Thank you for taking the time to write about your Slovak heritage.
Yes, Christmas Eve, is all about the “Seven Fish / Shellfish Dishes” …
We also have a Catalan custom of placing “CAGANERS” (Little Ceramic Statues with their pants down, moving their bowels) by the fireplace and filling shoes with tiny gifts. If you were not a goodie, you would received a black carbon candy … that looks like a cross between a black truffle and coal !
Then, we blend the Italian, Catalan and Spanish traditions which are all quite similar, except for the Caganers. I am going to Post a photo of a Caganer ! We have collected them over the years as many Catalans give them as gifts.
This is fascinating @tomatotomato, in fact I like this whole thread. Always nice to know what others do, especially growing up in a nuclear family without traditions, mostly. Yes, a Christmas tree and the Easter bunny, but nothing food wise. Paternal grandmother and an auntie or two would do the full English Christmas roast, with plum pudding, combined with other things popular in their area and era.
Have adopted some traditions of H’s family, and have made our own, but aren’t bound by them.
I remember seeing some of these you’d posted before, but I think they’re funny @Barca!
Not sure if you’ve seen similar, but this year there’s a popular ornament for the Christmas tree, depicting a dog doing the same - on the top of the ornament it says 2020. Sums things up pretty well…
Since DH and I are opera singers, we are frequently working on Christmas Eve - plenty of church gigs to go around. One year we did an 8pm and 10pm at a Protestant church and then hightailed it across town for a midnight mass at a Catholic church! When we do visit my family on Christmas Eve, my sister and her family go to her in-laws’ Smorgasbord so we just chill with my parents, play cards and gorge on fancy appetizers and champagne.
This year almost no one is having live services, so no descants for us. Also no live visits, sigh. We’ll have a zoom call with my family, play some games, etc. Probably a big fat steak and a nice bottle of red for dinner. Was hoping my mother’s care package of homemade candy would be here for dessert, but it seems to have been swallowed by the black hole of the USPS.
I hear you. We are not religious and church services are one of those things we do more for the timely infusion of cash than anything else, but after a year of no gigs, no live music and limited interactions with other musicians, I find myself really missing a good Lessons and Carols service. Hopefully next year!
No, that’s too funny! I’ll post one my niece made shortly. Please standby.
Oh, also, just pressed the button a Barrel and Burlap order, thanks to you. Mostly spices, but 2 towels, as well. Am anxious to see the quality, but they look great!
Ok, from memory, Urfa pepper, sumac, smoked pimenton, whole green cardamom, ground bay leaves, ground cumin, mint, something fermented, then dried? can’t remember what. Will post a pic when they arrive @Rooster.
We put up the tree on Xmas Eve. Then I wrap presents until midnight, most years. This year, gift wrapping will only take me about 10 minutes lol. I think I have 3 or 4 small items to wrap.
We have fish on Xmas eve. Often a fish stew and some fried oysters, sometimes baked fish. I’ve made cioppino and moqueca several times.
I might make a coulibiac tomorrow - or an English fish pie with mashed potato topping. Depends on whether the salmon or haddock looks better. Or maybe Coquilles St Jacques.
If I have Christmas Eve traditions I don’t know what they are. That said, I’m taking @shrinkrap’s to my heart and watching Die Hard from now on. Great idea.
Nothing consistent about food. Whatever we decide. My wife is making dinner tonight and I don’t remember what’s in the plan. Breakfast tomorrow is scrambled eggs with onion and lox. Bacon.
So this Christmas Eve we did plan for takeout from the Thai place that my husband and I favor. While taking these beautiful gingerbread cookies—which I did not make myself—to our dear neighbor earlier in the day I asked if she might enjoy Thai food too. We might not be able to eat together but why not share the same menu? She agreed, so Thai food on Christmas Eve for both houses.
There’s another Slovak tradition of setting an extra place at the Christmas Eve table for either someone who cannot be present or for an unexpected guest.
It didn’t occur to me until later that bringing Thai food to our neighbor was very much in that spirit. Adapting!
Check out the cheerful gingerbread cookies. Made by a talented baker—definitely not me.
?? 
