The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #64528   Message #1055532
Posted By: GUEST,MMario
17-Nov-03 - 12:20 PM
Thread Name: BS: Christmas traditions
Subject: RE: BS: Christmas traditions
I think in our family most of our Christmas Customs are more family customs then they are regional customs. In the household I currently live in -(I rent a room from my sister and her husband) some come from my own family - some from her husbands family. and a few have gone by the wayside.

Christmas Eve supper is tortellini in brodo with a salad and bread;

in our youth we were allowed to pick ONE present from those under the tree and open it on Christmas Eve. (this custom didn't survive for reasons that will be obvious below).

Christmas morning the stockings would have magically filled overnight - and stocking gifts were allowed to be opened. You still couldn't touch any of the presents under the tree - not until after going to church services - but the stockings were available. And in the toe of your stocking would be breakfast - usually an individual box of cereal and some raisens - and (most important) a tangerine. The breakfast in the stocking bit has gone by the wayside - but the tangerine remains.

My b-i-l contributed the custom from his family that the Christmas Tree not be set up until AFTER the children went to bed on Christmas Eve. (talk about masochistic customs!) - As we got older and so did the children there was a lengthy battle to dispense with this custom. At 22 the nephew finally stopped his objections! (So now the tree gets put up at a convenient time a day or so before Christmas). But the packages etc don't go under the tree until Christmas Eve.

Christmas dinner at my parents was always a buffet - nowadays it is a sitdown - menu varies ; but breakfast (also a sit down meal these days ) is german style kuchen, scambled eggs and either sausage or bacon.