topic 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions? in Off-Topic

🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Marjo — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 18:00:12 GMT

Hey guys,

My turn to write a Christmas topic. Well you might know I'm not super duper into Christmas, unlike @LukasB however in the past couple of years I've had some new traditions forming for how I celebrate and I've really enjoyed it.

1) One decoration hanging somewhere in the kitchen (a glittery Santa I got from Estonia)

2) Visiting boyfriend's family for 1-2 days (exhausting but lovely)

3) Delicious food and some nice mulled wine afterwards with some Netflix (or maybe Disney+ this year)

4) Little presents for my cats (catnip fish ordered!)

This year, of course the pandemic is going to affect this and many people's traditions but I hope we will manage to have a relaxing time somehow anyway. (See some lockdown Christmas activity discussion here)

I'm adding a 5th tradition to my list this year --> Christmas tree! I got a second-hand plastic one, also have a box of decorations for it including lights. It will be interesting to set it up with two cats in the house who've never before seen a Christmas tree. I'll let you know later in the decorations topic how it went.

Do you guys have any Christmas time traditions? Anything you've been doing for multiple years in a row, or perhaps in your childhood based on the traditions of your family?

Anyone have any different traditions from around the world that you like to do each year? Anyone do anything "unusual" during Christmas?

I've noticed since moving here that Christmas is celebrated mainly on the 25th (presents opened, main meal etc), whereas in Finland where I'm from the Christmas Eve on the 24th is the main day to celebrate. That's usually when Santa comes to visit and people get together in the evening to have a nice meal together, and the 25th is spent just relaxing. Also, I've noticed that ham is more popular than turkey when it comes to the Christmas food in Finland compared to here in the UK... after Christmas, we use the leftover ham to make ham & pea soup.

Looking forward to reading about your traditions, or any that you've read/heard about that you find interesting.

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 18:11:52 GMT

To be as miserable on that day as I am on the other 364.

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Mi-Amigo — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 18:17:34 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
To be as miserable on that day as I am on the other 364.

You ain`t miserable @Anonymous

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 18:33:42 GMT

If only you knew Mr Miami

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

jonsie — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 18:38:29 GMT

Always a tradition in this country...

Buying at an extortionate price, a 'bumper' television magazine

Settle down to plan the recordings whilst slowly looking through every page at every channel

I end up with recordings of anything un-Christmassy and then base my Prime, Disney+ and Netflix viewing around those.

A must to avoid is the Queen's speech, leaked days previously to the press by those closest to her

Or maybe it's the same people who leak all the Prime Minister's announcements days before

I refuse to believe Mystic Meg is the culprit!!

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Cleoriff — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 18:55:46 GMT

Mine have changed over the years @Marjo

When I was nursing, it depended what day I was working. (Either Christmas Day or Boxing day)

If I was at work on the 25th, the lads were up before me to open presents. Ray would cook something like steak and chips.

Then we would have Christmas lunch and all the trimmings on the day I was off duty.

I preferred to be off on Boxing Day actually, it wasn't as hectic.

If at work Christmas day, we bought presents for all the patients, had open visiting and the senior Consultant would come in to carve the turkey and dish up lunch. In those days, they preferred the Ward Sister to be at work.

That changed in the 70's, when many sisters were married with children, so you could be off on the 25th but work 26th.

When I went into management, we didn't work weekends or Bank Holidays so it was another change.

I would cook the traditional meal and have Mum and Dad here on the 25th.

This carried on even when the boys got married, so I catered for them along with wives and partners and our grandchildren..

Eventually, I said enough was enough and after cooking Christmas lunch for 40+ years, we then were invited to our sons.

For the past 5 years we have gone out for a meal on Boxing day (which is our Christmas)

This year it's different again. Our family bubble will come to ours on Boxing day and we will have a takeaway from the local carvery.

We had booked a meal out which is now cancelled.

So I will be looking for our festive Christmas tablecloth which is in a cupboard somewhere. , Sorting out xmas napkins and have bought some Christmas crackers and wine.

All back to square one, without me cooking and no doubt it will be a great day (as long as they don't stick around for hours after lunch)

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Mi-Amigo — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:14:02 GMT

Christmas - An Ode

My Christmas is just another day.

No-one here with whom to play.

No tinsel, no Christmas tree,

No girlfriend, kids, or family.

I`m not sad, nor depressed.

I`ll get up, washed and dressed.

Carer will come at breakfast time,

Get my food and check I`m fine.

I`ll then log on the Community and post

Happy Xmas to the folks who mean the most

Then lunch without paper hats and crackers

Which don`t really matter.

Carer will come and cook my tea

Plateful of veggie food for me.

Then I`ll curl up on the old settee

And check what`s to watch on TV.

After cups of tea and mince pies,

When tiredness starts to fill my eyes

I`ll wend my way off to bed

And before I rest my head

I`ll think of those out there -

Who help, make me laugh, and care

And at the end of Christmas Day

Say "Thank you. You mean more than words can say".

Happy Christmas everyone

from

@Mi-Amigo

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

jonsie — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:15:04 GMT

Beautiful words @Mi-Amigo

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Mi-Amigo — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:16:37 GMT

Thank you @jonsie

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Cleoriff — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:28:30 GMT

Lovely @Mi-Amigo

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Mi-Amigo — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:29:46 GMT

Thank you @Cleoriff

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:48:10 GMT

I still have my Christmas cards up from last year on an old 2nd had fancy pine shelf unit in my kitchen / diner

This year my cards (always put up as each one arrives) are on the kitchen windowsill where my cat ornaments are

Love Christmas cards ... the design on the front ... thinking about who the card has come from

My Christmas presents re-arranged after my bubble friends Christmas 'party' and present swap from the mother of my daughter-in-law ... = ... extremely anti-covid done as she has an op tomorrow

The Christmas wrapping paper and gift tag with maybe a seasonal gift bag ... thinking how kind and thoughtful the givers are

Best Christmasses have been when my son and I were together here ... always turkey dinner with full trimmings but something like a chocolate gateax to follow as my son does not like Christmas pudding ... enjoying Christmas cake with local Wensleydale cheese

Queen's Christmas speech at around 3pm then hopefully a half-way decent film

Buffet for tea ... no alchohol but something like Schloer then - non alcoholic wine nowadays

We have always opened our presents on Christmas morning after I have had a cuppa and mince pie for brekkie ... Alex would have had coca-cola with a few chocolate biscuits ... one year a snooker table ... Lego technic Challenger space ship ... still have the lovely tactile purple / clear paperweight he gave me ... another time a lovely rounded arch shape wooden surround mantelpiece clock, still on display ... another year garnet / gold earrings, which are very much valued, all his thoughtful / kind gifts are ...

Turkey rissoles on Boxing Day lunch with buffet again for tea ... perhaps a Vienetta to follow, not forgetting chocolate Yule Log

The cat of the time would have been our black cat Wispa who had toys and food treats of her own, but always played with the torn up wrapping paper and ribbon

Old Christmas decorations from the family home in West Yorkshire in high cupboards in my room = too difficult to get at now ... a plastic Christmas tree from Sharjah UAE wrapped up in an old sheet, decorated and put in copper tank cupboard, again now difficult to get into ... a pink Christmas tree with purple berry lights on, silver star on top permanently on dressing table in spare bedroom

Looking forward to Christmas this year, despite the strangeness of 2020

Everyone have a Happy Christmas and a Safe, Peaceful New Year xXx

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 21:17:06 GMT

Lovely poem @Mi-Amigo ... what a talented fellow you are

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Marjo — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 12:17:27 GMT

@Mi-Amigo quiz-master AND a great poet too! 👏 Lovely Christmas poem. Do you often write poetry?

@Anonymous I hope you have a relaxing week!

@jonsie I used to enjoy the TV schedule routine too. It was over 10 years ago though when I last watched "normal" television and had an actual TV. Now I have one again after I moved house though but just use it for Netflix, Prime and Disney+.

@Cleoriff That's lovely that you bought presents for the patients. Your plans sound lovely this year even though a bit different due to the current situation.

@Anonymous Oh yes I remember from last year(s) that you like to put up Christmas cards as decorations. I only have 3 (from my new neighbours) but I've displayed them in my kitchen too. One on the table and two on the wall.

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Mi-Amigo — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 13:16:50 GMT

@Anonymous and @Marjo thank you for your kind comments.

I used to write poems from when I was at school and even got a prize for an anti-war poem [influenced by Dylan and Donovan] in 1967. After that, I`ve occasionally written love poems for girlfriend at the time.

Never really found it hard to do. The words just seem to come to me or flow once I start - hard to explain really.

Re: 🎅🏻 🎄 What are your Christmas traditions?

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 17:45:44 GMT

Thanks M!