How do you do Christmas?

My Mum loving having her 7 grand children all
together last Christmas.

Last week I wrote a bit about what Christmas means to me. And yes I am a Christian so for me it has a lot of spiritual significances but not all my traditions around Christmas are spiritual a lot at cultural to do with my family and where I have grown up.

In my family growing up we always had Christmas lunch with my Nana (mums mum) my mum, my two sisters, my aunty, my uncle and three cousins. We rotated who house it was at. Christmas was a big deal and talks and planning for the day were well underway in September who house, who brings what, ect. Food was extremely important, always a hot lunch, always a roast despite the fact that I grew up in Melbourne and some Christmases it is frankly bloody hot but that’s what we did. Everyone got dressed up and made the house look amazing, seating plans were made and name tag lots and lots of effort into making it a great day and a fair bit of stress. My Mum rushed out trying to prepare several dishes of food bumping into her sister and Mother who were doing the same. The other kids and I would be shoving our faces full of chips and lollies that were out to tide us over till lunch. My family not only loves to eat but also take photos of us eating so just as all the food is served up and my Mum is running in a flap we need to take a photo of us all about to eat. unfortunately I don't seem to have one of these photo but basically picture a couple of women looking happy but over worked with 4 or 5 kids looking unimpressed and someone shoving food in the gob and that sum up the photo.

I think I am about 14 in this photo, surprisingly no one
seems to be eating but it dose include unimpressed
youths.

Now I am an adult I can make some of my own Christmas traditions. Since my late teens I have discovered that for lots of folks drinking is a big part of the festive season and when I'm not pregnant or breast feeding which at the moment feels never I love to enjoy a festive tipple. I have also started my on traditions of always giving my kids a Christmas story book, having a photo ordainment made every year. And some traditions from my childhood I have carried on the Christmas angel must have a light placed under her its her heart beat and Santa doesn't wrap presents he doesn't have time.

 

For my in laws Christmas is another whole deal. Its super relaxed, as I write this no firm plans have been made for who is having Christmas lunch. There will be no expectation that anyone else be bring or cooking food, no special clothes need to be purchased. In fact the only thing I can guarantee about the who day will be that its relaxed and my husband his brother and their Dad will enjoy several beers. At first I found it odd to celebrate Christmas day so relaxed so casual but now I welcome that every second year can just we chillax time.

I love that we all have our different ways of celebrating Christmas. Many moons ago when I was backpacking I was living and working in a hostel in Edinburgh over one Christmas. So we celebrated Christmas together. We have lots of Aussies, kiwis and some Americans for all of us we have different things we had to do for it two be Christmas. We had to have three different types of potatoes for lunch roast, mashed and baked in foil served with sour cream because we all had things that we always have  on Christmas day.

I have had many Christmases, some good some bad. some far from home and some with all the people that I love but one thing remains. In my family we always have Santa mix lollies and frankly I'm sad it there are none on the table Christmas day. What makes Christmas, Christmas for you.

Last minute addition; thanks to my wonderful mum here are few more family Christmas photos.



The family gathered waiting to eat, how excited does my uncle look?

I would love to see your family Christmas photos and hear your stories if you'd like to share them on my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ljskitchentable 

My cherubs this Christmas and next year it will be three!