Question of the Day - Wednesday, October 28th, 2025

[Evadig]

We bring home the (live) tree like a day before. My dad always tries to find the fullest, biggest tree he can, and it stays up till just about Ash Wednesday.

We almost always go to midnight Mass (or early dawn, maybe) and open presents after waking up in the morning. Then the parents get to making turkey dinner and I go practice organ at church with my sister.

This year I don’t know what we’re doing. My dad is working this year, across the country. Maybe we’ll go to the beach for Christmas!

 

[EmmaDonovan]

We had a tree decorating party every year. Friends and family came over and we had a big buffet dinner and played Christmas carol records the console stereo. After the tree was finished and ceremonially lit, we played board games and card games (this was before video games) and sang carols well into the morning.

Midnight Mass and caroling. I still love this.

On Christmas morning my mom made a fancy breakfast spread and set it out on our formal dining room table for everyone to munch on while we opened presents. She put nearly as much work into Christmas breakfast as she did Christmas dinner.

We always got presents for our pets and the dogs got to unwrap theirs.

December 26th is St. Stephen's Day or Wren Day (Lá an Dreoilín). We would drive to my grandparents' house for more gifts and food: turkey or ham, stew with dumplings (my grandma's specialty), smoked salmon, bacon and cabbage, colcannon, mince pies, sweet chocolate Guinness cake and an iced Christmas cake which my grandma would start making a month in advance!

On Epiphany or Three Kings Day (the 12th day after Christmas) we did a house blessing and chalked the front door.

We rarely took our tree and decorations down before the Baptism of Jesus. Yes, the tree was pretty dry by then.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Interesting, when is the Baptism of Jesus? I know He was dedicated in the Temple as an infant (Luke 2:22-38), is that what you mean? He was not actually baptized till age 30 by his cousin John, called the Baptist (Matt. 3:13-17).

 

[azurbanclucker]

We have a few.

We put our tree up on black friday and decorate it as a family. That's when the elves start showing up. (Think elf on the shelf meets Vaudeville show. Our elves are very circus-themed and show up in all kinds of situations. Our kids are all grown but we still do the elves.) I typically put up the Nightmare tree and the yard decorations that weekend too.

Christmas Eve, we do the early afternoon Mass, while the prime rib is safe in the smoker and can survive a couple of hours on it's own. Then dinner with said prime and ham. Everyone gets to open ONE present, and it's PJ's. Then we'll watch some holiday movies and go to bed.

Christmas morning is cinnamon rolls and coffee cake, and open presents (wearing the previous night PJ's) Then a fam photo. We do the big family get-together noonish, and its the usual turkey and tamales. After that, everyone's on thei own until dark, and then fireworks, s'mores and hot cocoa/tea/mulled cider.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We have a few.

We put our tree up on black friday and decorate it as a family. That's when the elves start showing up. (Think elf on the shelf meets Vaudeville show. Our elves are very circus-themed and show up in all kinds of situations. Our kids are all grown but we still do the elves.) I typically put up the Nightmare tree and the yard decorations that weekend too.

Christmas Eve, we do the early afternoon Mass, while the prime rib is safe in the smoker and can survive a couple of hours on it's own. Then dinner with said prime and ham. Everyone gets to open ONE present, and it's PJ's. Then we'll watch some holiday movies and go to bed.

Christmas morning is cinnamon rolls and coffee cake, and open presents (wearing the previous night PJ's) Then a fam photo. We do the big family get-together noonish, and its the usual turkey and tamales. After that, everyone's on thei own until dark, and then fireworks, s'mores and hot cocoa/tea/mulled cider.

Whee, you really make a day of it! Sounds fun. Any chance of a recipe for those tamales?

 

[NotabitaiI]

Christmas Eve we get together with extended family, have a traditional Norwegian dinner, and read Luke 2 (which I was somehow voted to read last year, and I’m afraid I’ll probably have to every year ). Then we open gifts and enjoy hanging out with family. It’s quite possibly my favorite day out of the entire year

Your Christmas is perfect

 

[azurbanclucker]

Whee, you really make a day of it! Sounds fun. Any chance of a recipe for those tamales?

Well, I have a tamale lady that I buy them from, and I'm happy to pay her 25/doz for them. I don't mind cooking, but IMO tamales are best left to a professional Abuela. We usually get a dozen red chile pork and a dozen green chile chicken.

If you have a Costco nearby, they sell them in the reefer cases back by the butcher dept. They're actually decent if you don't have a homemade source.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Well, I have a tamale lady that I buy them from, and I'm happy to pay her 25/doz for them. I don't mind cooking, but IMO tamales are best left to a professional Abuela. We usually get a dozen red chile pork and a dozen green chile chicken.

If you have a Costco nearby, they sell them in the reefer cases back by the butcher dept. They're actually decent if you don't have a homemade source.

Ahh. Yes you're right. We don't eat pork, but I would love some red chili chicken. Our nearest Costco I think is two or three hours away. I'll look to see if there is one in the city I'm in today ....

Oops, nope, still another 100 miles away. In St. Louis.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Idunno what your latinx community looks like locally, Blue, but if there is a good mex place or a carniceria, you could stop in and ask them. We're spoiled for choice here, obviously, but I know that's not the case in a lot of places.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Interesting, when is the Baptism of Jesus? I know He was dedicated in the Temple as an infant (Luke 2:22-38), is that what you mean? He was not actually baptized till age 30 by his cousin John, called the Baptist (Matt. 3:13-17).

I meant the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. Catholics celebrate it on the Sunday after Epiphany. In 2026 it's on January 11th. It marks the official end of the Christmas season which is why we take our decorations down then but there's no rule about it, that was just the tradition in our family.

My mom was a expert on carefully nursing a tree all through the season so it dried out as little as possible. I think if she could have got a living 8' Douglas fir tree into the house, she would have!