Christmas Eve Dinner Question- New Catholic Here

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We gathered on Christmas Eve with the in-laws and cousins for a dinner of crabcakes (made by FIL with amazing jumbo lump crab meat), roast beef, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, an Italian cold cut tray and cookies for dessert. FIL also made a round of fantastic pina coladas on Christmas Eve. Then we opened presents - we started out getting something for everyone, but progressed to drawing names. I left first, for my singing job at a 10:30 service; the others soon followed and went to Midnight Mass. There was often toy assembly and wrapping deep into the night.

Christmas morning, we got up (DH, DD, my Mom & I) and opened more presents, followed by Mass for anyone who had not gone to Midnight Mass. I was usually the cantor. Then into the car and back to the in-laws’ for big breakfast of eggs, sausage, waffles, toast and OJ, followed by another round of presents. Then DH, DD, my Mom & I would go to the cousins’ house on my side of the family for turkey dinner, while MIL, FIL, the two SILs and a bunch of relatives had lasagna. No presents at the cousins’ house - we did that a week or two before Christmas when everyone would be there and not traveling to their in-laws’ homes. We always planned to go back to the in-laws’ house, but it rarely happened. We would collapse at home and call them on the phone and wish all the guests a merry Christmas.

The next morning, just like the day after Thanksgiving, we hit the stores for bargains and returns. Wow, we had a lot of energy back then.

Now, people have died, married, moved away, etc., and it’s all different. We still don’t know exactly what we’ll be doing or where, except for the Cousins’ party on my side of the family, and the services and Masses that I will sing. A few things never change.

Betsy
 
There’s a Christmas Eve Mass on Saturday about 5:00 and most of my family goes. I don’t since I hate the crowds, so I stay home and put out the food. It’s ham and biscuits, cookies and candy, sausage balls and other yummy things. I go to Mass on Christmas morning.
 
I’m Italian and would love to have a fish Christmas dinner but my mother, while she doesn’t mind me bringing in a bunch of new traditions (we’ve converted to Catholicism awhile back, and my dad’s Italian, so I’ve been rediscovering my heritage.), draws the line at this, lol.

Christmas Eve, we usually meet at my aunt’s house, then my mom and I attend Midnight Mass together, then Christmas Day’s usually at my parents’ house. My aunt and mom are fabulous cooks and we have an awesome time. We usually have meat both days. Lol, I’m excited about going home for Christmas (and I leave for home in a week and two days!)
 
before discipline on fast and abstinence was relaxed in the 70s, the vigil of Christmas, Solemnity of Mary (New year’s day), Easter and other great feasts used to be days of fast and abstinence as well. At that time, the fast before receiving communion at Mass was from Midnight (one reason for going to Midnight Mass or the Easter Vigil Mass, because communion would be received shortly after 12). also the reason for more attendance at early morning Masses.

many ethnic traditions therefore arose out of family dinner customs on those days before the Holy Day. for instance my dad’s family (English) ate clam showder, codfish balls and potato cakes. My Irish MIL’s family ate colcannon (cabbage and mashed potatoes with butter), my Polish in-laws ate pierogi.

hard sometimes to separate actual Catholic discipline and practice from ethnic and cultural customs which are rooted in those traditions. but fun part of becoming Catholic is learning these traditions (not to mention the food).
 
A couple of years ago, I researched the various ethnic Christmas Eve traditions. My goal was to incorporate elements from all of my family’s ethnic backgrounds. Maybe this is something you can do with your own family’s ethnic backgrounds. A google search under “Italian Christmas Traditions” (or whatever ethnicity you are) might give you some ideas.

All the ethnicities I looked into, go meatless on Christmas Eve. Most of them have very large, multi-course meals. As many as 12. There is often a symbolism to the number of courses that they have, for example, the 12 apostles. I am not a very good or prolific cook, so I can’t possibly do the 12 courses. But I do call my Christmas Eve dinner a “Wigila” after my dh’s polish heritage. I also recently got my hands on an “oplatek” or a large wafer (looks alot like a large sized communion wafer) which is broken and shared at the meal as people exchange good wishes. We usually have pierogies (also, I think from the polish - at least from dh’s family tradition). My most delicious dish is crab soup. Very pricey, but super yummy, and for once a year, it is worth it. As I write this, I realize that it seems like most of our Wigila is polish, even though we are a combination of 6 different ethnic backgrounds. I guess we nod to the other ones at other times during the Advent/Christmas seasons.

One thing that I’ve always wanted, but haven’t gotten around to, is a braided bread called Kolach - three strands representing the Blessed Trinity. I forget which tradition that comes from. I do usually make a lemon poppyseed cake or bread - I think the poppyseeds have some significance. I know that my parents have always had oyster stew on Christmas Eve - I think that comes from the Italian tradtion. Another traditional Italian dish is Struffoli, or Honey Balls. The Russians include honey in their meal.

Have fun planning. There are a million choices of things to do. You can make your Christmas Eve a really special tradition!
 
It’s so much fun to hear of everyone’s Christmas Eve and Christmas traditions. I so envy those of you who are near family 😦 Although I grew up with family close by (had the “Easter and Christmas” relatives on one side, and the “Thanksgiving” relatives on the other side) we’ve never lived closer than a 13 hour drive, and for the last 23 years, a 3 day drive, from our families in New England. So, it’s pretty much been our two girls, dh and I. Now, older dd is married, so we “share” them with her dear in-laws, whom we just love. Younger daughter will be married in June. Last Christmas, everyone was together here, so we went to an early Christmas vigil Mass and then out to our favorite Thai restaurant - great fun, and usually only Oriental restaurants are open here on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is usually pretty quiet; until last year, my husband went to the Cathedral for Midnight Mass, as the TV station he works for broadcast it for years, and he would narrate for the TV audience and I would watch while wrapping gifts. Then, his new boss decided not to spend the money on the broadcast anymore—typical - so that lovely tradition ended.

We usually have the “turkey and all the trimmings” dinner - a repeat of Thanksgiving - as my girls just love that particular meal. Growing up, my husband’s traditions were Slovak (Ruthenian rite) and involved those traditional foods. My background is Irish, but I don’t remember anything specific - just lots of good food and relatives dropping in. I miss that. I always make my grandmother’s traditional and delicious sugar cookies, usually some fudge and my husband’s favorite - peanut butter blossoms - plus homemade apple, chocolate and pecan pies.

This year, we’ll do the early vigil Mass, then have the big dinner on Christmas Eve, as we will be leaving Christmas Day to join our daughter and son-in-law in Indiana with his parents, but wanted to let our daughter spend at least part of Christmas Day with her fiance (who may actually come with us…we’ll see.)

Before long, I imagine we’ll be traveling to a daughter’s home, as grandchildren will be in the near future - I hope!!!
 
the last few years I have substituted this crabmeat bisque for the traditional high-fat high-carb clam chowder.
1 can tomato sauce (or cambells tomato soup, but higher carb)
1 1/2 cans milk (half and half is better, depends on who is on what diet)
at least a cup, more if it looks a bit thin, of good crabmeat, the kind in the pouches works fine although I prefer the frozen snow crab meat when I can find it.
combine liquids over low heat, stirring constantly to blend, add the crabmeat and heat through. I like tarragon, others do not, so I use fresh snipped parsley instead.
I serve it in tea cups since it is a bit rich. This soup makes even grilled cheese sandwiches into a gourmet meal.
I like the richer tomato flavor of using the sauce, but using the condensed soup makes it milder and creamier.

my sister reminds me we used to have finnan haddie (salt cod, rinsed many times and fried or boiled) on Christmas eve, with boiled potatoes in butter and parsley.
 
ThyKingdomCome said:
A couple of years ago, I researched the various ethnic Christmas Eve traditions. My goal was to incorporate elements from all of my family’s ethnic backgrounds. Maybe this is something you can do with your own family’s ethnic backgrounds. A google search under “Italian Christmas Traditions” (or whatever ethnicity you are) might give you some ideas.

All the ethnicities I looked into, go meatless on Christmas Eve. Most of them have very large, multi-course meals. As many as 12. There is often a symbolism to the number of courses that they have, for example, the 12 apostles. I am not a very good or prolific cook, so I can’t possibly do the 12 courses. But I do call my Christmas Eve dinner a “Wigila” after my dh’s polish heritage. I also recently got my hands on an “oplatek” or a large wafer (looks alot like a large sized communion wafer) which is broken and shared at the meal as people exchange good wishes. We usually have pierogies (also, I think from the polish - at least from dh’s family tradition). My most delicious dish is crab soup. Very pricey, but super yummy, and for once a year, it is worth it. As I write this, I realize that it seems like most of our Wigila is polish, even though we are a combination of 6 different ethnic backgrounds. I guess we nod to the other ones at other times during the Advent/Christmas seasons.

One thing that I’ve always wanted, but haven’t gotten around to, is a braided bread called Kolach - three strands representing the Blessed Trinity. I forget which tradition that comes from. I do usually make a lemon poppyseed cake or bread - I think the poppyseeds have some significance. I know that my parents have always had oyster stew on Christmas Eve - I think that comes from the Italian tradtion. Another traditional Italian dish is Struffoli, or Honey Balls. The Russians include honey in their meal.

Have fun planning. There are a million choices of things to do. You can make your Christmas Eve a really special tradition!
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One nice thing my parish does every year at Christmas is give every family Optlaki (sp?). There are two rectangular wafers nicely imprinted with religious scenes and they come in a nice envelope with an explanation of the custom, a pretty picture, and prayers to be said. I don’t know how much they cost, but our parish is very large and I think that is a nice way to make people feel welcome. They also give every family a copy of the Advent Magnificat booklet on the Sunday before Advent. It makes Christmas a little nicer and we look forward to these two things every year.
 
CB_Catholic said:
One nice thing my parish does every year at Christmas is give every family Optlaki (sp?). There are two rectangular wafers nicely imprinted with religious scenes and they come in a nice envelope with an explanation of the custom, a pretty picture, and prayers to be said. I don’t know how much they cost, but our parish is very large and I think that is a nice way to make people feel welcome. They also give every family a copy of the Advent Magnificat booklet on the Sunday before Advent. It makes Christmas a little nicer and we look forward to these two things every year.
Click to expand...
The parish I grew up in had a Polish pastor, so he had the Oplatki available. He accepted donations for them. My family did not use them because we are not all Polish. From what I’ve heard, they are made of the same bread that is used for Communion hosts.
 
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