If you celebrate Christmas, how will you spend the day?

[aviastar]

My Boyfriend and I will be attending church in the morning with my family- his family is not religious and he attends with me exactly two times a year, Christmas and Easter. Then home to my house, where his parents will join us for gift exchanging and Christmas dinner: brown sugar baked ham, scalloped potatoes, southern green beans, rolls, sweet potato casserole, cranberry salad, and pie.

The the two of us will then be leaving for our week long vacation- our gift to each other

 

[sparklyheart]

I celebrate Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve.. We go to church, have dinner, then open presents. On Christmas day, I will be working for the first half then going to a family friend's house for a little celebration with them.. It's become an annual thing that I just can't miss out on!

 

[Okie_girl]

I'll be cooking my first Christmas dinner this year. Well, at least the first one where it is completely my responsibility to get folks fed. My mother passed away 12 days before Christmas last year, and in the last few years of her life, she really wasn't able to do all the cooking, but she would sit at her "command post" in the kitchen and direct me and my dad, so this is the first year I'll be doing it without her help. Last Christmas was a total blur, and while I know we will have some sad moments this year, I'm hoping that things are a little merrier this year.

Geez, sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, but the first anniversary of her death is just around the corner, and it's weighing heavily on me these days.

ETA: there WILL be some good times...my brother, SIL, two nieces, my nephew and his pregnant wife (yippie, a great-niece!) will be coming for Christmas dinner. We'll eat (if my dinner is edible) and open presents, and then just hang out for a while and hopefully eat some more!

 

[Mayk]

Flying from Florida to Seattle with my husband, daughter, step daughter and step son following a day later to hang out with my family... Not the best day to fly but I will be with my mom on Christmas night!!! Priceless!!!

 

[violet3]

At my aunt's house with my mom's side of the family - xmas eve with my hubby's side.

 

[Skippy123]

We are going to my parents with the twin boys; it will be there 1st Christmas so hubby and I are excited about that!!! hehe They won't know what is going on but it sure has been fun (for the parents) dressing them in santa hats and having them hold candy canes.

 

[diamondringlover]

Christmas Eve we spend with my family, Christmas morning we open our presents and then its off to my husbands family for a small get together in the early afternoon, Christmas night is usually just us chilling out, sometimes I make a large dinner, other times I dont, it depends on how late we eat lunch...its always a great day, I love the holidays!

 

[bee*]

On Christmas Eve, we meet my family for lunch in a restaurant and then we all go into the city center for a walk around and some tea. We usually meet up with my in-laws there and they'll join us for a cup of tea and then DH and I go back to their house and we have dinner and do pressies with them that night. On Christmas morning, we all (my family and my inlaws) go to mass and then we visit my granny's grave (DH's granny is buried just behind my granny which is a bit of a coincidence) and DH's granny's grave. Myself, DH, Amber and Manolo all go to my parents then for dinner and to watch films and play games. We go back to our own house later in the evening so we can drop back our furbabies and then we go to DH's parents for a drink. After that we've had enough of family for a few days

 

[purselover]

I discovered two Christmas's ago that the holidays are a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable if they don't revolve around my in-laws. Therefore we are celebrating an early Christmas this Saturday with my parents and in-laws all together. On Christmas eve DH and I plan on strolling through the city to see Christmas decorations since we still haven't made the time, then we are spending the evening with our friend's family. On Christmas I plan on starting our morning with mimosas and breakfast pizza (the pizza is a tradition of DH's mom) and then we will watch lots of Christmas movies and I will make us a nice dinner and dessert. My parent's will be across the country for Christmas and DH's parents are welcome to come visit us if they want that day - but I will not be traveling, it's not worth the hassle! The next day will be our two year wedding anniversary which I also have special plans for.

 

[Autumnovember]

Usually we do sushi and go see the Christmas light show that is by my house and then we go and rent a bunch of movies and get lots of popcorn/candy and be fat

This year we'll be in Mexico for our honeymoon during Christmas.

 

[tuffyluvr]

We spend Christmas eve with my guy's family. We have tamales and champagne (what a dichotomy!), and sit around laughing, maybe watch a movie, and exchange some gifts. It's ultra-casual and fantastic!

Christmas day I go to my dad's. He is remarried and his wife will cook dinner. She sucks at life, but more than anything she sucks at cooking. She makes the same meal every year. And every year it's god-awful. The menu is relatively challenging, but a solid home cook could easily pull it off. The real issue is the fact that it's far too ambitious for someone who cooks exactly once a year. And LOATHES cooking.

First course: caramelized onion tarte. Its very eggy--creamier than a quiche. The last several years it has been very undercooked and when plated is an unappealing mess of runny goo.

Second course: radicchio salad with balsamic vinaigrette and walnuts. Typically she dresses it (and salts the sh!t out of it) at least an hour before dinner is served so it's warm and the walnuts become weird and chewy.

Main: prime rib, scalloped potatoes, yorshire pudding and veg. She and her parents hate rare meat, so she pretty much turns it to leather. She tried to cook it to an internal temp of 200 degrees last year. My dad pleaded for her to take it out at 180. For reference a nice med rare prime rib should cook to about 130. And the potatoes are weird, starchy, still-crunchy and served in a soup of hot cream with garlic. Surprisingly the Yorkshire puddings are quite good! The star of the meal!

Dessert: her mom's red velvet cake. Right out of the box with canned frosting, mmmmm!

If you are feeling sorry for this woman because "she's trying!", let me add that she hates doing it and is a total martyr about it. She refuses to go out to a nice dinner, or let me cook (I would LOVE to!), AND she spends at least $500 on ingredients--she always gets a $300 roast from Bristol Farms. Only ruin the best!

This may sound like a bratty rant, but, honestly, it's so bad it's comical!!!

 

[Maisie]

I'll be cooking my first Christmas dinner this year. Well, at least the first one where it is completely my responsibility to get folks fed. My mother passed away 12 days before Christmas last year, and in the last few years of her life, she really wasn't able to do all the cooking, but she would sit at her "command post" in the kitchen and direct me and my dad, so this is the first year I'll be doing it without her help. Last Christmas was a total blur, and while I know we will have some sad moments this year, I'm hoping that things are a little merrier this year.

Geez, sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, but the first anniversary of her death is just around the corner, and it's weighing heavily on me these days.

ETA: there WILL be some good times...my brother, SIL, two nieces, my nephew and his pregnant wife (yippie, a great-niece!) will be coming for Christmas dinner. We'll eat (if my dinner is edible) and open presents, and then just hang out for a while and hopefully eat some more!

I'm sorry that you lost your mother. Especially at a time like Christmas which is all about family. I am sure you will do a wonderful job at making dinner. You were taught by the best! Hugs!

 

[tuffyluvr]

Aww, sorry to hear you are having a tough one this year, OkieGirl. It's great that you got to cook with your mom. Cooking is a wonderful way to memorialize someone. I lost my mom to cancer when I was 19--over 13 years ago--and whenever I cook certain recipes it's like she is with me.

 

[soocool]

It gets more difficult as the kids get older, but my sister and I and our immediate families will be together with my dad (in his 80s) on Christmas Eve. Christmas day DD will be home and her boyfriend will come over for brunch and later they are going to his folks for dinner. My sister is going to her son's house for Christmas with my dad and we will probably stop over and then bring dad home with us. Depending on the weather we will probably stop at Peddler's Village and see if the gingerbread houses will be open for viewing (my dad's favorite) and perhaps take a stroll through the village and enjoy the village all lit up.