Christmas/holiday traditions

What’s you/your families take on the holidays? Do you have any unusual traditions? Or food that it just isn’t the same without?

For us, as well as the turkey/ham Christmas day has to involve homemade Irish soda bread and smoked salmon, and we save presents until the afternoon (apart from any from Santa - of course!) but I love hearing about what makes the day special for different people, so let’s hear all about your Christmas quirks and specialities :beers::evergreen_tree::heart:

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You know the last few years been so odd @Calluna and with our family spread all over we have had to introduce zoom into our xmas morning unwrapping to stretch across our 8 time zones! Hope you are managing to have some restorative and relaxing time with the loved ones! :pray:

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My Brother and his wife, and now my wee Niece, who’s 3, come home from Cologne every year for Christmas and New year…They have another one on the way so we’ve been slowly introducing some German traditions-Like opening some presents (We’ve kinda started doing a take on Christmas Eve boxes for the kids woth matching Jammies for a group photo) as they open all their presents on Christmas Eve over there-I believe the kids leave the room then parents ring a bell when The Christkind has been…Then we have Santa presents in the morning. We all go to my Mums in the evening and there’s a whole lot of other bundles that Santa has left for all 6 Grandkids (and we exchange family gifts) It’s hectic, to say the least :laughing:. My Sister-In-Law makes pickled cabbage and German Wurst with the traditional Roast dinner-usually 3 types of meat.

Now on Hogmanay too they bring a really cool set of silver wax melts that you heat in a tiny metal pan, you drop in water, figure out the shape, and it apparently foretells how your year will be. We ring in the New year by opening the front door to allow the New year in, and usher the old one out the back door, Before we eat Stew at midnight. It’s really fun blending the traditions!

Hope it’s a great one for you and yours!!! May you have a year of awesome sleep! :crossed_fingers: x

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People find this weird and I have no idea where this family tradition came from but… In my house on Xmas morning everyone has to spank the turkey before he goes in the oven :wave::turkey:
I genuinely thought everyone did this until I was about 20 :grimacing::joy:

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These are all amazing, I am loving reading about which traditions take place in other households! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: So much fun!

I’m not sure if anyone else does this, but my family has always elected to open one small gift on Christmas Eve. We typically always choose an activity gift, like a set of paints, card game, or a book to read, and we celebrate late into the night, painting, playing, or reading by the fire with our gifts. I find it’s a nice way to wind down a tipsy evening, and it takes some of the pressure off of Christmas Day when we’ve got some of good quality family time over and done with :laughing: :rofl:

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You’re not supposed to spank it ?

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We let our dogs open their presents on Christmas Eve……they always manage to suss out the ‘treat’ ones first! Followed by the squeaky ones so it’s a bit noisy until they tire themselves out (and us!).
I hope everyone had a great time and gearing up for New Year!
All the best for 2023 and roll on next phase of Sofi and continued great support from the Sofi Team.

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We open our presents christmas day i had my mother-in-law over this year and my husband very kindly brought covid home from work and passed it on to us all so this year definitely was not the best christmas we’ve had! Christmas dinner isnt the same with no taste :cry:

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