Alternative Christmas

ellebud
Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:36:29 +0000

Since the kids and I are Jewish we do Chrismakuh. We do the eight nights of Chanukah. But that has never included presents for the kids every night. When they were young we would go to the toy store and buy two presents from each child and take them to the Toys for Tots barrel. And then we would go out to eat together.

For Christmas I do a Christmas Eve party at our house which started as a party for my husband since we weren’t allowed to go there. (Jews spoil a good Christmas party according to them.) It tends to be mostly Jews because most Jews don’t have a place to go. Until last year, Christmas day was spent opening presents, going to the movies…and having dinner with us and any stragglers. Last year we were invited (for the first time) to the other side (the other side of the family aka the dark side) for the most formal of dinners that we have ever been to in our lives at a home. The best part of the meal was when someone tried to spear an undercooked pearl onion in bechamel sauce and it flew across the table.

My family, the low class raucous ones, started a low giggle…and then it went to a roar. The other side, not so much. I have never seen two women pretend that a flying onion that hits a mirror with a splat doesn’t exist. My MIL was so mortified at the undercooked veggies that she burst into tears. I thought it broke the tension. They were simply mortified. (My philosophy has always been, worse comes to worse we’ll call for pizza. It totally doesn’t matter. And I am a very good cook.)

Can’t wait to go back again this year. (and yes, I volunteered to bring Chinese food for Christmas.)