Christmas Memories/Traditions Around the World

Christmas Memories/Traditions Around the World

Join me as some of your favorite Twitter friends share a fun Christmas memory or tradition from around the world.

Janet From South Louisiana writes:

Every Christmas morning the whole family gathers. We unload the cars of all the presents and put the packages under the tree. We always have some sweet rolls, juice, mimosas and coffee ready to start off the fun. We open the stocking gifts first all at the same time. After stocking gifts have been opened and mess cleaned up, we pick someone to open their present first and then we go around in the circle and let each person open one of their gifts. That way we can see what each person received and who it is from. We always take a picture of the person opening their "big" gift. When there is a lot of presents, this can literally take awhile. We will have a 1 year old (my granddaughter, Perry Margaret) this Christmas so it will be a lot of fun and starting a new tradition.

Katy from Yorkshire UK writes:

I love Christmas. I go totally crazy for it.
So my Christmas tradition which is also a memory....
When my brother and I were kids we didn't have lavish christmas's. Money was usually pretty tight and my parents would make sure whatever our budget was it was stretched to seem like we got more than we did. Christmas eve was my favourite night. My mum had spent a good couple of months prior to the holidays buying bits of food each week and storing in our pantry. We weren't allowed to touch any of it until the magical Christmas eve when we'd get out the big old Tupperware party tray and fill up each of the little sections with nuts, chips, candies and other treats we rarely had thru the year. Once we'd filled up the tray we were allowed to choose one gift from under the tree to open. We'd already decided which gift we'd choose days before.
Ever since I left home Christmas eve has been the same. Every year I spend it with my own family, at home and we each open one gift from under the tree. My kids now have their own variation of my childhood tradition - they get a pair of Christmas jammies that I buy way ahead of time and keep to one side, we put out bowls of treats and we open a gift. It's our own private, quiet Christmas before the crazy business of the actual day.

Yeh, I waffled on. Like I said, i love Christmas ;)


Lynette from Queensland, Australia writes:

Where should I start, we love Christmas in our house although I have to admit its usually a stinking hot humid day, we tend to stay indoors with the a/c running. The whole family, 14 of us in total gather at our house for a traditional dinner in the evening where its compulsory to wear a silly hat (even the dog), preferably not the hat your wore last year!! Its such fun waiting to see who has the best/silliest hat. At the end of the meal we always set fire to the Christmas Pudding in the time honoured Christmas way before eating it with brandy butter....yummy.

Ryan from Delhi, New York (Upstate!) writes:

A tradition every Christmas in my house when I was young was to set up the nativity display as a family. The week before Christmas we would have dinner and then unpack all the little pieces. I remember my stepfather insisting that we not put the baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas morning. His reasoning, “Jesus wasn’t born till Christmas day!” I can still hear him saying that to us kids. The poor guy was placed around back out of site ‘till the morning of. My brother and I would argue about who gets to place the Jesus figure in the manger on Christmas morning. The bickering quickly ended when my mother would remind us, “whomever gets to place Jesus in the manger has to watch their brother open the first present.”

Lissa from Dallas, Texas writes:

We have an ornament exchange with the family every thanksgiving. They hang their ornament on the family tree until they move on. That way they start their new home with ornaments and memories.


Cathy from Seattle, Washington writes:

I grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles in the 70s in a house in the foothills. It was before air conditioning, so it would routinely get to be above 100 in the house during the summer. One year, my sister and I were home sweltering in the heat and we decided that it might cool us down if we listed to Christmas music. So we turned on my all time favorite Johnny Mathis Merry Christmas album to listen to White Christmas. I don't know that we felt much cooler, but it's one of my most vivid 'holiday' memories. That day it was Christmas in July and this Sunday, it will be again. My sister and I have made a plan to spend the day sewing with you! If it's hot out, I may have to play some Johnny Mathis to cool us down!

Alex from Saronno, Italy writes:

I can’t deny that in my everyday life I always look for innovation and new experiences but there is a main point about Christmas I don’t want to be adamant with: the Panettone.

The Panettone is the typical Milanese Christmas cake which I usually have after the lunch on December 25^th.

It’s very popular in all Italy though it’s a symbol of Milan gastronomy. Making it at home needs a lot of care and the result is not always successful, that’s why we do not have a real household tradition but it’s more related to the historic confectionery where my family is used to go to buy it.

Though it’s not very filling, having it after the rich Christmas lunch may bring you a lot of calories

But what’s the origin of this special cake? A legend says that it was firstly made by the nobleman Ughetto Atellani in the 15^th century.

Someone else says a baker’s boy invented a cake to replace the one his employer made for a banquet.

Of course we have to thank the big industry if the Panettone is now the Christmas dessert all Italians have and that’s why is well-known worldwide.

The tall Panettone, which is cooked partially wrapped in paper so that vertical growth is boosted, is my favorite one

Until next time,