The wrong and ( too) early Christmas exitement thread

Windigo

Windigo

Kitchen Witch
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This is not a thread for those who loathe Christmas,
But for elves, reindeer, santas, fairy folk and happy fellas
For those who start early in the year
Decorating their tree and spreading Christmas cheer
What are you putting on the menu
What are you going to do?
50351


50352


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50354

Okay, this may be a little wrong
But the Christmas cheer is strong
Post your ideas new and old
And let the holidays unfold!
 
We do have not children - correction - children who visit for Christmas. I used to decorate for Christmas because SS and his family would visit and I wanted a festive environment. I have not had the energy or inspiration to decorate for Christmas for several years. Three or four years ago Step Son informed us that his family was too busy and pressed for time visiting his mother and his in-laws to squeeze in a visit with us. George was hurt. I was p!ssed. Instead of decorating I cook.
 
First, may I bow to you in honor for your excellent idea of creating this topic. You are a goddess among mere mortals, you are! A 🤗 and a 😘, all in the spirit of the season!

I've started pulling out my decorations and lights yesterday. Some are up, and I expect to be done by this weekend. No doubt, I'll need to buy more lights, as MrsT (short for MrsTinsel this time of year) has declared she wants to outline the front window.

We've also solved our tree situation and have ordered this artificial tree, to arrive next week:


Our Tree 2020

Our Tree 2020


I've started the process of setting my menu for the day. At this point, I know it'll be a standing rib roast, roasted potatoes, puds, and that there will be two sides and at least a cake for dessert, as well as wine, and a specialty cocktail.

Christmas breakfast is a big deal for us, and I've found a special cranberry sweet roll to make, I'm looking forward to that.

However, unlike what some folks will tell you, Christmas isn't a day, it's a season, spanning many, many days, so there will be festive meatballs, and spiced nuts, and mulled wine, and fondue, and cookies, and candies, and cranberries, and chocolates as well. Those all have to be sorted. Believe me, I've been buried in holiday recipes for the last week. And it's been grand!

Our next Christmas afternoon tea is Sunday, as well. I've also been running through my Christmas song repertoire so I can spontaneously force my small amount of talent on the mail and package carriers.

I've got most of my gifts bought, but still have to work out my Boxing Day gifts for a few business folks we're close to; vet, pharmacy, and my hair stylist. She always gets some kind of boozy present this time of year.

So yeah, we're knee-deep in the Christmas here, and it's wonderful. Now if it would only snow...
 
TastyReuben said:
First, may I bow to you in honor for your excellent idea of creating this topic. You are a goddess among mere mortals, you are! A 🤗 and a 😘, all in the spirit of the season!

I've started pulling out my decorations and lights yesterday. Some are up, and I expect to be done by this weekend. No doubt, I'll need to buy more lights, as MrsT (short for MrsTinsel this time of year) has declared she wants to outline the front window.

We've also solved our tree situation and have ordered this artificial tree, to arrive next week:


Our Tree 2020

Our Tree 2020


I've started the process of setting my menu for the day. At this point, I know it'll be a standing rib roast, roasted potatoes, puds, and that there will be two sides and at least a cake for dessert, as well as wine, and a specialty cocktail.

Christmas breakfast is a big deal for us, and I've found a special cranberry sweet roll to make, I'm looking forward to that.

However, unlike what some folks will tell you, Christmas isn't a day, it's a season, spanning many, many days, so there will be festive meatballs, and spiced nuts, and mulled wine, and fondue, and cookies, and candies, and cranberries, and chocolates as well. Those all have to be sorted. Believe me, I've been buried in holiday recipes for the last week. And it's been grand!

Our next Christmas afternoon tea is Sunday, as well. I've also been running through my Christmas song repertoire so I can spontaneously force my small amount of talent on the mail and package carriers.

I've got most of my gifts bought, but still have to work out my Boxing Day gifts for a few business folks we're close to; vet, pharmacy, and my hair stylist. She always gets some kind of boozy present this time of year.

So yeah, we're knee-deep in the Christmas here, and it's wonderful. Now if it would only snow...
Click to expand...
A bit more work and you'll be getting into the Christmas spirit.
 
ElizabethB said:
We do have not children - correction - children who visit for Christmas. I used to decorate for Christmas because SS and his family would visit and I wanted a festive environment. I have not had the energy or inspiration to decorate for Christmas for several years. Three or four years ago Step Son informed us that his family was too busy and pressed for time visiting his mother and his in-laws to squeeze in a visit with us. George was hurt. I was p!ssed. Instead of decorating I cook.
Click to expand...

And how do you feel about it now? Do you enjoy the cooking?
 
TastyReuben said:
First, may I bow to you in honor for your excellent idea of creating this topic. You are a goddess among mere mortals, you are! A 🤗 and a 😘, all in the spirit of the season!

I've started pulling out my decorations and lights yesterday. Some are up, and I expect to be done by this weekend. No doubt, I'll need to buy more lights, as MrsT (short for MrsTinsel this time of year) has declared she wants to outline the front window.

We've also solved our tree situation and have ordered this artificial tree, to arrive next week:


Our Tree 2020

Our Tree 2020

Click to expand...

Looks lovely! We're setting up our tree next weekend, and have bought some new decorations this week. Ours is artificial too, because that's a better idea with a cat and two autistic teenagers around. They bump into things rather frequently and we would have no tree left by Christmas if we didn't have an artificial one.

TastyReuben said:
I've started the process of setting my menu for the day. At this point, I know it'll be a standing rib roast, roasted potatoes, puds, and that there will be two sides and at least a cake for dessert, as well as wine, and a specialty cocktail.

Christmas breakfast is a big deal for us, and I've found a special cranberry sweet roll to make, I'm looking forward to that.
Click to expand...

Beautiful menu, sounds lovely. Christmas never used to be a big deal for me (I explained in the love/hate thread) but I am starting to love it now I have my own family. I've planned most of my menu already too, keeping it a little classic this year as I want to make as nostalgic a Christmas as I can given the nature of this year.
Starter: Langoustine cocktail and crusty bread
Main: Roast chicken stuffed with dried fruit, gratin dauphinois, green beans, cranberry sauce, yorkshire puddings
Dessert: Not sure yet, thinking probably a chocolate pavlova with cream and raspberries.

Like you the next day I'll serve a big breakfast. It will at least include Stollen as is traditional here. Still thinking about the rest.


TastyReuben said:
However, unlike what some folks will tell you, Christmas isn't a day, it's a season, spanning many, many days, so there will be festive meatballs, and spiced nuts, and mulled wine, and fondue, and cookies, and candies, and cranberries, and chocolates as well. Those all have to be sorted. Believe me, I've been buried in holiday recipes for the last week. And it's been grand!

Our next Christmas afternoon tea is Sunday, as well. I've also been running through my Christmas song repertoire so I can spontaneously force my small amount of talent on the mail and package carriers.

I've got most of my gifts bought, but still have to work out my Boxing Day gifts for a few business folks we're close to; vet, pharmacy, and my hair stylist. She always gets some kind of boozy present this time of year.

So yeah, we're knee-deep in the Christmas here, and it's wonderful. Now if it would only snow...
Click to expand...

😍
Agreed, Christmas is a season starting at the end of November! Though I've been in a festive mood for almost all of November too. I've already shopped for lots of Christmas related things, and I don't plan on stopping soon. I've also had my nose in any magazine about Christmas I can already get my hands on. The planning is half the joy!

I'm thinking of doing an afternoon tea for the two of us on new year's eve , because this year fireworks have been forbidden here so there's no reason to stay up late.

Your Christmas sounds lovely by all means, and when the time comes I'll have a little toast to you and yours.
 
It is hard to get in the "holiday spirit" when you are wearing shorts and t-shirts outside, and sometimes have to run the air-conditioning to sleep at night. Well, at least if you grew up in the Northern hemisphere, and the "holiday season" means snow, and making snowmen, and sipping Wassail by the fireplace.

CD
 
Ahh a Christmas thread.....usually this time of year I'd be saying it was still far too early, but I think we all need something to look forward to this year :okay:
I'm usually pretty strict about the tree and decorations not going up until 1st December, but this year will probably decorate on the last weekend of November....assuming we can get a tree delivered! We've already bought a few new decorations for this year - a couple of things locally, and a couple of baubles from Käthe Wohlfahrt when we were on holiday in September (because we suspected that our usual December Christmas markets trip to Cologne wasn't going to happen this year). We've also ordered a new artificial tree for the kitchen - that should arrive in about a week's time, and because its pre-lit we're going to have to assemble it to make sure it works. And there's no point putting it away again just for a week so we'll leave it up (but not yet decorated!),

Its our turn to host the family for Christmas this year - though who knows they'll be allowed to come? I've ordered a large turkey anyway....if they aren't allowed to come then we'll just have a lot of leftovers LOL. I like to keep Christmas menus fairly traditional so it'll be turkey on Christmas Day and ham on Boxing Day. We also usually have a fondue on Christmas Eve
 
joul.jpg

A star is hanging in the window already and tiny led lights have been lit in a flower vase. I've ordered all the presents (for some reason online shopping seems most convenient this year) weeks ago. Most of them (traditional stuff like knit and crocheted goods, shawls, decorative prints, rubber stamps, clothes, books,...) have arrived and are waiting to be wrapped. I've also ordered gift wrapping papers, cotton ribbons/strands, lacy white vintage serviettes, chocolates and wrapped candies. There are dozens of candles in the sideboard/chest waiting to be lit.
❄🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯❄

We usually fetch the Christmas tree (either spruce or fir) on Dec 22nd-23rd from a nearby Christmas tree sale and keep it until Jan 6th which is the typical "Christmas's end day"; "Nuutinpäivä". Many people keep their tree outside or on the balcony but we always keep it inside. Traditionally the tree is decorated on Dec 23rd. On Christmas Eve we often go to a short Christmas service after lighting candles on relatives' graves, have our Christmas dinner and open the presents. (I find it tormenting that kids in most Anglophone countries have to stay in bed for the whole night - restless and sleepless - before they're allowed to open their presents). Christmas Day and Boxing Day are laid back days when people eat Christmas dinner leftovers, meet relatives, take strolls, watch TV, listen to Christmas carols, play games and read books. The rest of December is much the same until New Year as most people are on Christmas leave - and gain 5-7 kg (10-15 lbs).

(Mostly from my earlier post): Traditional Finnish Christmas dishes are cooked potatoes, marinated (raw) herring in different forms, gravlax and smoked salmon/whitefish, unripened/cream cheese, blue cheese, jam, smoked cold meat, vendace/salmon/whitefish roe with sour cream and onion, beetroot-carrot-apple-(onion)-pickled cucumber salad, salted mushroom and sour cream salad, sweetened potato casserole, swede/rutabaga casserole, meat and/or liver casserole and oven-baked ham with mustard (and brown sauce). Coffee, fruit, nuts and sweets for dessert. White chocolate-cranberry cake has been a hit for a couple of times. Can't wait for Christmas; this year has sucked so far.
 
caseydog said:
It is hard to get in the "holiday spirit" when you are wearing shorts and t-shirts outside, and sometimes have to run the air-conditioning to sleep at night. Well, at least if you grew up in the Northern hemisphere, and the "holiday season" means snow, and making snowmen, and sipping Wassail by the fireplace.

CD
Click to expand...

Did you ever see the movie "Mixed Nuts" with Steve Martin? I mention it because it takes place in California so you see people on the beach, roller blading, etc. The only way it looks "Christmasy" are the decorations everywhere. I'm from and am in the Midwest. We definitely get all four seasons.
 
Due to COVID, I still don't know what I'm doing for Thanksgiving quite yet. Too early to consider Christmas here.

I did notice one house a couple towns away is already all decked out for the Christmas season. I don't know if or when their lights will go on (I went past on an early afternoon).

Things I will do is send out cards and put up the outside lights. Cards typically go out early December, and the lights tend to go up mid-December but if winter precipitation is in the forecast, those will go up earlier than that. I like decorating the living room with the cards as they arrive. (I should order cards now.)

I have a set of "houses" that I put on the mantle, that are holiday-festive, along with fake snow cotton. None of the decor will go up until early-mid December. I am debating a small tree. There won't be many people dropping by to visit so this is up in the air. Maybe COVID will miraculously vanish? However the location it would go would be by the front window, so maybe the delivery guys bringing the chickens their feed will get to enjoy it. The tree for me must be up before Solstice. It would go down before mid-January, especially as needles will be dropping by then!

Simply trying not to be in a "bah humbug" mood.

I will certainly listen to the sorts of seasonal music I enjoy at the second half of December. (Sometimes I listen to this at other times of the year, too...)

I WILL celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes in my own way on the 24th. IF I have a friend or two over, I'll arrange it so we can have this as a theme. It carries on Dad's approach to that part of the festivities!
 
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