Virtual Advent 2011
Welcome to the Virtual Advent Tour, Day 2! The Virtual Advent Tour is hosted by Kailana from The Written World and Marg from Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and is a way for bloggers to share gifts and memories with each other about our holiday seasons. Do check out the blog for more information, for the schedule, and to sign up yourself!
Also posting today as part of the tour are:
Last year I shared about my family Christmas Eve tradition and how much I enjoy it. This year I had plans to post about our family advent calendars but, alas, I completely forgot to ask my parents if they had any pictures. Now you have something to look forward to for next year 
(Though this year my mother picked me up one of these David’s Tea Advent Calendars while she was visiting and I cannot wait to get back to Toronto this weekend to get started on it!)
Instead, this year, I thought I would talk about something completely different… (*racks brain to think of topic*)…
As I mentioned last year, I was raised Christian (Baptist if you must know) and so my family celebrates Christmas for the religious as well as the secular reasons. Personally I don’t claim any religion myself anymore, but I am still a big fan of the holiday season because I have such fond memories of family gatherings. While I don’t think that I have to be home at Christmas itself – I love my family and we can hang out any time, we don’t need a set day – I am still happy to know that I will likely be there this year.
On Christmas day we usually start off with a breakfast of fruit, nuts and chocolate and whatever else we may want to nibble on leftover from our celebrations the night before. We then slowly get ready for the big Christmas lunch at my Grandmother’s house across the yard. Christmas dinner for us is always a huge meal of turkey, riced potatoes, gravy and stuffing for those who eat them (yuck), and tons of types of vegetables. Plus desert of course. (I would say I eat more on this day than any other but that would be a lie – New Years Day fondue is where I eat the most. ahem.)
Christmas Day supper used to be at my aunt and uncle’s house but a few years ago it was moved to Boxing Day (for you Americans, that is the day after Christmas) as some people couldn’t handle that much food in a day… so the rest of Christmas Day is spent hanging with family and relaxing. And lots of reading of course. Usually both of my parents, my sisters and I can all be found curled up at some point on this day with one of our new books!
I hope that everyone else has just as nice a day on December 25th. Do you do anything special with your family?
Your feasting sounds delicious!
It is Charlotte!
Thanks for sharing! I would think a Christmas lunch AND a Christmas supper would be a bit much.
We’re staying in the Netherlands this year after almost 20 years of Christmas in England (honestly, it really is time for a change) and in England we often end up watching a nice DVD or something on the tv in the evening, with some nibbles, nice and relaxed. The lunch is quite formal, though, and the more or less the same stuff year after year after year.
In the Netherlands there is no such thing as a Christmas dinner, I mean, it’s special but it can be anything. England is more like Canada in that respect, I can tell you already what’s going to be on the dinner table at my in-laws this year. Oh, and next year.
Oh sure, side with them about the two meals in one day Leeswammes
LOL Staying in the Netherlands sounds nice. If there is no set meal, what will you have this year?
People often eat “wild meat”, like deer or rabbit for Christmas (not that they shoot it themselves, they just buy it). We’re vegetarians and we’ll probably be cooking with a raclette set, at the table, everyone their own little pan (see here, but our set is electric, a bit safer). This is also very popular to do at Christmas, as everyone can eat what they enjoy (veggie meat, lots of small pieces of vegetables, cheese, macaroni (to go with the cheese), eggs (to make an omelette), even pancake mix so the kids can make their own small pancakes).
It’s a lot of fun! Hey, there is a nice Virtual Advent story! Maybe next year.
That’s so neat Judith! Love the idea. You should definitely post about it some day
Also, wild meat is common at home as well and is often included in the meat pies served at our boxing day dinner!
Can’t wait for the food, family and fun!!! (Not necessarily in that order!)
Uh huh, I see Mom, put the food first
hehe
Chocolate at breakfast? That’s a tradition I want to start!
Mmmhmmm I’ve always said it’s the best part of being half Dutch Kathy! It’s traditional you know! There is Nutella, as well as Dutch sprinkles that go on toast, yum!
I got stuck at the David’s Tea advent calendar. I was browsing their site, twitter stalking you and then realized I hadn’t read the rest of your post. Haha! Oops. So easily distracted by tea am I.
Reading about the amount of food in one day was giving me stomach pains. Happy to see that one meal got moved to the next day. Good heavens! So much food!
Good luck Cat, I hope you can find one! Also, the food is worth it
I also think that I need chocolate for breakfast on Christmas morning, and I am sure my family would agree! We usually spend the morning having Christmas festivities over at our house, and then make the drive over to my Dads, which is about 3 hours away. I love spending the holidays with him, but the driving over the holiday means we spend most of the day on the road. I may think about doing something different this year, or possibly the next.
Yep, you really should have it for breakfast every morning – best way to start the day Zibilee! Nutella! That sounds like a really great day, though with a ton of driving… at least it is driving with the family so forced hang out time?
Sounds like a great way to celebrate!
Thanks Sprite, I think it is!
We used to get an advent calendar every year. One to share between three children… It was a race to see who could get to it first each morning.
Thanks for sharing and joining in again this year, Amy!
Oohhhh sharing… not sure how well that would have worked with us Kailana!
A recovering Baptist much like myself ! No wonder I like you !
As for my own Holiday traditions, each Christmas Eve for the last ten years or so I’ve made home made pizza for everyone. They love it !
Ahhh it makes perfect sense now you are right maphead
Also, yum! That is a really great tradition.
Eating -a lot- and reading -a lot – on Christmas Day sounds very familiar to me!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by Tiina
The best kind of day right?
It all sounds delightful, Amy! I was especially into the idea of chocolate for breakfast.
DD Kidding, but only sorta.
No no, no kidding allowed about chocolate for breakfast. It really is the best Andi
Um, I just want to say how JEALOUS I am of your tea advent calendar!! So. Jealous.
Since meeting my husband, the Christmas season has become a week long eat-a-thon. He has such a big family that we end up eating a lot of holiday meals. Food is such a big part of the holidays!
Sounds great Chrisbookarama
Food is one of the best parts of the holiday I think!
I always enjoy reading about how others spend the holidays with their families. I like your gatherings and I like that you also spent the time reading, neat!
May you have a great Christmas season this year!
betty
Happy holiday season to you as well Betty! Always fun to hear about other celebration rituals isn’t it?
I am in a similar place to you in terms of reasons for celebrating.
I am so jealous of the idea of Nutella for breakfast but my son is allergic to hazelnuts so it is never in my house. He is going away for 3 weeks in January and I can tell you that is the first thing I am going to buy once he is on the plane, maybe on the way home from the airport!
I did go all out one year to make a posh breakfast but the ex didn’t appreciate the effort. I think I might just start trying to do a special breakfast on Christmas Day just for the two of us!
Thanks so much for sharing on the tour this year!
Oh no Marg! Can I recommend Dutch sprinkles? They go on toast too and are either chocolate, anise flavored, candy, etc. So good! The Christmas Day breakfast does sound wonderful too.
I am not sure whether we can get Dutch sprinkles in stores here. I will keep an eye out for them.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you Marg
My Dad is from Scotland and my Mom from Ireland – since they celebrate Boxing Day in those countries we always celebrated it – I love how it extends the holiday (and meals) over two days!
Yes, it really is great isn’t it booksnyc? Especially that extra day to relax or get home after hanging with the family before getting back to work.
Oh, that sounds like a wonderful way to spend Christmas! I hope your holiday this year is as wonderful!
Thank you Court, and same to you!
We’re not religious, but we all love Xmas because of the small traditions and the opportunity for us to be all together. One of my favorite moments is cooking sweet things with my mom on the afternoon of the 24th. I’m on a countdown to go home!
Yes, it is all about the family and the appreciation and joy for me Alex. Glad to hear that you love it as well.
Oh my, a tea advent calender? I WANT one!
You have no idea Iris, it is awesome!!! sorry to make you jealous
hehe
What Iris said
Also, your Christmas celebrations sound cosy and relaxed and lovely – just the kind I like.
Yes, always the best type Ana
Food and family! My family gets together at my Auntie’s for Christmas lunch. This has been the tradition for over 30 years! Somebody will have to volunteer to relieve her of the duties one day. But it will not be me
.
Careful Kinna, you may jinx yourself and end up with the honor after all some day! It is definitely a lot of work but we try to do as much as we can so that Grammy does minimal effort herself.
I love the holidays too, we always go to my husband’s parents home on Christmas Day and have a gigantic meal and presents. kaye—the road goes ever ever on
Sounds like a lovely tradition Kaye!