A Time to Celebrate

December is one of my favourite months, as I'm sure it is for many people. Although it isn't as busy now that my kids are adults and live far away, I still enjoy the opportunity to spend time as a family doing things together and talking to each other. 

Our household has a few guidelines for our recipe for a great Christmas that have evolved over the years. Some we developed for ourselves, some we adapted from other sources.

1. We decorate the tree just before Christmas. This one came from my childhood, but was reinforced when we operated a Sears catalog outlet and were dead busy until 3 p.m. on Christmas eve. Most of our ornaments are one of a kind, and many are handmade from years past, so we really enjoy getting out the all our old friends. 
2. Christmas Eve is for hors d'oeuvres. This one came from the working right up to the last minute full out. I just needed a way to reduce the load, and I didn't want any left overs for the fridge. Plus, it's a good excuse to eat an entire meal out of nibbly stuff. 
3. Christmas breakfast is crepes. I tried a breakfast casserole one year and the kids all agreed it was good, but suggested it was a better New Years breakfast. 
4. Gifts should be handmade/homemade or at least something that can be used up. This one is harder to enforce and we don't always follow this guideline 100%. The idea is that Christmas shopping shouldn't create a financial hardship or a knick knack cabinet full of stuff (I already have one of those). 
5. Baking and cooking is fun! We generally spend a few days leading up to the big day doing baking and decorating cookies. The day of, after the mandatory crepes, we mix it up with the dinner - sometimes traditional, sometimes something different. Last year was Beast Bourguignon with along with vegetarian options for the veggie lovers. We found a great lentil cranberry stuffing recipe that everyone loved. One of the keys is everyone pitches in with the prep - many hands make it more fun and less effort. 
6. There shall be cranberries!! We do this for my husband, who loves cranberry sauce. Homemade every year, no matter what else we serve. 
7. No TV on Christmas Day! We play games, we read, and of course, we cook.   
8. We call all the relatives who aren't with us. This used to be more difficult when phones were analog and lines were limited out of the north. Now we enjoy making video calls and spending time virtually with everyone we can.
9. Boxing day is for relaxing and leftovers. The cook retires on boxing day and everyone fends for themselves. Luckily, I always cook for a crowd, so there are always leftovers. 

No matter how your family celebrates, I hope you enjoy your time with friends and family! May the season bring nothing but joy for you and yours!