The "Merry Christmas" and other holiday thread!

[Baylor_OgreBane]

2015 is nearly over, who would have thought it!
So merry Christmas or what ever to all you marvelous chaps. Hope to see you all in the new year with new and exciting projects, and remember to have a jolly good old knee's up or what ever it is you do at this time of year!





*Oh, and KK is tricksy*

[Goblin-King]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I'm off to my parents for some good old fashioned family quality time and especially mom's cooking!


And yes... Did you first realize his now?

[QorDaq]

Happy Holidays all... I would that they find you and yours well and of good cheer!

maj!

[Redav]

Seasons greetings to all, too.

I'm interested though (given that this is a fairly international forum), what do you traditionally do for Christmas? As in how do you celebrate it? Do you go to church, what do you do for food and are there any other traditions you observe?

My wife and my family alternate years for who's 'year' it is which makes it manageable in that we're not trying to see both families on the same day and spend half the day on the road. Since starting our own family a few years back, we still alternate years but on my side of the family, the focus has moved from our generation to our kids generation. Previously lunch and dinner would be at my parents, sister or our place (my brother's in London so that doesn't work ) but this year we had breaky and lunch at our place with my parents and headed back to their place when my sisters family came for dinner and we Skyped my brother. We all live with 15 min of each other so that works easy.

If it's my wife's family, it's a cold meat lunch but aside form that, it's generally the same. Their big on gaming so several boardgames make an appearance. This year we picked up Tokaido, A Game of Thrones: The Card Game (LCG) and Pandemic.

When the kids wake, they can open any gifts in their stockings. For breaky we have croissants with eggs, ham and orange juice and after that, we'll open gifts under the tree. Lunch is traditionally a hot cooked lunch (usually roast chicken and pork with ham off the bone, roast veggies but this year we tried a glazed ham, turkey meat (not a whole bird), potato and garden salad and some sausage (kookwurst and knakwurst), nice wine, bon bons with lame jokes and paper crowns with dessert being plum pudding with custard, cream and / or ice cream. Dinner ends up being a scratch meal, if you're hungry

A few years ago we travelled through Germany, France and Switzerland around Christmas (in France Christmas Day) and one of the highlights was the German Christmas markets. Absolutely loved them. So after tasting how others do it, I'm keen on hearing how others do it.

[Decipher]

As always, late to the party. Merry Christmas to everyone.

[Goblin-King]

Danish Christmas as per Jensen family tradition:

Me and my girlfriend and my brother and his GF and my grandparents visit my parents, arriving in the afternoon.
We drink beer and eat candy while my mom prepares the food.
Then we join at the table and eat roasted duck, potatoes, sweet potatoes, waldorf salad and gravy. Wine, beer or coke for drinks.
For dessert we have risalamande, a dish of rice, almonds and cream. There's a whole almond hidden in the bowl. However finds it gets a small gift.
After cleaning the table it's time to dance around the christmas tree (decorated with Danish flags, thank you very much) and sing Christmas songs.
After that we sit in the comfy chairs and distribute the presents. We open them one at a time so everyone sees what everyone gets. No need to rush.

And that's the short tale of a Danish Christmas

[comets911]

A very late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

[TMU]

Über late happy new year

About Finnish Christmas... We have a tradition of family of my mothers side comes over to our house. (Just over 10 people.) We watch traditional TV shows in the morning (Santa's phoneline, where little kids can call Santa, The Snowman which comes every Christmas, and last the reading of declaration of Christmas peace.)
After that we just talk while mother prepares the dinner. After dinner Santa Claus visits us, and we can start opening presents.
The evening ends usually at about 4-5am after hours of games played. Oh and we celebrate x-mas on 24th.

[Baylor_OgreBane]

Easter soon, let us know what you guys get up to.

[TMU]

Easter soon, let us know what you guys get up to.

Nothing much. Last Sunday there where kids dressed up as witches, going from door to door.

They decorate a branch of willow and ask If they are allowed to "virpoa" (no English word for that) in the house. If yes, they say a short rhyme, give the branch to the house and the house owner gives them chocolate.

Then on the easter weekend, we grow some weed "rairuoho" = "raigrass"
We also eat "mämmi" which is a traditional Finnish easter dessert made from rye flour.