How Does Your Family Celebrate Christmas?

Allow me to scare you: Sourkraut, no juice. Flour noodles, cooked in a wee bit of oil. Flat bread. Drained canned mushrooms. Split peas, not juice or butter. Nothing to drink, but for a bottle of whiskey passed around the table. Dining by the light of only two candles, regardless how many people are present. It's Christmas Eve tradition, and I love it.

When I was younger we would spend the holliday at my house with my parents. All my aunts and uncles as well as cousins would all come to my house for dinner. We had so many family memebers we ate dinner in shifts. There was always someone to play with because we were all together. The years have not been kind to my family we are a small group now. Now that I am a mom the dinner is at my home. I decided that I had the youngest child so it was not fair for my daughter to give up her toys. I have dinner for my family including my mom and dad. Later in the evening some of the cousins will stop in for drinks and maybe a card game or two. My family loves to play pinocle. There will be tons of presents and food for all. My grandmother taught me how to cook so I always cook enough to feed an army. After dinner we relax with a game of cards and put on music. We all like country music so that makes it nice. My daughter will usually play with her new games or on the computer while the grown ups play cards. The celebration of family will go on late into the night. The day after Christmas will be spent sleeping in and then it is clean up time. I hate the day after Christmas. I hate the clean up but I love the time I get to spend with my family.