Christmas Customs

[TOoP/Bruce]

I am thinking the Christmas oyster stew tradition was something from the Irish side of the family.

[Dagi]

This sounds like a really nice tradition. If you ever happen to see any elves let me know.  

Gary

P.S. If you're planning on decorating one of the giant sequoias when you're here, be sure to bring a really tall latter, and lots and lots of garland.  And I do mean lots.

  I just knew you would say something like this. 

And I´m not planning on decorating one of the sequoias. Most likely I will just fall on my knees in awe and forget everything around me!

[David In Indy]

ahh, Sinterklaas! You gotta love him! He arrived in Antwerp last saturday. This is for you David! The original Santa Claus.  He announced from the balcony that 'all the children had been very good this year'.

Oh, thank you so much for the Sinterklaas video! That was so cute!

Sinterklaas never did arrive in Indiana on a steamboat unfortunately. I remember I asked my Grandfather why Sinterklaas would come to Indianapolis to visit us if he is in Europe visiting the kids over there. He simply told me "Sinterklaas visits the good and bad Dutch children in America too".   

[David In Indy]

HAPPY FESTIVUS!!!!

Now bring on out the metal pole and we'll commence with the Airing of Grievances.

IT'S FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!!!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist it!)

Ya'll watch Seinfeld re-runs?   

[TOoP/Bruce]

The more I think about it, the "oyster stew" on Christmas eve had to be from the Irish side of the family. 

The family recipe is exceedingly simple - 1 can of oysters, 2 quarts (or so) of milk, butter and pepper to taste.  Heat oysters and butter, add milk and pepper.  Serve with crackers.

All my brothers and sisters loathe it.  My mother and I are the only people who will eat it.

[Jeff Wrangler]

HAPPY FESTIVUS!!!!

Now bring on out the metal pole and we'll commence with the Airing of Grievances.

IT'S FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!!!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist it!)

Ya'll watch Seinfeld re-runs?   

Sinterklaas comes on Festivus? 

Am I missing something here?

  

[serious crayons]

The family recipe is exceedingly simple - 1 can of oysters, 2 quarts (or so) of milk, butter and pepper to taste.  Heat oysters and butter, add milk and pepper.  Serve with crackers.

We used to have something like that at my grandma's when I was little. Only the crackers were right in the stew.

I remember liking it OK. Nowadays, though, I prefer my oysters raw!

 

(I'm using the smiley icon, in this case, to mean "yum!" rather than "yuck!")

[Jeff Wrangler]

The more I think about it, the "oyster stew" on Christmas eve had to be from the Irish side of the family. 

The family recipe is exceedingly simple - 1 can of oysters, 2 quarts (or so) of milk, butter and pepper to taste.  Heat oysters and butter, add milk and pepper.  Serve with crackers.

All my brothers and sisters loathe it.  My mother and I are the only people who will eat it.

Hmm. Sounds like a recipe for clam chowder except with oysters.

Tell you what, I got to thinkin', maybe in times past oysters were just so rare and expensive that they were reserved for special occasions, like Christmas? Maybe that's how oyster stew became a Christmas custom?

And I guess, being Irish and therefore presumably Catholic, they couldn't eat meat on Christmas Eve?

[Ellemeno]

My children are smart, too. Somehow at 11 and 13, they STILL believe in Santa, and expect her him to get them really good presents in addition to the ones they get from their parents. 

Ah, the precious innocence of [wily] children.  Lil darlins.

[Ellemeno]

Well, I'm not a religious person at all.  But, I love Christmas and I've been raised with Christmas traditions as a major part of my life all my life... but primarily social traditions (my parents aren't religious either).

But, I love things like having big get-togethers with family and friends... I love all the food and the pretty decorations.  I love giving presents more than I like receiving presents.  While Christmas shopping can be stressful... I actually really love doing that too.  I'm an only child so lots of my traditions are really specific to what my parents and I have come up with.  One of our particular favorite traditions... is on Christmas Eve we (just the 3 of us) go out to a really nice restaurant.  We try to find a historic inn or a really old restaurant (or something like that) with lots of seasonal character.  Also, because my immediate family is small, we've developed lots of customs involving good, good friends of the family... which I love.  I love that our traditions very firmly extend to friends as well as family.

This is a really nice poll David.  

Amanda, you couldn't have written anything more designed to help put my mind at ease about not giving MiniMeno siblings if you had tried.  This sounds so beautiful.    Thank you.