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Christmas Eve dinner traditions


Illinoismom

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How many of you have dinner traditions that you hold tried and true every year. In my house thanks to my Italian parents we celebrate the feast of the seven fishes. No turkey no ham, fish and shellfish and pasta, every year I try to come up with a new pasta and seafood combo. I also make egg plant Parmesan, homemade bread and desserts. And we do not forget the wine. 

 

 

 

 

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I have a large family, but on Christmas eve I spend it with the same set of family members...it has gone from watching the little ones playing and @ least one of them throwing up from the large mixing bowl full of candy my aunt lays out...now many of them are young adults, but we still get together and enjoy the day...everyone brings a dish of whatever they want...nothing fancy mainly finger foods, veggie trays, fruit, sanwiches, taco dip, cheese and crackers, pizza, wings, cakes, pies, cookies etc...we play games sing and of course end the night with us "older" ones watching It's a Wonderful Life... I can't wait!!!!

 

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We always go to my Grandma's house on Christmas Eve - ever since I was a little kid. My mom is one of 7 kids so the house is full to the brim of people. We all show up around 7 pm and eat dinner - usually finger foods, watch whatever college bowl game that is on and then we open presents.  We did have to move the party from my Grandma's house, since she is 90 and doesn't get around well anymore - to my Aunt's house. But otherwise everything is still the same except last year we added a dirty santa game to the mix. 

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Christmas Eve is a mix of different things each year. Usually finger foods and such as everyone is in a hurry finalizing things and running to evening church service. We thought about doing our Christmas dinner this year on Christmas Eve and just have leftovers on Christmas Day; just to make the day easier and more relaxing (especially this year since it's on Sunday). Dinner is usually like Thanksgiving - turkey, ham, stuffing and such - but we change up the side dishes so it is not quite the same.

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Until my grandparents passed away in '07, Christmas Eve dinner was there. The menu itself varied, but usually ham for main course. There was one Christmas Eve, though, that was different - we were moving thanks to dad getting transferred by his work. Wound up at Big Boy. Dad and I both had fried clams. Don't remember what brother & mom had off hand, but the clams became the running joke as a "traditional Christmas Eve dinner". lol (We still do it for lunch sometimes, just because!)

Edited by wittenlover
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Not really a lot of traditions on Christmas Eve anymore as the family has shrunk. We do tend to have dinner at our house and the menu usually varies. One tradition is lot's of different cookies, pies and the like. As far back as I can remember dinners have always been like some sort of meat (I prefer roast beast (beef)) and we always did some sort of pasta, when I was young the holiday parties were always HUGE lots of family packed into our house, that went on until I was well into my late teens when some of the family started to move away.

 

This year we are going to have a party before Christmas and invite all our extended family and friends over since it's harder to get those people over on the actual day.

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Christmas Eve is my favorite day! When I was a kid, we used to go to my grandmother's house and she would make this soup (kind of like Italian Wedding Soup, but a little different). She didn't use a recipe of course so I learned how to make it from her and I've made it every year since I've had my own place. My aunt and uncle come over and celebrate with us. I tried making a huge meal like she did, but everyone just wants the soup. I started making grilled cheese sandwiches instead and it's so much easier!

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We have a big Christmas Eve party with lunchmeat trays and party snacks. So on Christmas Day we make leftover pizza. We get pizza crusts and sauce and use the leftovers for toppings, like veggies from the vegetable tray, ham, pepperoni, shrimp, and anything else we feel like experimenting with.
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Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the whole year. We used to dinner with family but for years now we've done finger foods with just our little family. I make a bunch of unhealthy delicious stuff and we sit around the living room eating and watching a Christmas movie. Then we open a gift (always pajamas), put them on and drive around looking at lights.
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Christmas Eve is for us & our kids only. We have our big meal with the Christmas china, candles & fancy stuff, then we open gifts.

Christmas Day is open house and everyone who needs a place to land is welcome. We have leftovers & finger food and play games all day.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Christmas Eve is usually soup and appetizer / finger-food type things, and lots of cookies. It's normally spent with extended family or people we won't necessarily be with on Christmas day, and we try to make it simple because Christmas day is the big full turkey dinner like Thanksgiving, and I'm usually heavily involved if not doing the whole thing. My favorite day is the day after Christmas, which we've designated as "Game Day", when anybody who wants to come brings leftovers and we play board games and party games. It's so relaxing for me (no cooking involved!) and lots of fun!

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