Wow, what a great thread! I always thought everyone did a “turkey day” for Christmas.
My family usually has turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes (cut up really small to maximize the crunchy parts), carrots, parsnips, brussels sprouts, broccoli, peas, corn, salad, homemade bread, and two kinds of gravy for the main course on Christmas day (in the evening). Dessert is pie (mince, apple, pumpkin, and berry)and Christmas pudding, served with brandy butter (which is really icing) and vanilla ice cream. Yeah, Christmas at our house rocks!
For other meals:
Christmas eve: whatever we feel like.
Christmas eve snack: first opportunity to taste the Christmas baking (although we’ve all illicitly stolen a cookie or two before we’re allowed)
Christmas breakfast: pancakes, bacon, eggs.
Christmas lunch: cold cuts, cheeses, crackers, bread, pickles, olives, smoked oysters.
Boxing Day breakfast: leftovers
Boxing Day lunch: leftovers
Boxing Day dinner: glazed ham, and whatever side dishes we can scrounge up from the food left over in the house. There is NO SHOPPING on Boxing day - we consider it part of Christmas. We also don’t allow family members to return gifts.
Oh yeah, and the cookies, once served on Christmas eve (around 9pm) are free-for-all until they’re gone, usually three or four days later. I try to make several hundred for the 25 people or so that will be there.
But now I live in Korea, so Christmas is whatever we feel like. This year, my boyfriend suggested having fried chicken and macaroni salad with his friends.
