the rest christmas morning.This being at around 3 Am hahaha! We also all decorate the tree, which is great! The list goes on and on, but I just have a bad memory and can't remember anymore, so give me some of yours!
Hey :)
I will go back to Iceland for the holiday so I figured I'd let people in on some of our traditions (they are also on "Good Morning America" on Saturday apparently).
We celebrate Christmas starting 6pm on December 24th, most people go to church (we usualy don't, we're too hungry, we're going to try and go at midnight instead) and then go home to eat Christmas dinner. People eat mot often gooze or smoked pork, sort of like ham but a little more salty, I think this year we're having duck as my parents are obsessed with that idea. Then for dessert we usually have pudding but when we divide it into bowls we put a single peanut or almond into one of the bowls, the one who gets it has to hide in in his/her mouth and then when people are done eating they're supposed to figure out who it is. Whoever gets it gets an extra present, which is usually just a box of chocolate that everyone eats anyway but it's a fun tadition. Then we help clean off the table and do the dishes and then we get to open all presents. In Iceland we don't have Santa Klaus as such, we have 13 Christmas elfs, the first one comes to town on December 11th. They used to be mean and got their names from their pranks such as "door slammer", "candle stealer" etc, but now, if you're well behaved they give you candy in your shoe (or stalking) which you have to put in the window, if you're good .. if you're bad you get a moldy potato (I think I got one once). So for Christmas you know actually who's giving the presents (for the youngest people or those who believe in Santa, hey, may be he actually gives you the presnts but has left Iceland out of his busy schedule).
Then we read the Christmas cards, make fun of how lame they are and that we never talk to our relatives and then we go to bed. The 25th is usually reserved for big family get-togethers with lots and lots of people .. and of course, as such, extremely boring. We also go to our grand parents' graves and light a candle on them and put up crosses. :)
So, that's how things are over there, a little different, I'd apprecaite a detailed ddescription of how you guys celebrate as I've only been here once for Christmas and I was just working and then packing to go home. :)
cheers
-b
On Christmas eve, my aunt usually has a small party for whoever wants to come, and she makes appetizers, and gets cocktail shrimp and her boyfriend brings Becks beer, of which i don't endulge. Christmas day, we usually go over to another aunt's house, eat a huge dinner, watch the kids open presents, then we have a grab bag, kind of a gift swap, for anyone who doesn't know.
Basically, everybody picks a number, and when your number's up, you have the option of picking an unopened gift, or choosing one that's already been opened, at which time, the person who you take the gift from has to pick a new one from under the tree. The person who draws number 1 gets to go again at the end, and pick from all the opened gifts, or keep his or her own.
Then, we all go home and crash...Pretty boring Christmas, huh?
My family and I usually have a Christmas dinner at my grandparents on Christmas Eve. I always open at least 1 gift on Christmas Eve.
Well, midnight mass is the norm for us, after which we have a few beers or some mulled wine or whatever. Christmas day usually sees us have a bleedin' good christmas lunch, with the kids opening presents either before or after (I forget the precise order) but after all that's been concluded it's usually high time to watch corronation street, eastenders and the weakest link, as well as Only Fools and Horses and the other sitcom christmas specials. Evening we usually have turkey sandwiches I guess with port and wine etc. and usually a game of monopoly which degenerates into an argument as we're all unscrupulous businessmen. Boxing day is a huge event chez nous as well, there's football on the telly all day and it's a big day of racing as well, at Kempton Park they run the King George VI chase so we have a bit of a flutter on that. and then it's over....
Indeed, Boxing Day in Iceland is very much like LawLord describes. We watch the same English football (soccer for those politically correct once on the west side of the Atlantic pond) and slouch around, watching other sitcoms and at night there is some major partying going on. This year since Boxing Day falls on a Sunday those ight be a bit dampened, although I certainly hope this will not be the case .. unless it's a case of lager.
Cheers
-B
wow I never realized that christmas was so different around the globe! I really enjoy reading these.The 13 elves thing is wicked!
well, let me tell you some other silly traditions we have.
The elfs' mother is called "Gryla" and she is a wicked troll with 5 heads (well number of heads depends on the legends actually) she comes and collects kids who behave exceptionally badly and put them into her saucepan for her stew. Their pet is the Christmas cat. It is big and ugly and it goes around eating those children that got no new piece of clothing for Christmas. Therefore we still make suer everyone gets some new clothing for Christmas, even a sock will do . We still are very strict about this tradition. We haven't seen this cat lately, perhaps it's been sent to Iraq but we don't want to take the chance .
cheers
-B
Wildebrew I'm dlad you get so see some quality football on boxing day. Do you get the racing as well?
Hmm, I can't remember LL. We get Formula 1, that's our big thing and the only racing we get :) so if you are meaning any sort of racing beisdes F1, be it horses or cars, no we don't. :) Well most Icelanders have access to Eurosport and Sky by now so, yes we do, but on national tv, no.
well all we do for Christmas: bake cookies, put the tree up and visit family.
I've enjoyed reading about the Christmas traditions here. For me, Christmas traditions are changing with my family. My brother and twin sister have recently gotten married, and every other year, my twin goes off to Minnessota to celebrate with her in-laws. This is her year to go, nd I won't see her at all, which is different for me. My dad usually procrastinates and goes to get all the Chiristmas gifts on Christmas Eve, so only God knows when Christmas will be with him. Mom usually makes Christmas brunch in the morning of Christmas, and then we open gifts. I usually go to Midnight mass, also. Then, we clean up and get everything out for relatives to come. I usually spend Christmas Eve helping my mom prepare stuff and watching her yell at my stepdad, "Get out of the kitchen." My stepdad has no patience for recipes, reading or anything like that. We're still figuring out how or when we will see my other sister, and then I come back to work. And thats'sd Christmas in a nutshell for me.
wow thats wonderful! Christmas sounds like a great time for all of you! This elf stuff is halarious! That sucks that your sister won't be there for christmas.
Christmas traditions are changing with my family, since everyone is getting married and having kids. I also live out of town, so that doesn't help, either. I try and go to Midnight Mass every year. Since my dad procrastinates and doesn't do his Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve (last year, he boasted that it took him 30 minutes to shop for all of us), I'm not usre when we will see him or my other sisters. My twin goes to celebrate with her in-laws in another state, and I won't see her at all. My mom usually prepares Christmas breakfast, which includes my all-time favorite of hash brown casserole, then we open presents. Then the relatives come for Christmas dinner, and we usually play a game. the guys go downstairs to watch sports, and the little kids play on the bowling machine that's down there. And that's Christmas in a nutshell for me. I've enjoyed reading everyone else's Christmas traditions.
Falling on my arse on the skating rink in George Square 3 years in a row now.smile.
Hmm visiting our Italian Mamma and having a damned good time in ahouse free from carol singing and twee crimbo nonsense,instead we have Maria Callas and good rosso vino the Italians know how to enjoy themselves.grin
Then after a few days rest we go to Failte the best pub in Glasgow and get the Irish slant on things,the Pogues giving it what for on the stereo and great craic,what else could you want.
Falling on my arse on the skating rink in George Square 3 years in a row now.smile.
Hmm visiting our Italian Mamma and having a damned good time in ahouse free from carol singing and twee crimbo nonsense,instead we have Maria Callas and good rosso vino the Italians know how to enjoy themselves.grin
Then after a few days rest we go to Failte the best pub in Glasgow and get the Irish slant on things,the Pogues giving it what for on the stereo and great craic,what else could you want.
Hey. My family and I go to my grandmother's on christmas eve, too :) We go to church at 10, and then come back here at midnight to open our presents :D
On Christmas Eve, we go to my Grandma's for dinner, and to open presents and to visit. Then on Christmas day we stay home, and open gifts and just spend the day together. Sometimes if my Grandma invites us up we go there, but we just normally stay home on Christmas day and enjoy eachother and the presents and it also gives us time to sit and reflect on the year.
wow! Opening presents at midnight would be awesome! I like how all of you go to ur grandmother's to, thats cool!
On Christmas Eve we go to my Nanna's house where we eat some kind of seafood and open presents. On Christmas Day, we open more presents and go to church in the morning, then have Christmas dinner at my house. I still leave cookies and milk out for Santa and my brother and I allways sing Christmas songs and read stories before going to bed on Christmas Eve.
awww, thats cool! I use to leave carrots for santa, lol!
Well, we always go to my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve. Usually my cousins and various relatives are there--aunts, uncles, etc etc. We eat, talk, open presents, etc. Then, we drive home and usually stay up enjoying our presents for awhile. When I was younger, this would be the time when I would put out Oreos and mil for Santa. Then, on Christmas Day, I wake up bright and early and shake my sister awake. She always promises to get up right when I wake her the night before, but she never does. Then she tells me to go back to bed, for crying out loud. I do, and then I come back in awhile and she finally drags herself up. We go wake my parents, but usually they refuse to come down for another hour. Finally, they do, and we open presents and eat a lazy breakfast. Then we go to my mom's family's house and eat and talk. That's pretty much it.
my older sisters use to wake me up, lol!
Yeah, I like the idea of my family opening them all at 12 :) That way, we all get to sleep in :)
it's true!