Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I've read in the Guardian that some families have Christmas traditions. My family doesn't have any 'traditions' at Christmas (unless always buying a round of Brie from the Cheese Block on Christmas Eve counts as one) - can anyone share theirs so I can see about emulating them in my family as well?
Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/244104-christmas-traditions/
Share on other sites

womanofdulwich Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Prep Christmas dinner and veg the night

> before.Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for

> brekkie with lots of bucks fizz- or

> fizz.Everything after that is rather hazy...


Well if that counts as a tradition I have some too :)

Wake up, quietly weep as Santa hasn't been (he stopped coming when my daddy died)


Get up have morning constitutions (a Christmas present to Thames water)


Start first family row of the day over to cross sprouts or not to cross sprouts, that is the question


Give and receive unsatisfing mediocre presents that will all end up in a cupboard till next year, possibly received from the person I gave them to last year.


Eat dry and expensive turkey, wishing for a goose at Christmas, never so lucky.


More family rows over who ate all the pies and soggy sprouts


Play family game and discover once again someone in the family is good at cheating


More family rows over the cheating and which goit puts empty sweet wrappers back in the quality street tin


Argue over what to watch


Eat boring cold leftovers whilst watching the program I didn't want to see


Go to bed dejected and wondering what the point of it all was


Sleep fitfully dreaming of a "wonderful life" thats just out of reach


Fairly standard Christmas for a lot of people I wouldn't wonder


Oh yes and wake up next day with a paper hat around my neck, wine stain and empty glass next to me and the realisation that once again I've failed to see the Christmas classic "Die Hard" on the television


Bah bl@@dy humbug to the lot of ya 😎

it's going to be different this year, as my nan passed away - and we would always have all the family in one place. Sadly can't see that ever happening again, so time to set some new ones.


Presents/ dinner which is always nice with my sis and her hubby, my parents and family friends. Would like to be able to take the dog, but everyone has cats so she'll have to stay home with someone.


I just want Christmas with everyone together as it's one of two times a year we do that. The other is my sister's birthday - she always has a massive garden party in August. you need something to make sure you all catch up. It's important.


And I could do without the commercialisation of it all. We were in town today and the crowds in Oxford St were just awful. Heaving. It's not about that. Presents can be anything, they can be something small that you make - it is the thought that counts.


I've asked for a new cheese grater, a screwdriver and a new pair of slippers. Would be really happy to get any of those, as I never get round to buying them when I'm out.....

In the old days, all our aunts/uncles/cousins would descend on one place and camp out on the floor or sofa, and it was always a Boxing day tradition to do a really long walk, somewhere like the City, blissfully empty of course.


Coming home to the biggest pot of turkey soup/stew! Yum.


I've found, like JandB that as family members pass, things change. I don't see any relatives regularly now, bar my brother.


My favourite newest tradition is Christmas Curry down LL with a Bristolian friend who comes Christmas Eve.

Presents given out after Christmas Lunch - when kids little they had a stocking to open in the morning. My Nan used to have to work Christmas morning (cleaner at the Nurses' home at ED Hospital) so never got home until 2 pm. Father Christmas always rang the door bell after lunch when our kids were young and kids answered the door to find presents. (Hubby in red dressing gown and false beard then raced down the side return and into house via back door discarding the outfit) Youngest person in the room handed out the presents, everyone taking it in turn to open one.


Soup on Boxing Day made with leftovers

Xmas for us starts (started) with Xmas drinks on the Saturday before Xmas, every year - mainly locals invited but a few (who can be arsed) come over from North London. Nominally 2-7pm, but this year it rolled on to 2am Sunday.

Xmas itself usually as per format below:

Xmas eve - Swedish missus prepares Smorgasbord, yummo !

Kids can open one small present from under tree on Xmas eve night.

Each kid has their own stocking which they re-use every year, this is the ?stuff from Santa?. When kids wake-up they find their stockings at end of their respective beds and after having a look through them they head into our bedroom at stupid O?Clock, for the opening where they?ll take turns, opening one at a time.

Kids play, watch TV, argue and seek mediation. They also sneak snacks from kitchen to ensure that when Xmas lunch is served, they?re too stuffed to eat well.

I sort lunch, always trying to avoid having to cook turkey (sometimes failing). A few sherries in kitchen followed by sit-down family meal incl. perhaps someone else who is at a loose end.

Everyone is bloated. Burn-off calories washing-up and resetting kitchen for evening buffet of leftovers.

Evening time we open presents from real people as opposed to Santa (although the ?from Santa? thing is pretty tongue-in-cheek these days given kids? ages).

All above interspersed with dog walks.

When my grandparents were alive and well the various branches of the family used to descend on them for part or all of the Christmas period. Now the branches have grandchildren of their own and have started their own traditions as has my much smaller branch.


Christmas Eve supper is a simple Ligurian spinach and ricotta pie.


Christmas Day is blissfully unconventional with not a bird or sprout in sight. We choose to make a risotto/pelmeni/savoury m'hencha etc. depending on how we feel that year. No Christmas pudding - again we're untraditional, but we do like our dates. figs. nuts, Turkish delight etc. and crackers. Pandoro/chestnut panettone for tea and a light supper.


Decorations and the odd growl complete the holiday.

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh that sounds lovely Ilona .Any tips on how to

> handle the spinach so that it's not too wet ?


It's a lovely pie - I copied it down donkey's years ago from a Valentina Harris tv programme and it is a very simple, delicious regular. We use frozen spinach leaves (rather than chopped spinach), so defrost and then squeeze/drain in collander under a plate and try to get as much fluid out as possible. Fresh ricotta is best, but I always have some frozen in the freezer just in case of a spontaneous pie need!

This is a very similar one of hers:


https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/ital14717c05s001r002/genoese-spinach-pie


We found that we didn't get good results with more than one sheet of puff pastry (uncooked double bottom layers)- we use a round dish with one sheet laid in the bottom and up the sides and bring the four corners into the middle for the crust. It covers it all up and you can twist any spare pastry into little rosettes!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Hi - I posted a request for some help with a stuck door and possible leaky roof. I had responses from Lukasz at Look_as.com and Pawel at Sublime Builders. I don't see any/many reviews - has anyone used either person?  Could use a recommendation rather then just being contact by the tradespeople... Many Thanks 
    • I'm a bit worried by your sudden involvement on this Forum.  The former Prince Andrew is now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor Mountbatten in an anglicisation of Von Battenburg adopted by that branch of our Royal Family in 1917 due to anti-German sentiment. Another anglicisation could be simply Battenburg as in the checker board cake.  So I surmise that your are Andrew Battenburg, aka Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and that you have infiltrated social media so that the country can put the emphasis on Mandelson ather than yourself.  Bit of a failure. I don't expect an answer from police custody.  
    • We had John fit our PLYKEA kitchen (IKEA cabinets with custom doors) and would happily recommend him and Gabi to anyone. Gabi handled all communication and was brilliant throughout — responsive and happy to answer questions however detailed. John is meticulous, cares about the small details, and was a pleasure to have in the house. The carpentry required for the custom doors was done to a high standard, and he even refinished the plumbing under the sink to sit better with the new cabinets — a small touch that made a real difference. They were happy to return and tie up a few things that couldn't be finished in the time, which we appreciated. No hesitations recommending them.
    • Not sure about that. Rockets seems to have (rightly in my view) identified two key motivating elements in Mcash's defection: anger at his previous (arguably shabby) treatment and a (linked) desire to trash the Labour party, nationally and locally. The defection, timed for maximum damage, combined with the invective and moral exhibitionism of his statement counts as rather more than a "hissy fit".  I would add a third motivation of political ambition: it's not inconceivable that he has his eye on the Dulwich & West Norwood seat which is predicted to go Green.  James Barber was indulging in typical LibDem sleight of hand, claiming that Blair introduced austerity to *councils* before the coalition. This is a kind of sixth form debating point. From 1997-1999 Labour broadly stuck to Tory spending totals, meaning there was limited growth in departmental spending, including local govt grants. However local government funding rose substantially in the Noughties, especially in education and social care. It is a matter of record that real-terms local authority spending increased in the Blair / Brown years overall. So he's manifestly wrong (or only right if the focus is on 1997-1999, which would be a bizarre focus and one he didn't include in his claim) but he wasn't claiming Blair introduced austerity more widely. 
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...