@Ruby Begonia , your Christmas' sound a bit like my first attempts to put a Christmas together for my sons. I was fourteen, and a mommy, so I asked everyone how to set it up. By the time I was 16, and had two sons. I had received so many different recipes and ideas for Christmas that it was a good thing thing the boys couldn't remember what it looked like or tasted like. My husband was first generation Italian and cathlic, so I finally settled into a mixture of the things I liked. I always fixed turkey stuffed cabbage rolls for my German side, with all kinds of gourds and veggies for my Indian side, and then I would simmer a pot of red sauce all night, in the deep well of my stove for the baked meatball and spaghetti for my Husband side. It would take me three days to cook Christmas dinner, but I loved it.
This is such a great thread and it's only December first! @Ina I. Wonder , I can't even imagine doing all you did at such a young age, but you loved it and that's all that is important! Hugs!
These are the wafers we broke and shared with others at the table at Christmas, They are called Oplatki.
@Lara Moss, would you believe that kids carolers number about a hundred per night? We had to prepare lots of coins and goodies. On the last 3 nights, i.e. December 22, 23, 24, we have added fruits like oranges and apples to the treats plus money, of course. We are also documenting the activity, pictures of all carolers are taken and logged so we know them, their origin and sometimes names. It's really fun but tiring because we had to man the gate from 6pm up to 11 pm every night from Dec 16 to 24. Maybe I can post some pics of the carolers nextx time.
@Ruby Begonia , what are Oplatki? If they are something to eat, I would have to go hungry. They are so beautiful! And thank you for reminding me of Hanukkah I think all the different ways of acknowledging our Creator are interesting, and there are soooo many. If anyone can tell me of the different names for these yearly blessings, I'll try to find whatever is out there in cyber land, and I will post whatever I can find. Here's a bit on Hanukkah.
Ina, Oplatki is a wafer of flour & water, signifying unleavened bread, the same wafer used in Holy Communion. It has no taste at all.
During my teenage years and because my father had taught me basic electrics, I started making my own strings of fairy lights by soldering wires to various bulbs and putting them into small paper chinese lanterns, then stringing them across the room. I now realise how dangerous this was as it was mains voltage electricity 240 volts on bare wires that could give a shock if touched, also it could potentially cause a fire if shorted with paper lanterns everywhere. We all survived and my parents seemed to allow me to play freely with electricity.
@Terry Page , A very shocking story. (giggling now) My first Christmas was with my father's chosen husband for me, (we were married for two years), and I didn't know what to do because I hadn't been brought up with Christmas. I had no money and no idea of how to keep this angry person from getting even more so, Then I got the idea that maybe I could do something for him. Well he was a pipe smoker and collector, and he had a lot of pride in those pipes. So I got out the largest pot in the kitchen and filled it with boiling soapy water, and I boiled every pipe he had for at least three hours. When he got home and saw what I had done, I thought he was either going to cry, or his head was going to explode. See even a bad Christmas can have a bright spot.