Do you have a tradition for the Winter Solstice or Christmas Eve?

[DonaCatalina]

We used to make Scottish pork pies for Winter night, don't know if we will this year since it is a lot of work.

[Rowan MacD]

  Scotch eggs and hot coco, or stronger libations,  then we exchange gifts for the immediate family on Christmas eve.
  We feast on Christmas day, when friends and family come over for an 'open house'  so I spend the day cooking and receiving guests.   

[Yrose]

We do a family night of movies and a small buffet of crackers, cheese, meats, dips, desserts, whatever we like that year. Then at the end of the night we open one gift.

[Molden]

My family on my Dad's side does a big Christmas Eve gig - dinner is simpler fare - chicken salad sandwiches, celery stuffed with pimento cheese, deviled eggs, sausage meatballs in bbq sauce, queso, fritos, ruffles with homemade onion dip, cookies, pecan pie, and homemade fudge. Santa Claus makes an appearance (Dad hears a "ruckus" and has everyone hide in the kitchen while he checks it out. Gifts are added to the ones under the tree, there's much stomping, crashing etc. in the living room followed by a hearty "HO! HO! HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" and a door slam. Then Dad rounds everyone up to come see what Santa left.) Yes, we're all grown up - but Santa's appearance IS REQUIRED!

If I'm not in Texas for that - Lady Mikayla and I have tamales for dinner and have a quiet evening together on Christmas Eve. We open gifts in the morning and then prepare a big traditional spread for her annual "Orphan's Christmas" where our friends come join us for dinner and mingling that evening.

Either way - we do have traditions to Celebrate Christmas...and Celebrate we do! 

[arbcoind]

Christmas Eve dinner when my grandparents were alive:  7 fishes for dinner.  I don't remember them all.  Now for me it's drinking white russians until I fall asleep.

Gina

[Tipsy Gypsy]

A few years before her passing, my late MIL started serving taco soup and cornbread on Christmas Eve since we were going to eat so much the next day, and because the soup could bubble away in the crock pot while Christmas dinner prep was made. Milord and I celebrate Christmas Eve by ourselves at home now and Christmas Day at his brother's house, but I continue with the soup/conbread tradition, partly to honor her, and because we like it. I add few steamed tamales on the side, too.

[Bob of the Lake]

Lasagna. Every Christmas Eve we have a lasagna dinner and all children (even the one's who are now in their 20s!) are allowed to pick one present from under the tree to open after dinner. The rest of the presents have to wait until Christmas Morning!

[ArielCallista]

Our Christmas eve tradition grew more out of necessity than anything else. We have the tradition of opening one gift (whihc seems to be pretty common). But due to my dad's work schedule (he's a manager in retail) he doesn't get home til way late on christmas eve. So we have a tradition of when everyone one would normally go to bed we all get in our jammies and hang out on the couch watching any xmas movies we can eating cookies and candy doing the best we can to stay up til dad gets home from work so we can open that one present. Its been this way for as long as I can remember...my dad has always worked retail...As for xmas day, we have to wait until everyone is awake before we can start anything. Mom makes coffee cake the day before and that is what we have for breakfast. We eat breakfast and go thru stockings all at the same time. Then we get all settled in to open gifts. we all have a very particular place we sit and we go around the circle each opening a present til they are all gone. Its very routine, but we like it that way. As for food, we normally eat so much coffee cake for breakfast that we just have trays of fruit crackers and such to snack on as we make use of all our gifts!

[Merlin the Elder]

We've always celebrated on Christmas Eve with my family, and we'd do Christmas Day with Nim's family. Her parents are gone now, and the only surviving sibling is too far for practical purposes.

We're not Christian anymore, but will still gather with my mum, brothers and their wives, nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews on XMas Eve.  Meat & cheese tray...that sort of thing.  I usually cook a big meal on Christmas Day for Nim and I, and our son, if he's in town.  I'd prefer to celebrate Solstice, but few employers recognize that as a holiday.

[Mairte]

At the family place and my place, the whole month of December, providing the weather cooperates (and it sure is THIS year!) we make and put out luminaries. I like to make special ones for the solstice. I love when the snow is high and placing them at different areas on the property. Running around lighting them was a big thing with my kids. The luminaries I lit tonight and the ones for solstice I will be doing by myself this year, but it still feels magical to me.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

On Christmas Eve, our friend Richard has an open house early in the evening before we all head down to church.  Good munchies, good wine, good company, & good conversations.  Then as it gets closer to leave for church for the Christmas Eve service, we all clean up in a flash and all head out together. 

I always volunteer to serve on the altar at church on Christmas Eve. I am usually Acolyte (candle lighter & cross carrier) and Second Chalicist. I love being up on the altar that is covered in beautiful poinsettias.   It is an honor to serve the wine at the Eucharist to my friends and the other people in the pews. The service ends in darkness with each member of the congregation holding a lit candle (which I light from a candle on the altar and light the first candle in each row & everyone lights off of each other's candle), everyone singing Silent Night when all the candles are lit.

At the end of the service, I lead the procession out & at the end, the church rings with "Merry Christmas." I can feel the joy at the birth of Christ swirling around everyone in the church, and to me, that is the real meaning of Christmas.

Then on Christmas day, we celebrate with family presents and a wonderful Christmas dinner, chef's choice on what he wants to make.  This year, our oldest son can't come home for Christmas.  Instead, he will come home the second week in January.  So our tree will remain up, we will open presents with him and have a nice dinner again.

[Lady Nicolette]

Sounds really beautiful and in the true spirit of Christmas, Renee.

[Bonny Pearl]

We usually have appetizers and crabckaes or crab legs, shrimp and such on Christmas Eve.  Listen to Christmas music, watch movies, have the fireplace going.

On Christmas morning we are up when we hear our son running through the house to our room saying 'Santa was here, Santa was here!'  Sometimes.... Santa 'forgets' a little something that he has left on the roof by the chimney.  So of course MacKee will go outside and be very surprised and yell for our son to come out and see what is on the roof.

Then it's on to preparing dinner; prime rib and whatever else I feel like making to go with it.

[Rowan MacD]

On Christmas Eve, our friend Richard has an open house early in the evening before we all head down to church. 

Oh that brings back memories, Renee.  Christmas Eve services, poinsettias and white roses near the alter.

[beckgam462]

We  have christmas eve dinner out, our two kids, their  spouses and grandkids go with us;  really a late lunch if possible 2-4pm ,  then off to candle light service, we attended the early one, usally 6pm  and home by 8pm, since it is just us, it nice, the Kids all show up the next morning.  for christmas presents.   St nicholas has already delivered his gift to the grand kids( dec 6th, St Nicholas day)  so it j  ust what we we got them one Santa  gift.

christmas is a day playing with the stuff, not a big fancy meal, and just family together time.