what the hell am i supposed to make on xmas eve?

[Anonymous]

One would think I've been living in a VC Andrews novel for the past 37 years...It's just our nuclear family this year and I can't recall what I've done in the past...I know some people do the feast of seven fishes or oyster stew...Anyone having anything interesting that's a tradition? I'd like to start some sort of tradition for us. Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

Trying to figure this out too, esp. since church is at 4 pm. I'm thinking maybe a lasagne so I can have it put together and then just throw it in the oven when we get home.

[Anonymous]

We do a thick winter vegetable soup and some sort of fish. The idea is to eat lightly, to save the heavy calories for Christmas dinner.

The tradition part - we always get English crackers: tubes covered in paper with a cap inside. Pull the ends, the cap "cracks", and each tube has a paper crown, a paper with some lame jokes, and a little prize. Wearing your crown is mandatory at dinner!

[Anonymous]

The Italian /Catholic tradition is to eat fish (or at least not meat) on Christmas eve. My mom grew up eating eels. (blech!)

We're going to have shrimp, I think.

[Anonymous]

Here you go: the Feast of the 7 Fishes -- a southern Italian tradition because CHristmas Eve was a day of fasting.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2141220_plan-italian-feast-seven-fishes.html

They suggest:

1. shrimp cocktail
2. crab meat bruschetta
3. linguini with clam sauce
4. sauteed squid
5. cod baked with rosemary, white wine and butter
6. sauteed scallops
7. crumbled tuna (???)

Sounds like a feast for a LTO of people -- I think we'll stick with shrimp, maybe some scallops with linguini.

[Anonymous]

Asian style steamed buns.

[Anonymous]

Thank you!!! That helps!

[Anonymous]

Hubby is Catholic German and we have 3 special meals: Christmas eve, Christmas day and Day after Christmas (2nd Christmas). We are having standing prime rib for Christmas eve....normally open presents but modifying since we have a 3 yo that believes in Santa. He is opening presents on Christmas morning. Doing a turkey breast on Christmas Day and eating out on 2nd Christmas.

New Year's Eve we always do seafood....likely crab cakes.

Even with moderation....it is easy to gain weight.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in a family that didn't like to cook, and so both Christmas Eve and Day meals were very casual. My family only started instituting a formal Christmas dinner about 5yrs ago.

We're celebrating at our house this year for the first time ever since I'm 8mos pregnant and shouldn't/don't want to travel. Christmas Eve I'm making a big pot of Italian vegetable soup (minestrone) with pesto and some good bread. I can make it earlier in the day, we can do Mass, and it's ready when we get home. That plus Christmas cookies is as complicated as it will get. Christmas Day will be a fancy meal.

[Anonymous]

We are having Lasagna, salad, bread and lots of apps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Italian /Catholic tradition is to eat fish (or at least not meat) on Christmas eve. My mom grew up eating eels. (blech!)

We're going to have shrimp, I think.

Eel sushi is good! Hmmm. Maybe sushi take out.

[Anonymous]

smoked salmon on toast with sour cream and dill.

[Anonymous]

Christmas Eve is the "fancy" meal in my family. We do an English dinner: standing rib roast, yorkshire pudding, plum pudding, etc. I haven't really figured out how to cook this AND go to Christmas Eve family service. I think DH and my mom will take DC to church while I cook and my dad keeps me company. If I were prepared enough ahead of time and did the slow cook on the roast (I prefer high heat for prime rib), I could make it work, as it isn't a long service or far away. But I don't want to risk it.

Christmas Day is the bigger meal for my DH's family. We are having a spiral ham, biscuits, green beans, rum cake. Attire will be casual for this one and it will be a mid-day meal.

[Anonymous]

We follow my mom's Polish Catholic tradition for Christmas Eve (meatless, which is cool, b/c DD, my sister, and I are vegetarians). We're going to have navy bean soup, sauerkraut and potato pierogi, and fruit salad. YUM. Mass is at 4pm. I have no idea what we're having for Christmas Day meals- DH is planning it. I think he's doing a ham for my parents and himself.

[Anonymous]

I ended up making shrimp fajitas... yummy!! I think we have a new tradition in my house!