How do you celebrate X-mas?

[LeafLover]

Usually Christmas Eve I go to my parent's house then my in-laws. Lots of eating, lots of laughter, but goes by so quick. We pack up the kids and gifts then go home and that's when we put the milk and cookies in front of the fire place. I digress.....half cup of milk and half eaten cookies.

Christmas Day is when the fun starts. The kids wake us up, we all brush our teeth and we sit in the family room. Video camera recording, we pass out presents and open. That's when the whole stress of X-mas pays off. We finish it off with a great Christmas breakfast. Don't know what my wife and daughters are planning to make this year. Then the whole day we veg, take naps, and watch them enjoy their gifts.

[First Lady]

Our family tradition is we spend the day at one of the aunties houses and every year it changes, next year it is at my house as I now take mums turn as she gets exhasted doing everything for the day and also with the extended family no longer has enough room (my fathers fault as the house isnt big enough - they have only been in this house for 51 years LOLOL )

We swap presents the weekend before Christmas so we can open our gifts at home on the morning but this year Frank and I have Dominic to share this fun occasion so we are so excited

Christmas day is made up of my aunties and lots of cousins and their children, food for 100 people (our sunties and mum feel like they have failed if there is just enough food LOLOL ) seafood - prawns, Moreton Bay Bugs (you have to try them), anitpasto to start off with, Roast ham, Poretta, Turkey and fifteen types of sald and Vegies... after all that we have a tropical fruit platter, My Christmas cake which I have been drowning with Rum since October with Brandy Custard and other cakes... the afternoon is spent moaning and laying around saying we are going to be sick but as soon as someone says would anyone like some nuts or more food it is amazing how we can all find the room

Time with our extended family is my favourite time of the year as it is when we catch up and have a ball.... can't wait only 13 more days

Have a awesome day everyone

Love me

[Rushman]

This season is for the kiddos for sure. Wife and I don't have any.

Wife is Mexican and Christmas is really all about the meal with family on Christmas eve.

---

I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=20.631830,-87.070750

[Puros Y Vino]

Usually Christmas Eve with my mother and brothers and then Christmas day with the in-laws. My mother is in a retirement home this year so we're not sure how it will play out. We'll probably just visit. It won't be the same as the home will provide the meal. She used to cook up a storm. Being religious, she'd cook seafood only for XMas Eve. Some grouper and salmon steaks, cacciatore style, breaded and fried smelts in vinegar, spaghetti with tomato sauce and clams. And of course the old Italian staple, baccala!! (battered and fried salted cod for the uninitiated) . Add in a handful of veggie dishes and that'd be it. I'd have leftovers for a week!! Christmas day is usually turkey at the in-laws.

[iamphilzone]

This year we are going to Vegas for the BSU vs Washington MAACO Bowl. Then some time at Casa Fuente and Rhumbar! Very traditional

[JohnnyC]

Christmas Eve is always at our home. My beautiful wife and I prepare a feast for my In Laws and friends. Start off with an assortment of different cheeses, as well as goose liver pate, prossiutto and kielbasa. The main course this year will feature Lasagna, followed by Prime Rib. For dessert we have a variety of pies ( peaches, apples or cherry made fresh during the summer then frozen ). Many bottles of wine along with Cognac will be consumed ( by the natural fireplace ). Being that my Wife is of Italian descent we top it off with espresso ( with a touch of Grappa ) Crostli and cooked chestnuts. Family and Friends that is what the holidays mean to me.

[jacktarnold]

This year we are spending Christmas Eve with my wife's family. They are pretty hillbilly so it consists of shooting guns and eating food. Then Christmas morning we open presents as a family and them will go to my mother's house and have Christmas with her. Then pass out on the couch and recoup from the crazy two days.

[dangolf18]

Probably will see a movie and get some good dim sum. Jewish Christmas stereotypes are all true!

[GernBlansten]

Raclette's here at the house on Christmas eve featuring: potatoes, a variety of sausages, gherkins, pearled onions and a few peppers. Add a couple of bottles of red wine and we're generally good to go. Open presents on Christmas morning with several cups of french press. If family can make it, they are always welcome! Sometimes we'll have a friend over who's family is too far away or are just solo.

[mazolaman]

A Traditional English Christamas....

We get hammered to Bachanalian extent on anything that comes within arms reach,

then rush out to give a shiny new sixpence to a passing young street urchin.

Gawd bless us, one and all!!!!

[jsd]

One word...Pebernodder. It's a Danish Christmas cookie. We have two days of great food and gifts but the highlight for me is, and always has been peberbodder (since I was a kid I have always pronounced it Pibbeneer).

[Fuzz]

One word...Pebernodder. It's a Danish Christmas cookie. We have two days of great food and gifts but the highlight for me is, and always has been peberbodder (since I was a kid I have always pronounced it Pibbeneer).

Just Googled that. Very interesting. Will have to try to find some of these in Aus if possible.

[Hypersomniac]

Our family usually goes to Mass on Christmas Eve, followed by a dinner of steak and lobster, and then we open presents. On Christmas day, we go to where my grandma, aunt, and uncle live and spend time with a bunch of our extended family. While mainly the same, this Christmas will be a little different, as my brother is now a priest, and my dad is now a deacon.

[Drguano]

My wife and I often spend Christmas Eve on a plane over the Atlantic heading for Ireland to visit her daughter in Dublin. This year I don't know if I can get time off so I will probably spend the evening with friends, then fire up the porch heater and burn the old Yule (Cuban) Log. Chinese food sounds good for Christmas Day but I'll probably grill a steak and share it with the cats.

[Nino]

My wife is "arch-tipically" German and loves Christmas, the spirit, the decorations, the food, the songs, the family reunions, the candles, all about it.

She's been making biscuits and cookies and Christmas preparations already when I was still in Cuba and still is.

Me - Spanish breed, no relation to Christmas as we mostly just have a family dinner and that's it, feel odd those days.

Presents are given out on Jan. 6-th in our tradition, not much snow either, not much that I remember as being "Christmas tradition".

So I always would request a flight and be away so I didn't have to "endure" the German Christmas time while I was still flying.

This year my wife encouraged me to fly away as I used to do, so I'll be in China, as far away from Christmas as you can get and smoke a few cigars on Shamian island in Guangzhou, a favourite spot of mine after a few days in Hong Kong having great food and better cigars.

Mind you : Guangzhou is THE Christmas capital of the world, 95% of all Christmas decorations come from there.

But they are all exported and you hardly notice anything :-)

Fine by me.

[Orion21]

Family . Family . Family . FOOD

We generally have a very large Christmas every year. This year is the first year my wife and I are hosting (having a new born baby does that). We bought our tree just days after Thanksgiving and it's dead already -- going to buy a new one this weekend, grrrrrr (good cigar money down the drain!). I am responsible for cooking a 15-18lb prime rib for a group of about 30 people, but luckily there will be two hams in addition. Thank you to David, brazoeagle, for generously sending me what looks to be a killer recipe for the prime rib. I will be doing a test run this weekend

What I am most looking forward to is seeing my two year old son really get to participate in Christmas for the first time. Last year he was just over 1 and didn't really get it. This year he knows what presents are and will have fun opening his gifts. I also can't wait to see my 3 month old little girl dressed up in her Christmas dress we bought her. Life is good

[PigFish]

Lisa can I come to "mum's" house this year??? That sounds like a great Christmas!!!

I usually smoke a cigar or two. I listen to the music of Christmas almost all day, especially Handel's Messiah. Often times if the weather is nice I take my coffee down to the horse corrals and have a nice smoke with the mares as they munch on their grass.

This year I will likely spend some time working on a new humidor project. Nothing like building a new humidor, smoking and listening to Christmas carols to put you in a good mood!!!

Piggy

[canadianbeaver]

Of course Piggy! You will love it at our house up north... giant hot tub, cigars and scotch. What's not to like?

[Drguano]

Looks like I will be spending Christmas over the Atlantic after all. No flights into Dublin on the 25th so I'll either fly there from Atlanta or by way of Amsterdam or Paris and arrive in time for the Boxing Day sales.

[Diamondog]

[thechenman]

With booze lots and lots of it...

[smokum]

Calamari, polpo , shrimp, baked clams, mussels, ...no meat at all on the Eve. Lasagna, stuffed shells, pizza. Several very unusual home made cookies like cuccidati, giugiulena, cartedati...these last ones my family only made at Christmas time and are covered with a syrup of boiled down sweet vincotta. an acquired taste !I remember as a child bitching about having spaghetti sauce with mussels. Never liked the taste. Now that they are all gone I cherish it. It's kind of a link to the past. Fruits , nuts, basically eat till you drop.