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I loved Thanksgiving and Christmas growing up. Still do, but things have gotten melancholy since I lost my Mom, then my husband and Dad suddenly one Christmas morning. My sisters don't celebrate anymore. Me, I do still roast a small turkey, make Dads stuffing with apples and sausage. On thanksgiving night, we put the tree up. Christmas Eve is finger foods. Christmas Day depends but usually some Italian dish and Christmas cookies. My kids are grown, but none married, so they spend it with me.
Yum yum. No matter how we spend the 25th - whether with family in a traditional blowout or at 1st class restaurant, nothing can compare with the finger foods we put out on the 24th.
We love to cook and eat well for both holidays, but I really am not much into the decorating the house anymore the past few years...
Maybe this year since I am retired now and we have several grandkids living back in the city, I will be more "in the mood" to put up the large tree and pull out the decorations.
I usually go to my sister's as she really gets into it. But since mom died, the spirit just isn't there. Don't know when she'll finally quit, but I do understand her need to do this. When mom was alive the house was filled with many of the kids & their spouses & kids. It's hard for her to adjust to no one visiting.
When I lived in the city I usually just cooked a small turkey, most of which went into the freezer & came in handy for many different recipes.
For reasons I won't get into, my family never celebrated the holidays.
With no family to speak of, I spent 40 years in a patrol car and worked every holiday - not because I had to, but to allow an officer with a family to spend the holidays at home.
Since I retired early last year, I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas by going to Mass and then helping the less fortunate. I figure on making it my new holiday tradition.
I'm not retired yet, but I moved here to finish out my career and retire in this home. We have no family here and few friends (so far).
Thanksgiving is not a big deal to me, though I like the meal. I just make stuffing, cranberry sauce, veg and pie.
I am used to the whole Feast of 7 Fishes big deal on Xmas Eve. We have been going to Italian restaurants instead, which is fun but a little lonely.
Then on Xmas I make something simple. Lasagna and pastries from the Italian bakery. Again, a bit lonely. This year I am probably going to hike and picnic with a Meetup group instead.
but I really am not much into the decorating the house anymore the past few years...
I put up the lights, particularly the outside lights, because winter here can be dark, and I bought a little spiral metal "tree" (about 3' tall) that has ornament hooks on it. I went through my mother's collection of ornaments and picked out about 15-20 that either had some meaning or that I really liked and got rid of the rest. Scaling it all back made it much more doable.
Of course, I don't tend to take the lights down until about March.
In Las Vegas, the only time locals hate to go out to eat is on holidays. The lines are just too long!
Yes, but that's only for the buffets. If you make a reservation for a regular sit-down restaurant, there's no issue at all with dining out on Christmas in LV.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brightdoglover
One Christmas Day, I went to a movie with a Jewish friend. The first show was sold out and we had to come back for the second.
Did you also go out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant? After all, that is the typical traditional Jewish Christmas celebration: Chinese food and a movie.
And if you're single, attending a Matzo Ball on Christmas Eve.
To lovemyhoss - glad I had nothing I was eating or drinking in my mouth when I read your They're Coming To Take Me Away allusion, or it all would have been sprayed over the four corners of the room. Still chuckling.
I do absolutely nothing different from any other day of the year and lie and evade to avoid any invitations to join anyone else. As a non-believer, pretending to observe makes me very uncomfortable.
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