How do you celebtrate christmas?

[Albatros]

Hi there,

in this forum are people from all over the world and I really enjoy that. I would like to know which christmas tradition is typical in your country/city/family? I'm really curious. So just tell me.

Okay, I live in Germany and we have a couple of things which are special for the christmas season. One thing is the christmas fair. Its like a fair just without a Ferris wheel.
You can buy lots of christmas knick knacks, punch (dt. Glühwein - lecker!), candy or winter clothes. The market is in the open air, so it's cold most of the time. But that's no problem because of the punch! ;-)
At home we arrange and decorate the christmas tree in the morning of the 24th. Everybody puts the presents under the tree. Which will be opened in the afternoon (same day). We have two christmas holidays and most of the time I just eat, drink and sleep. Very cosy!

Okay that's it for now. Tell me, how do you celebrate christmas??

[frenzl]

FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!

[Zelda]

Our family decends on a hotel in town for a huge buffet lunch. This is after a lazy morning of opening presents and eating the obligatory box of chocolate. The afternoon is spent in my hammock, with a new book, dozing.

[Iwant2bafencer]

Germany? Drool worthy.
Christmas in Germany? Even more drool worthy.

Christmas eve sometimes we go to church, or that night we each open one Small present as a starter, then bed.
Let's see Christmas morning usually consists of me
a) diving onto my parents bed and jumping up and down like a little girl saying 'mommy daddy it's Christmas, time to get up!'
b) Opening their door saying 'get up' then grining and walking out
c) waiting for them or get up or vis versa.
then after the passage where Christ is born is read from the Bible, we open gifts which is quite the event. Then we eat breakfast, and chill really. Do whatever we want. T
hen the day after is where it gets mean. We fight the crowds and go shopping.

[Nusy]

Hungarian traditions are taken from many cultures...
We have Christmas tree, of course. There's a Christmas fair (here at Budapest - the capital - it's in the heart of the city, at Vörösmarty tér) at open air. Hot wine with sweet spices, craftsmen selling their goods, music - I love it!
On Christmas Eve (Szenteste (Holy Night)) we light the light guirlandes on the tree and give each other the presents. On Christmas Day (Karácsony napja) we invite our relatives, friends for lunch. The usual meal is fish soup, which is usually VERY hot&spicy (one of my English friends told me it's like poison... or sulphuric acid. Concentrated.).
On Boxing Day (Karácsony másnapja) there's the second invasion of the kinspeople... Pork is usually served, white and black pudding, etc.
For cookies, we make honey biscuits (mézeskalács). In Hungary they're shaped specially (as souvenirs they come in the whole years shaped like Hungarian folk-dressed people, Hungarian horseman (huszár), etc.). I don't really like its taste (like many people), so many families don't make honey biscuits but cakes, tiramisú (BTW it's Italian, but no matter...), etc.

I think our Christmas traditions are quite odd for foreigners, but I like them...

[morael]

For Solstice, we have a party with friends. One of our friends recites the following:

The day is diminished
Our world grows cold
The sun fades weaker
Night's spirits run bold.

But now as we gather
our friendship to toast
The day's growing longer
and good fortune our host.

Her brother, who threw Solstice parties, wrote it (deceased now).

On Christmas eve, we go up to my parents and eat a lot. A lot! My mom makes a seafood casserole. I suppose the custom of not eating meat on Christmas eve is supposed to be a sacrifice, but it is an indulgence with my mom's casserole! We used to go to midnight mass, but my parents are old now, and can't stay up that long. At some point we watch "It's a wonderful life" with Jimmy Stewart.

On Christmas morning, we read the verses in the Bible about the birth of Christ. Then we open our presents under the tree. Then we continue eating.

It's pretty quiet, really, mostly just relaxing. And eating.

I lived in Germany when I was a little girl and have the best memories! Lebkuchen, and the Christ-kinder markt (I probably didn't spell that right!) in Nurnberg. Hot wurst in rolls, gummi bears, hot pretzels. Mmmm.. And the beautiful lights and decorations, and the magic of being in the city at night.

[The0ne]

We do the whole tree thing, and the present thing, and that's basically it!

[arcon]

If i can be with family i am with them celebrating in the American tradition. Lots of food, presents and fellowship. If i cannot be with them I buy Christmas cards and make my way to the hospitals and nursing homes where i visit with people and leave them a card. That is what i will do this year. Ive done it twice before in my lifetime and its more rewarding than you can imagine. If you feel you have problems you'll quickly find out many people have more serious ones than yourself.
This is truly the time to help them feel better.