How do you celebrate the Holidyas??

I thought it would be interesting if we all share how we celebrate the Holidays. Here's my story In Mexico (I'm Mexican) we celebrate Christmas on the 24th. We have a fancy dinner around 9pm, normally it's Turkey because we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Mexico. Some people make Tamales and refried beans. We send the kids to bed around 10-11pm and wake them up at midnight because Santa Clause has just left. They open the presents and play a little bit. On the 25th we spend the days in Pajamas eating leftovers, and the kids play with their new toys. So the 24th is the big day for us. On New Years we make another fancy dinner, normally Ham, and we get 12 grapes and start eating them when the countdown to the new year begins. I think you're supposed to ask for a wish everytime you have a grape. You are also supposed to wear red underwear for good luck. We also have a lot of "Posadas" before Christmas. We get together at someone's home we have food and piñatas. On January 6th we have "EL Dia de Reyes" (the 3 wisemen day) and we give more toys to the kids because the 3 wisemen come and leave them for the kids. Some Mexicans only give toys to their children that day and not at Christmas, because Santa isn't as common over there. We have a special coffee cake that has a few small plastic Jesus babies inside and if you get one in your piece of cake (it's a miracle no one has choked yet) you have to host a tamale party on Feb 2nd (Dia de la Calendaria) for everyone. I found a website which shows a picture of our Rosca de Reyes http://www.johntoddjr.com/14%20Reyesmagos/reyesmagos0.htm

Hey Celia, When I was little we alway celebrated Christmas on the 24th too. We would have a big dinner then me and sister were sent to our rooms to wait for Santa to come. About midnight we could hear stuff moving around in the house and someone (Santa) going HO HO HO real loud. To this day I still dont know which family member was doing that. Then my dad would come get us and we would get to open all of our present. It was so much fun. Those are things that I never will forget. Now since I have kids of my own now I love doing it the same way my family did when I was little. I let the kids make Christmas cookies for Santa and leave them out. My husband does the HO HO HO now. My boys love it even my oldest who is 14. This year is gonna be a little different for us though. All of our family lives in Virginia and we live in Louisiana. My husband is in the Army. So we are gonna let our kids have Christmas on the 18th then the next day we are leaving for 2 weeks going to Virginia to spend the hoildays with all of our family. It is gonna be great we didnt get to do that last year. The EL Dia de Reyes sounds like alot of fun. The King Cake is kinda like what New Orleans does well all of Lousiana does for Marti Gras. If you find the baby you have to have the next Marti Gras party. Well that is what we do. Oh yea in Virginia on New years day you are suppose to eat black eyed peas. That is suppose to give you good luck for the year. Take care Hugs Mary

Black eyed peas...I'd never heard that one..I guess it wouldn't hurt to add a few to my menu this new year for good luck.

My family is a "Heinz 57" of mixed European descent; some of my ancestors were settlers in the Dakotas and Nebraska, and lived in sod houses. Others were more recent immigrants. Christmas Eve, my family's tradition is to have fresh cold Dungeness crab for dinner, with white wine and sourdough bread and salad. No presents, just time as a family together. Children's stockings are up, and they leave cookies and milk for Santa Claus. Christmas morning, children get to look at the presents in their stockings, and any other gifts Santa Claus may have left. After the adults have woken up, other presents are opened in turn by the Christmas tree, each of us taking time to appreciate the gifts everyone has received. We usually have a brunch of Eggs Benedict with my mother's amazing homemade Hollandaise sauce. Later a big dinner, which is festive but varies every year; the main course could be a standing beef rib roast, or a ham, or a turkey. The day after Christmas is clean-up day; tackle the wrapping paper, boxes, bows, and gifts strewn about.

Sheryl that is really interesting. I've never tasted fresh cold Dungeness crab..it must be yummy!