Holiday

[Imadickens]

@ECBG  That all sounds wonderful! We used to do similar things! I loved picking out our tree before we got the artificial one! Our day is the same...our kids open their presents at home, first, Santa and all! Then, about 9 am everyone comes to our house for sweet rolls and coffee, then we open our gifts. About noon, we have a full meal...ham, potato casserole, etc as my dd leaves to see sil family 6 hours away! They don't get there until late so it's their big Christmas meal! I set a formal table, as well, having special "favors" ate each place. This is usually some small gift cards, some special item I got for everyone, and some candy or lottery tickets! I thought I fooled them into thinking there was nothing "good" in their goody bags, but they all know me! Sometimes I slip a 50 dollar bill inside, or some other big surprise!

[151949]

My grandfather did not go to church so while all the rest of the family went off to 8PM church on Christmas eve he stayed home and prepared the feast of the 7 fishes which is an Italian tradition. We would come to our grandparents after church and eat & eat & eat thenmy Mom & Dad would go home but us kids would stay at Grandparents. We would wake up very early and get dressed and my grandparenst would take us hoem - miracle of miracles - Santa had been there! After we opened our gifts my Mom & Grandma made breakfast and it wasn't long before my Dad & grandpa were fast asleep in a chair and Mom & Grand ma had dinner cooking. All day aunts& Uncles & cousins would be in& out bearing gifts. Some stayed for dinner & some were in & out. My Dad had 15 siblings so there were a lot of aunts & uncles & cousins in our life. By the time dinner was over & cleaned up everyone was exhausted and we all went to bed early. I always liked the day after Christmas when I could play with my gifts without the cousins getting into my new stuff.

New Years eve we always went to a party at some ones house - all my parents closest friends and their kids who we knew as well as brothers & sisters.The adults would dance and us kids would play games. At midnight a lot of hugging and kissing, singing Auld lang syne.Then trays of food came out. Sometimes we would still be there when it got light out.

[lucymo]

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@athenian wrote:

@Imadickens  Hoppin' John is traditional New Year's Day dish in the south.  It's made with smoked hog jowls, rice, black eyed peas and collard greens.  As above, the black eyed peas are for health, and the rice for wealth.  These days I make it with bacon or ham, and have even used spinach rather than greens.  And the black eyed peas are canned.  I don't use a recipe, just throw it together.

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@athenian  Hoppin' John  is a dish I learned from living in the south.  I still make it many years later every New Years Day.  The black eyed peas have worked well but we're still waiting for the rice to do it's job.  lol   But, you know if we have our health, we are wealthy as can be.

[Imadickens]

@151949  That sounds likes great fun! My parents used to give parties that went past midnight, but I don't think it was that late! I always dreamed of big family holidays! My parents are both from Kentucky. My mother had a wonderful family and we all loved being together. My dad's mother was very "old fashioned" and very religious (so she touted!) and smothered my dad in "that old time religion" until he was old enough to say no (I think that was the day they got married!). Seriously, his parents were so possessive his dad went away to college with him! It's no wonder he dropped out of law school in his third year! He ran a business on the side and was making lots of money doing it! So, once he got away from their town he really didn't want to return to the memories! So, instead of my being able to spend holidays with my cousins I was very close to, the three of us did our best to be festive! That meant my dad went to church with us for the second time in the year. We had an 11:00pm service which was beautiful! Often, when we came out of church silently after lighting our candle and singing Silent Night it was snowing! As a pre-teen I made good friends in the youth group at church. Sometimes we walked home from church! We lived in a small town that wasn't far from end to end! In the morning, my dad got up at 7:00 am and didn't gripe. ( any other time, if I'd wake him that early I'd never hear the end of it!) I don't remember what we ate before opening our gifts, but after my mom made a nice brunch. Usually a turkey was in the oven, so the house smelled so good! Then, we'd call the relatives. That was not the best thing to do. After that my mom was sad all day (often trying not to let me see her crying), my dad was just like any other day, and my friends were all with their families so I was alone and just as sad, until dinner. We ate, cleaned up, watched what tv was on and went to bed. I guess that's why I always over did for my kids. They have little to no family as well! So, I tried to make every day as festive as possible. I usually cooked Christmas Eve then we all went to church at 8:00 pm. That was a miserable time if you cooked! Then, after the service, the  church had a birthday party for baby Jesus! We got home around 10:00 when we tried to get the kids to bed! We usually didn't get to bed until 2:00 am! If we were lucky we got to sleep until 6:00 am! Then, the kids saw Santa's stuff, we ate light breakfast, then presents! The adults napped after lunch then went to mil for more presents and dinner! My mom lived with us so she was included in the morning fun and went to mil's with us later!

[mousiegirl]

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@lucymo wrote:

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@athenian wrote:

@Imadickens  Hoppin' John is traditional New Year's Day dish in the south.  It's made with smoked hog jowls, rice, black eyed peas and collard greens.  As above, the black eyed peas are for health, and the rice for wealth.  These days I make it with bacon or ham, and have even used spinach rather than greens.  And the black eyed peas are canned.  I don't use a recipe, just throw it together.

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@athenian  Hoppin' John  is a dish I learned from living in the south.  I still make it many years later every New Years Day.  The black eyed peas have worked well but we're still waiting for the rice to do it's job.  lol   But, you know if we have our health, we are wealthy as can be.

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@lucymo  You have lived in a lot of places.  My Dad was from the South, and a Chef, but I don't remember his ever serving this dish, and I once tried blackeyed peas, and did not like them, though love all legumes, as a rule, but maybe it was a bad batch.

[lucymo]

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@mousiegirl wrote:

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@lucymo wrote:

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@athenian wrote:

@Imadickens  Hoppin' John is traditional New Year's Day dish in the south.  It's made with smoked hog jowls, rice, black eyed peas and collard greens.  As above, the black eyed peas are for health, and the rice for wealth.  These days I make it with bacon or ham, and have even used spinach rather than greens.  And the black eyed peas are canned.  I don't use a recipe, just throw it together.

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@athenian  Hoppin' John  is a dish I learned from living in the south.  I still make it many years later every New Years Day.  The black eyed peas have worked well but we're still waiting for the rice to do it's job.  lol   But, you know if we have our health, we are wealthy as can be.

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@lucymo  You have lived in a lot of places.  My Dad was from the South, and a Chef, but I don't remember his ever serving this dish, and I once tried blackeyed peas, and did not like them, though love all legumes, as a rule, but maybe it was a bad batch.

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@mousiegirl  I really have lived in a lot of places and I learned something from everyone I met along the way. I'm a very social person so I was able to enjoy meeting new people and learning local customs from different parts of the country and some overseas countries as well.

As for the black eyed peas, try frying some bacon (2 or 3 slices, and chopped onion  in a skillet and then add the peas (canned) and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  If you need more liquid use a little beef or chicken broth. You might not like them but we love them with cornbread.

[corita]

   Growing up my family had many traditions; many of them were carried over to my family!!  My parents were married two days before Christmas, so every year they had a huge anniversary party.  Everyone left with a gift - most wrapped by me!  My parents' house had a large mantle where all the gifts would be placed -- so pretty and festive! My mother had a "theme" every year.  Once it was white doves or the color red or holiday candy or Santa and reindeer - my mother really was quite creative.  I have special "scent" memories of real greens hanging over the fireplace and over the drapes in the dining room. What a wonderful holiday fragrance every morning!

    Christmas Eve, we would have egg nog/hot cocoa and cookies.  We were allowed to open one gift before bed.  Living out of the US, we did not have relatives close.  So three families became our relatives.  Each holiday, the families took turns celebrating at one of the homes. 

    Within my family, each person had a Christmas job.  One  brother was in charge of all lights.  One brother put up the Nacimiento/Nativity. My job was wrapping.  We all decorated the tree and house.  Instead of gifts placed all around the tree, each child had a special place beneath the tree for their gifts!!  Gifts for parents were placed on the mantle.  I could go on and on. Many of the family members are no longer alive, so the memories are making me a bit teary now!!