Nope, Christmas Eve. is as big, if not bigger, than Christmas Day (when everyone is recovering from Christmas Eve.). Growing up, the festivities would go on into almost sunrise. I’m sad we are supposed to have major rain and winds tomorrow, neighborhoods line sidewalks and walkways with luminaries and it’s so pretty.
1 Like
Feeling much relieved since I had a good conversation with my mil last night, told her that we would not be joining them for Christmas. Thank goodness (I got my way!) since she is just “stopping by” her other sons brunch in the morning. With the kids from across the country and the other grandparents. I’m sure it’s safe, just relatives from 5 different households!
I am finally planning my meals. Making ribs for Christmas Eve and ordered a prime rib dinner from a local restaurant. Our restaurants are closed to all but take out so I ordered a fancy dinner and left a nice tip. Feeling good about our plans.
It will be just my husband and I.
5 Likes
Christmas Eve dinner (just two of us) is bouillabaisse, which is H’s take on the seven fishes. This year (based on what we got from the local fish monger) he’s going to use: clams, mussels, shrimp, lobster meat, bay scallops, salmon and cod. He’s also made his own fish stock (which IMO makes the dish). We’ll have this with crusty bread, salad greens, and a bottle of Grgich Hills Chardonnay.
On Christmas, we’re having Chateaubriand for two along with creamed spinach and roasted baby potatoes. We’ll have a Croatian wine that I discovered on a trip there last year (there’s a distributor in the US). The wine is Saint’s Hills Plavac Mali Dingac (Plavac Mali is similar to Zinfandel).
I ordered a small charcuterie tray (smallest was for 2-4) so we’ll have it for both days. H also ordered some Volpi Salami that we’ll add to the mix. We discovered Volpi’s when we lived in St. Louis. Volpi-cured Italian meats are the best!!
I’m not making a dessert either night. We’ll have the traditional Christmas goodies that we are going to bake today and probably tomorrow. I got a new refridgerator and it came today and the workmen are still messing around with it! Ugh.
2 Likes
I grew up in a small, very Italian American town, outside Philadelphia, and had never heard of the Feast. Maybe it was the times.
The only tradition we try to keep is southern (DH’s family.) Ham biscuits. Thin slivers, just a bit because we go for salty. This year, I didn’t order the ham, will get some prosciutto.
1 Like
Christmas Eve is traditionally Dungeness Crab. The commercial season was postponed until 12/23 and our local guy couldn’t guarantee he’d get any crabs. So, H is going out on a crab boat 12/24. Fingers crossed that he scores! And then we’ll have crabs, artichokes, crusty bread and caesar salad. (Plan B: scallops from freezer)
Christmas morning: S making his special avocado and egg toast with bacon…and panettone eggnog french toast.
Christmas night: beef tenderloin, hasselback au gratin potatoes, arugula salad.
Boxing Day: In a nod to son in law’s traditions, we are having smorgasbord: crab cakes, pigs in a blanket, mini meat balls, salmon/creme fraiche, baked brie with chutney, shrimp dip, and veggies.
Day after Boxing Day: DIET!!!
5 Likes
My father is first generation Italian-American. He never had Feast of 7 Fishes growing up. They had fish, but not seven dishes (he grew up in a very Italian part of Cleveland). I had never even heard of it until I was an adult. We traditionally have homemade pasta on Christmas Eve.
1 Like
7 fishes is more of an Italian- American thing but my Italian mother always made some kind of fish Xmas eve and definitely no meat. We adapted the 7 fishes thing over a decade ago when we started hosting both Xmas eve and Xmas day and it was too much cooking. We did 7 fish based apps and then went to church.
1 Like
Growing up, neither my family nor DH’s did anything special on Christmas Eve. An easy dinner plus snacks and board games is something we started as a young family to have a low-key day before the craziness of Christmas Day.
I spent a lot of my childhood in NM and loved the family tradition of making tamales at Christmas that many of my friends recounted. There is no better time than Christmas to enjoy family and food. So, we have tamales on Christmas Eve. Another fond memory from my childhood is of luminarias lighting the plaza so we sometimes make those too as a family craft.
1 Like
So is the fish/no meat a religious thing? I’m Hispanic so this is news to me, but I totally could get on board with seafood for Christmas Eve!
OK, I am not making cookies, because the neighbor told me that she is bringing us some!
I told ds2 and dh that I’m sorry that things aren’t grander because of Covid and me being immunocompromised and the craziness around ds1’s wedding at T’giving, and we all agreed it’s perfect. Right now he is outside with three friends drinking beer. It’s so rare that the four of them, some bffs since second grade, get together that seeing that scene really is the best present I could receive.
1 Like
Yes, the fish and no meat thing is a fasting Catholic thing. When I was a kid it was no meat on any Friday - later changed to no meat just on Fridays in lent. Christmas Eve was also a no meat day. Leave it to those Italian Americans to turn a fast into a feast.
We never did the 7 fishes thing in my Italian American household. I think it was a Sicilian southern Italian tradition and we were more central Italian. However, it was a night for fish. My mother or grandmother made shrimp cocktail followed by linguini with olive oil, garlic, and anchovies (neither dish was made any other time of the year).
I married into the Italian 7 fishes Christmas eve tradition, but my wife’s family had changed it knowingly to 7 courses including fish (no meat). My family tradition was Akavit, midnight mass, and then more Akavit.
Clearly, we are lapsed Catholics, because we are all meat on Christmas Eve, often tamales and sometimes lasagna.
1 Like
When we speak of traditions, all sorts of memories arise. Or lack thereof. I don’t remember my older Slavic relatives ever serving a formal dessert. Maybe some sweet rolls, but as sides. Nor do I recall having lasagna, as a kid. My Italian American friends’ moms would make spaghetti or Mac n cheese.
As a kid, lasagna was part of every holiday meal - easter, thanksgiving, and christmas. At some point we finally cut it out so that we could enjoy the turkey on Thanksgiving and the lamb on Easter. It lived on as the main course for Christmas.
1 Like
Christmas Eve: calamari and some other fish (Hubby has southern Italian roots). This year we don’t have to rush to get to church. We never had a C. eve food tradition growing up – only the opening of 1 gift (pjs, slippers, etc.)
Christmas morning: panettone bread pudding and bacon. Tradition I started when kids were little.
Christmas dinner: Ham en croute (kinda like a beef wellington), paprika green beans, twice-baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted brussel spouts, and corn pudding. Starch City, baby! LOL! This is my family’s tradition, which my sisters and I continue. 2nd year without mom. I am in charge of the ham, so I’m freaking out because her’s was so pretty and my sister did a great job last year. Mom would have been proud. Also, several pies with homemade whipped cream. My BIL and sister rock this category every year.
2 Likes
I’m not a ham person either, except for Christmas Day. I’d rather have prime rib or a beef wellington, but think my family and sisters would revolt. LOL!
The dinner box sounds great. Is this from your local market?
Christmas Eve is supposed to be seven fishes, but as it’s just the four of us this year and only half of us eat fish, I decided to shift 7 down to 3- crab cakes, caviar, and cod. The three Cs of Christmas this year. Ha. Christmas Day is always Chinese food. Christmas morning I’m gonna make a frittata.
Edited to add: for us that aren’t consuming fish, I’ll be making chicken cutlet, potatoes, and veg. We aren’t just sitting out dinner or anything. Ha.
4 Likes
We are doing almost the same dinner - prime rib roast, scalloped potatoes (made w/olive oil and broth, no cheese or milk), and sauteed Brussels. Still not sure on dessert. We were thinking flan but decided against it.
We do a Polish Christmas Eve: mushroom barley soup, pierogis, blintz, fried fish. For dessert I’m making rugelach, and I bought some marzipan and eggnog.
1 Like
Since it will just be the two of us for breakfast, I decided to make the blueberry French toast casserole tonight, cook it tomorrow and enjoy leftovers on Christmas Day. Our S and DIL will join us for Christmas dinner lasagna , salad, and the ginger cake and key lime ice cream that she’s making.
I still want to try the recipe that was featured in the paper , but she is excited to bring her ginger cake so I won’t mention it.
I’m intrigued by the “clementine confit”, which seems to be candied orange segments and sounds really Christmassy.
1 Like