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Post by MichyM on Dec 23, 2020 20:04:41 GMT
As I’m prepping a brisket for Christmas Eve dinner (it even more flavorful if cooked the day before) I’m thinking about how different this Christmas is (besides the obvious virus stuff) than usual...even though I’m Jewish.
So...as an example, my Christmas Eve dinner is actually going to be a small 2 person version of my “traditional” Hanukkah dinner for my friend. We both are completely quarantined either alone at our respective homes or when together at my place. She is staying with me off and on through the new year. Brisket, latkes, salad, and she’s making some sort of dessert. Due to COVID she wasn’t included in Hanukkah dinner this year and she loooooves latkes, so she’s very happy.
Normally Christmas Eve is a meal at my ex’s (he and i get along fine) with my son who comes into town - this is his first Christmas not coming home for the holiday BUT he was here for a month which included TG and the first few nights of Hanukkah (completely safe with quarantine and negative COVID tests) so I’m not sad.
Christmas Day always is a nice brunch at home....my son makes his amazing scones (which my friend and I are doing), a long walk, and a late afternoon matinee at the movie theater. Usually followed by a drink or two at a nearby bar, they usually start opening back up by about 4-5pm on Christmas Day for us city-dwellers. Instead we’ve got a selection chosen of different movies to watch at home.
So, what are you doing differently this year that you’re looking forward to? Please share, we need some cheer!
Oh and Merry Christmas EveEve friends! ❤️🎄✨
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QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
Jun 26, 2014 0:29:24 GMT
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Post by QueenoftheSloths on Dec 23, 2020 20:28:54 GMT
Normally we visit my parents Christmas Eve afternoon and into the evening. I always have this fear that someone will break into our house while we are gone and steal the presents under the tree, so I am happy to not have that worry. We have a blizzard outside right now, but if it wraps up in time, I might go out tomorrow for some groceries and what not, and then be home nice and early.
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Post by bianca42 on Dec 23, 2020 20:34:23 GMT
Other than my Mom & Step-Dad not being with us, Christmas Eve and Christmas will be the same as normal. We've had very low-key celebrations for the last several years. Last year I stayed in my jammies for the entire day.
Well, I take that back...we'll be doing zoom gift openings with my Mom & Step-Dad and with my Dad & Step-Mom. Maybe we'll even get my brother who lives across the country in on the zoom.
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Post by peasapie on Dec 23, 2020 20:37:21 GMT
We aren't doing the traditional Christmas Eve Italian fish dinner here. Usually we have a big crowd for that. This year it will just be DH and me.
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Post by ntsf on Dec 23, 2020 20:38:11 GMT
no church, no choir, no singing except at my home by myself, fewer presents, less rush..
thats about it.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 1:28:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2020 20:39:53 GMT
Merry Christmas EveEve, MichyM. As far as your op, I'll try to keep it cheery. We usually see my family up in NY during Christmas. Either we go there or some of them come here. DS30 has come down here the last 2 years too (he moved out 3 years ago). This year we won't be going anywhere or seeing anyone. Can't chance it with DH's health. We're used to keeping it REALLY small for the holidays, which has been different than my entire life of hosting 30 or so family members. This year it's tough to get going with any planning at all. I planned out Christmas dinner (ravioli and my homemade sauce and meatballs), but that's it. I really have to finish planning out food because Publix is closed on Christmas.... I'll figure it out. As for presents, we don't exchange. We're supposed to have a family Zoom with my immediate family and some of my cousins, on Christmas. Should be nice. We focus on our blessings. This year DH is cancer-free & Covid-free (right now), and he's feeling good, and I'm doing okay too. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas or happy holiday!! Stay safe!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 1:28:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2020 20:41:54 GMT
We aren't doing the traditional Christmas Eve Italian fish dinner here. Usually we have a big crowd for that. This year it will just be DH and me. DH just spoke about this. We're both Italian and we're used to that being the focus of Christmas Eve dinner, but it's only 3 of us (and only DH eats fish). He really misses the "7 fishes" though!
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Post by jeremysgirl on Dec 23, 2020 20:48:52 GMT
I think I have successfully lowered my expectations. And this is a really good thing given how my past holidays with my kids have gone. I basically threw into the text universe that I'll be making French toast at 11 am and Fish and Steak at 4 pm and then let it go. If they show up, they show up. If they don't, they don't. And I honestly, 100% feel good about it.
I have spent more money on Jeremy than I ever intended to. I plan to make his Christmas wonderful and I'm certain he will do the same for me. I'm feeling so good about it, I may even make a cheesecake, just because I know he loves it.
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Post by MichyM on Dec 23, 2020 20:49:12 GMT
Normally we visit my parents Christmas Eve afternoon and into the evening. I always have this fear that someone will break into our house while we are gone and steal the presents under the tree, so I am happy to not have that worry. We have a blizzard outside right now, but if it wraps up in time, I might go out tomorrow for some groceries and what not, and then be home nice and early. A blizzard on a Christmas when you don’t need to be anywhere sounds like absolute perfection to me. I hope you all enjoy!
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Post by MichyM on Dec 23, 2020 20:52:42 GMT
I think I have successfully lowered my expectations. And this is a really good thing given how my past holidays with my kids have gone. I basically threw into the text universe that I'll be making French toast at 11 am and Fish and Steak at 4 pm and then let it go. If they show up, they show up. If they don't, they don't. And I honestly, 100% feel good about it. I have spent more money on Jeremy than I ever intended to. I plan to make his Christmas wonderful and I'm certain he will do the same for me. I'm feeling so good about it, I may even make a cheesecake, just because I know he loves it. Awww, I especially love the cheesecake part. I hope you two enjoy the day, with or without the kiddos!
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Post by huskermom98 on Dec 23, 2020 20:58:59 GMT
Not going to see family (3 gatherings over 3 days usually) changes pretty much everything for us. The cheery upside is that we didn't have to deal with trying to schedule the family gathering with DH's parents around the one brother who makes it difficult each year--and not having to travel and be gone for at least 3 day! This is will be only the 2nd (maybe 3rd) time we'll be home on Christmas Day as a family, so we really don't know what to do. I like to complain about the traveling each year, but I do love seeing my family, but it will be nice to be home.
I did decide to put DH in charge of holiday meals so I get a few days off from planning/cooking. It will be nice to not have anything to do (not that there's anywhere to go) until I have to go into work next week.
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julie5
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,611
Jul 11, 2018 15:20:45 GMT
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Post by julie5 on Dec 23, 2020 21:04:25 GMT
Not much difference for us thankfully. I don’t have to go to my in-laws but I don’t much care for them anyways. It’s so stiff and uncomfortable for me and my kids. So yay for that.
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Post by gar on Dec 23, 2020 21:15:36 GMT
We normally go to our local pub on Christmas Eve and have a few drinks with some of our friends from the village but that won't be happening. It wouldn't be the same because restrictions mean we have to sit at a table only with people from your household so we can't mingle at the bar, wander round and chat etc.
And as it's just the 2 of us, we're having fillet steak instead of turkey.
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Post by scraphollie27 on Dec 23, 2020 21:17:30 GMT
Not COVID related - my grandpa passed away in November so there is gaping hole in my life where he should be that is being exacerbated by Christmas
COVID related - can’t visit with anyone outside of household but thank goodness all of our children live with us. Instead of a huge Christmas dinner, we will be celebrating my stepson’s 30th birthday with steak and Caesar salad and ice cream cake. Looking forward to the unbusyness of this holiday season and him finally getting a proper birthday party.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 1:28:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2020 21:19:57 GMT
My mom passed away from her stroke earlier over the summer. She was the one that decorated the house. Dad hasn't touched a thing and was trying to give away the decorations. I took a few things but told him to sit on it until next year before getting rid of everything. Knowing him, he'll find someone without a tree and give their fake tree away.
It's rather strange to go to his house with no Christmas stuff out.
No guilt trips from MIL though! That part I'm happy with. She doesn't want to gather at all. She asked us to join her on a hike this morning. She gave us a box of gifts, refused to hug, took a selfie with us 6 ft away from her.
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Post by padresfan619 on Dec 23, 2020 21:21:17 GMT
My husband and I switch off families each year for Christmas so we should be going to visit his mom, but obviously that’s not happening with covid. My parents live locally to us and are literally the only other people we have seen in person since March, so we will be spending Christmas together. If I were still working in the office like I was earlier this year we’d be staying home, but everyone involved works from home and doesn’t go anywhere besides on walks outside. It isn’t that different than previous years, I don’t have a large extended family so it has only been my immediate family for most of my life.
I don’t miss traveling at Christmas at all but I will miss spending time with my nephews.
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Post by tallgirl on Dec 23, 2020 21:21:36 GMT
I just went to 7 stores looking for Pillsbury country biscuits for our Christmas morning monkey bread, and I can’t find any. This will be the first time in 15+ years that we do something different for breakfast.
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Post by papersilly on Dec 23, 2020 21:30:20 GMT
i'm sad because we're not getting together with my dad, siblings and their families. i understand the sacrifice we have to make to get through this but it's still sad not to have the festivities. having said that, xmas is a bit less stressful this year. no running around to stores for xmas shopping. no wrapping gifts. everyone will get their gifts emailed or Venmo'd to them. no prepping to host a big dinner. to long clean up afterwards. DH and i are blessed not to want or need a thing so we agreed, no gifts to each other. i'm just happy to spend a quiet xmas eve and day at home.
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Post by AussieMeg on Dec 23, 2020 21:35:44 GMT
Thankfully we did the hard work early, with our 4 month lockdown some months ago, so it means we are able to spend Christmas with family as normal. I am very thankful for that.
I don't normally get to see my mum at Christmas since she moved away. But this year she is coming to my house on Boxing Day and I will cook some of her favourite foods for dinner. Yay!
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ellen
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,751
Jun 30, 2014 12:52:45 GMT
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Post by ellen on Dec 23, 2020 21:49:33 GMT
Normally I'd be pretty pissed off that there is a blizzard right now and I'd be worried about traveling to see family this weekend. We already bought our groceries so we are set for the next few days at home. It will just be three of us for the holidays. This will be my first Christmas that I won't spend with my 23 year old daughter. She's in the Navy and living in Maryland. I feel bad about that, but traveling just isn't an option. I'm so thankful we went out to see her last year at Christmas. We'll Zoom to do a gift opening on Friday. I'm looking forward to preparing and eating good food, Zooming with other family members, opening gifts, and watching a movie or two.
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Post by psoccer on Dec 23, 2020 21:54:17 GMT
We have always had Christmas Eve at my FIL with his sons, and all of the kids, grandkids, and spouses. We eat crab, pasta, and salad. He passed away over the summer, not COVID. We were going to get together the first week of December, but some of us (me and the hosting sister in law) so it was canceled. I have tamales, and it will just be our family. Christmas is just our family, and has been that way for awhile.
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,039
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Dec 23, 2020 21:54:44 GMT
We were actually going on a trip that was cancelled (obviously) and that was already different as we’ve always stayed home. But different now than what we usually do- we aren’t going to a Christmas Eve service. Might watch one online, might not. We are going to open presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. And thanks to a pea that posted about an experience you could get in Seattle we purchased a Christmas box with props/clues for an online mystery, cookies to decorate, and cocktails to mix that have to do with the story. Hopefully that will be fun. we are also planning to watch the new Wonder Woman movie on HBO Max instead of going to the theater.
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QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
Jun 26, 2014 0:29:24 GMT
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Post by QueenoftheSloths on Dec 23, 2020 22:08:00 GMT
Normally we visit my parents Christmas Eve afternoon and into the evening. I always have this fear that someone will break into our house while we are gone and steal the presents under the tree, so I am happy to not have that worry. We have a blizzard outside right now, but if it wraps up in time, I might go out tomorrow for some groceries and what not, and then be home nice and early. A blizzard on a Christmas when you don’t need to be anywhere sounds like absolute perfection to me. I hope you all enjoy! We didn't have a bit of snow on the ground so I am excited for the snow but I could do without the wind! The gusts are making the power flicker. Tomorrow we are having single digit high temps, so another reason to be happy about not being out after dark. My other Christmas Eve tradition is watching the pope on tv. I am interested to see what the service will look like this year. His covid messaging has been inconsistent. I wonder if they would replay a previous years mass rather than doing a scaled back one this year? I'm not a Catholic, but watching the pope has been a tradition for many, many years now. That and asking all the cats if they are the one cat who gets to speak at midnight Christmas Eve this year. So far, it hasn't been our turn, but I am always hopeful.
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Post by whipea on Dec 23, 2020 23:35:53 GMT
Very little difference this year with the exception of having just fractured the top of my leg. I have been very limited in the treat making and house cleaning, but that is it.
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,891
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Dec 23, 2020 23:39:38 GMT
I usually have 20-30 people for Christmas Eve dinner. I do a Seven Fishes dinner and we have celebrated with the same friends for 20 years, plus lots of extended family.
This year? 7 of us. Just our family. But I haven't seen my oldest daughter since last Christmas and she will be here in about 20 minutes. I'm practically jumping out of my seat with excitement!
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Post by myboysnme on Dec 24, 2020 0:29:32 GMT
All of our difference really do involve family.
We usually go to son's for Christmas Eve and they come over Christmas day. We switched it up this year so that DS1 doesn't have to pack up DGD and bring her over here on Christmas. We will be going to them on Christmas instead, after they open their gifts together.
We eat out for New Years Day at a church serving pork and sauerkraut. This year DH will cook it for us instead. We've done that before when New Years was on a Sunday and the churches didn't have the dinners, but this year they are only doing take out so we figured it is better to just relax and eat in.
The last 2 years we have done Chinese takeout on Christmas and will do it this year. DS invited over 2 friends with no one to spend Christmas with. They are over at his house all the time and roommates of each other.
We will face time with DS2 on DS1's TV and open some gifts together. He is in California and they are on lock down so he will be alone.
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Post by femalebusiness on Dec 24, 2020 0:43:29 GMT
I just went to 7 stores looking for Pillsbury country biscuits for our Christmas morning monkey bread, and I can’t find any. This will be the first time in 15+ years that we do something different for breakfast. I use Bridgeford Frozen bread dough for mine. Thaw over night in the fridge. Cut one of the loves in half long way, then cut those two parts into small biscuit size chunks. I use 1 1/2 loaves for one batch of monkey bread.
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garcia5050
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,770
Location: So. Calif.
Jun 25, 2014 23:22:29 GMT
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Post by garcia5050 on Dec 24, 2020 0:45:03 GMT
So so different. In addition to not having my dad, and not having to schlep ourselves and a ton of gifts to 4 different houses, this will be the first time EVER that I will not be eating tamales. I usually help my in laws 2 weeks ahead of time (they freeze them until Christmas Eve), and on Christmas Eve, my mom and I spend ALL day making tamales (because she doesn't believe in eating pre-frozen tamales on Christmas Eve). I thought about finding a good place to buy some - but purchased tamales are never up to par. We (DH and I) don't even know what we're going to cook at home. But we need to figure it out soon (today?).
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,687
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
Jul 22, 2017 4:59:41 GMT
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Post by luckyjune on Dec 24, 2020 1:51:02 GMT
The kids are coming by tomorrow afternoon. DH and I prepped meals for them (what we would have had if we'd been all together on Christmas)to take home. We are social distancing in the front porch to exchange, but not open, gifts. Then, everyone will be on their merry way to their own homes.
DH and I haven't had a Christmas alone in 25 years! We are having Dungeness crab and we picked up a bottle of wine for dinner. We have no other plans but to hang out and open our presents to each other. We might take a walk and/or watch a movie. Call our parents. Maybe see if the cul de sac wants to have a social distance drink outside, if the weather holds (we did this all summer long and we all miss it). And while it is weird and sad not to have the kids home, having a low-key holiday sounds pretty okay.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Dec 24, 2020 2:08:47 GMT
We normally go to Iowa to visit my family. We stay for several days and see various sides of the family (my mom’s extended family, dads extended, stepmoms extended, Christmas at my stepmoms with siblings and Christmas at my moms with siblings there). We have an overload of family and it will be very different to be just the 6 of us at home. It will be nice not to travel and pack everything up. I’m a little worried that Christmas will feel like just another day with more food than usual. But hopefully we can make it special.
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