What is everybody doing for Christmas?

16.12.05, 01:24
I wondered what we will all be doing over Christmas, who is going back home,
who is staying in Poland, or coming to Poland. I'll be here the whole time,
and in between Christmas and the New Year and in the New Year, I've got the
usual stock take attendances.

What is everyone doing for food? Are the Brits and Americans gonna have a
25th Dec turkey dinner? We've ordered our Christmas dinner from a major hotel
which has offered doorstep delivery of a full Anglo-American style turkey
dinner on 25th December, at a very reasonable price.

What traditions will the mixed marriages here keep? Polish on 24th and
Western on 25th? Or what?
    • varsovian Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 16.12.05, 13:14
      Shame on you!
      Outsaucing turkey?
      One of the greatest pleasures at Christmas is that of a "job well done". I
      only felt a "real dad" when I had all of the following ticked off my to-do-in-
      life list:
      (i) get kids (obviously!)
      (ii) make sandcastles
      (iii)teach them how to ride a bike
      (iv) roast a Christmas bird.

      Home culture comes calling this time of year. I've got Christmas crackers from
      last year, mince pies are on order from the chef at the Irish embassy, who
      produces really good sausages too (we kept on trying to bake mince pies
      ourselves but they didn't come out right), the cranberry sauce will be home-
      made (dead easy and tastes so good - God Bless America on that count!), the
      Christmas pud is a year old, the Bird's custard powder is running a tad low but
      we'll be OK and we'll have the Queen's Speech too! And the wife and kids will
      round things off with a few carols on the piano. That, pathetically, can get me
      a touch bleary-eyed after a spot of Bailey's.
      Wigilia, of course, will be done in the traditional Polish way.
      • russh Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 16.12.05, 14:02
        A man after my own heart!

        Good to see the Birds - still the best. With me, it's not cooking the Turkey,
        but that manly thing of cutting it.

        We can't do the piano, but Christmas carols have already started on the stereo.
        I love them, both classic and pop.

        Last year we had 25 to Vigilia - too many. This year, closer family for Vigilia,
        and Polish style; friends for the 25th, and English style. And a good glass of
        Port at both.

        One problem I have though, is that Santa comes on the 24th, and not the 25th.
        • usenetposts Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 03:24
          russh napisał:

          > A man after my own heart!
          >
          > Good to see the Birds - still the best. With me, it's not cooking the Turkey,
          > but that manly thing of cutting it.
          >

          I still get to cut mine, but it's about letting my wife off the hook. She has
          made a brave effort at a British christmas dinner most years, but since she
          only ever had an authentic one once, she can hardly remember how to do it,
          bless her. She's Belarusian, you see.

          > We can't do the piano, but Christmas carols have already started on the
          stereo.
          > I love them, both classic and pop.
          >
          > Last year we had 25 to Vigilia - too many. This year, closer family for
          Vigilia
          > ,
          > and Polish style; friends for the 25th, and English style. And a good glass of
          > Port at both.

          Oh yes. I've got sloe gin for this year.

          >
          > One problem I have though, is that Santa comes on the 24th, and not the 25th.

          You wanna nip that in the bud.
          • russh Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 06:04
            One problem I have though, is that Santa comes on the 24th, and not the 2
            > 5th.
            >
            > You wanna nip that in the bud.

            Too late
          • waldek1610 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 09:45
            usenetposts napisał:

            > I still get to cut mine, but it's about letting my wife off the hook. She has
            > made a brave effort at a British christmas dinner most years, but since she
            > only ever had an authentic one once, she can hardly remember how to do it,
            > bless her. She's Belarusian, you see.

            I see, maybe some day you guys will be able to celebrate Christmas in free
            Belarus, which will come sooner or later.
    • firemouse Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 16.12.05, 13:27
      I stay home, invitng family. Wigilia is done Polish way, 24 Decemeber.

      The food will include all varieties of Polish Christmas Eve food, like bliny,
      kutia, karp and so on...

      FM
      • nasza_maggie Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 16.12.05, 14:08
        We do that too. We have Wigilia and then Christmas lunch.
        It's nice, you get the best of both worldssmile
    • waldek1610 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 10:01
      I'm staying in US, will have 13 different dishes for Christmas Eve- Wigilia,
      will not have any turkey untill next thanksgiving.

      By the way my brother-in law and his g/f are actually working in Hertfordshire,
      suburb of London, (silly him.. didn't bother to call us after exlposions last
      week, so I ended up calling british police to make sure he's fine) we have send
      him some polish sausage and caned meat because he begged my wife to send him
      some "eatable" stuff....so he will have some polish kielbasa and ham for
      Christmas dinner in England...

      How do you survive without your british specialties, unless of course you can
      buy them at Tosco (ar whatever they call the supermarket chain from UK..)?

      • usenetposts Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 14:19
        > I'm staying in US, will have 13 different dishes for Christmas Eve- Wigilia,
        > will not have any turkey untill next thanksgiving.
        >
        > By the way my brother-in law and his g/f are actually working in
        Hertfordshire,
        >
        > suburb of London, (silly him.. didn't bother to call us after exlposions last
        > week, so I ended up calling british police to make sure he's fine)

        You crack me up.

        They were in my home town, those explosiions, the biggest explosions in post
        war Europe, and one of the biggest fires in the History of the British Isles.

        On the same day they happened, 40 people died in Pakistan because they were
        returning from a wedding party and one person threw a firecracker in the bus.
        In the remaining fire and confusion, 40 people died.

        In Britain, in the biggest explosions of post war Europe 40 people were .....








        ....injured. NONE DIED.

        British efficiency.

        They talk about Swiss efficiency, but if that should ever happen with Geneva's
        fuel tanks, I pity the residents, as they live right up to a couple of hundred
        metres away from the tanks.

        This might be a good time to rehouse them, and put a cemetary around the fuel
        depot, as in Hemel Hempstead.
        • nasza_maggie Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 16:07
          What I always appreciated at big wvwnts in the UK is the safety. I always felt
          safe at concerts or festivals like Glasto.
          There was always someone to turn to and each time, each year you could see
          things changing and improving safety wise.
          Always one step ahead with safety precautions. I think this was the consequence
          of what happened at Hillsborough.
          • nasza_maggie Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 16:08

            wvwnts = events
            smile)))))
            • asia9111 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 18:14
              I am back in PL for the holidays (minus all luggage-have no clue where it might
              be-went shopping for some stuff just to survive till...????) I will have lots
              of Polish food, no turkey, will go horseback riding with my brother, and ice-
              skating with my HS pals. And on January 2--back to the US.
              • kylie1 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 17.12.05, 21:36
                We are suppsed to go to the Xmas concert today (VSO - Vancouver Symphony
                Orchestra) but if my husband's coughing doesn't stop, we will have to scarp
                that one. Xmas concerts are absolutely wonderful and we look forward to those
                every year. We will see...starts 7:30 pm. How about I drug him up with cough
                syrop and night Sudafed. I can always drive. smile
    • bartis_ervin Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 18.12.05, 13:31

      We'll be heading to Lodz where is most of my wife's family. Her two Wujeks are
      jazzmen so each Christmas we have amazing live musicsmile

      Due to the fact that my parents have different religion in my family Christmas
      was never a big deal, and for Ania its important so I'm just "following" her on
      this.

      This year there will be a big event, because her "brother" (first cousin) is
      coming home from San Francisco with his new born babysmile and there will be
      another baby on the Christmas Eve, so we can expect some strong lobbying from my
      mother-in-lawsmile

      Ervin

      Thebartiski.blogspot.com
      • russh Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 18.12.05, 13:39
        Isn't families and children what Christmas is all about?

        Have a grat time.
        • ostrenga4 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 19.12.05, 21:07
          hey does anyone know any foreigner organization or anyone doing foreingers who don't have any family around to go for xmas together?
          • chochise Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 20.12.05, 12:03
            I've not heard of anything. Maybe individual embassies will know.
            If not, maybe someone can invite you to their Xmas? smile))
          • varsovian Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 20.12.05, 12:25
            perhaps the Seventh Day Adventists in Podkowa Lesna might be doing something ...
            • usenetposts Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 20.12.05, 18:37
              varsovian napisał:

              > perhaps the Seventh Day Adventists in Podkowa Lesna might be doing
              something ..
              > .

              Ask Joe Smoczynski, he's a leading Podkowa Lesna 7th Day Adventist, and the
              life and soul of any party that isn't between sunset on a Friday night and a
              Saturday night.
          • usenetposts Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 20.12.05, 18:39
            ostrenga4 napisał:

            > hey does anyone know any foreigner organization or anyone doing foreingers
            who
            > don't have any family around to go for xmas together?

            Incidentally, are you in that situation, or is anyone else here in that
            situation, because we can try to arrange something. It's not nice to be on your
            own on Christmas.
            • ostrenga4 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 20.12.05, 20:57
              that'd be me, and i'm sure i'm not alone
              • ostrenga4 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 20.12.05, 20:57
                i mean i'm sure i'm not the only one with this situation
                • ostrenga4 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 22.12.05, 12:45
                  still looking for anyone to spend xmas with, besides dropping hints to ALL of my warsaw friends tongue_outPPPP
            • ostrenga4 Re: What is everybody doing for Christmas? 22.12.05, 12:46
              still looking for anyone to spend xmas with, besides dropping hints to ALL my friends tongue_outPPPPPP

              > ostrenga4 napisał:
              >
              > > hey does anyone know any foreigner organization or anyone doing foreinger
              > s
              > who
              > > don't have any family around to go for xmas together?
              >
              > Incidentally, are you in that situation, or is anyone else here in that
              > situation, because we can try to arrange something. It's not nice to be on your
              >
              > own on Christmas.
              >
    • ianek70 And I'm going to electrocute carol singers. 21.12.05, 11:38
      I hate Christmas.
      I hate the commercial aspect, the religious aspect and the pseudo-religious
      aspect.
      I like the food, but what's to stop me eating turkey in June or makówki in
      July? Or wearing a stupid hat in August?
      It annoys me that my Mum wastes so much time and effort trying to persuade me
      that I really do want her to trail round crowded shops for days to buy me
      something I don't want or need, and that I should go to the effort of acquiring
      a tree to put it under.
      It gets on my tits when hypocrites talk about being nice to people that they
      hate because it's "the season of goodwill". I'm nice to nice people all year,
      because I'm nice. I've started wearing tracksuit trousers so that when folk
      say "Come one, where's your Christmas spirit?" I can swiftly and effortlessly
      show them my arse.
      • varsovian Re: And I'm going to electrocute carol singers. 21.12.05, 11:47
        Victor Meldrew
        • ianek70 Re: And I'm going to electrocute carol singers. 21.12.05, 12:01
          But here's a Santa I admire (in Paisley we know what to do with a Christmas
          tree):

          www.theherald.co.uk/news/52948.html

          smile
          • ianek70 The few bad apples... 21.12.05, 17:09
            I don't admire these Santas, though. They're naughty sad

            news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=609&id=2439992005
            • usenetposts Re: The few bad apples... 21.12.05, 20:53
              I'd say "Oy! San'aaah, Naaaaaaaaw!!!!"
      • ms.jones Re: And I'm going to electrocute carol singers. 21.12.05, 13:14
        Christmas does funny things to people.

        Have you got something nice for your Mum that she'd appreciate without having
        to be persuaded that she wants it?

        And why don't you go skiing or diving or do something that YOU would enjoy?
        Instead of becoming a miserable old git mooning at people.
        At least paint Santa's face on your cheeks!

        When a few years back I was pissed off with the thought of routine Christmas I
        offered to do some voluntary work for the homeless. Not so much to make myself
        feel all virtuous but to keep my sanity. Served 80 portions of 'heart attack on
        a plate' that was breakfast on my first morning and felt like a new person smile
        • ianek70 Re: And I'm going to electrocute carol singers. 21.12.05, 15:51
          ms.jones napisała:

          > When a few years back I was pissed off with the thought of routine Christmas
          I
          > offered to do some voluntary work for the homeless. Not so much to make
          myself
          > feel all virtuous but to keep my sanity.

          That's actually a good idea, except that homeless people are the same as anyone
          else, and I'd get so pissed off with them singing carols and saying "now that's
          what I call Christmas spirit" that I'd be forced to drown some of them in the
          soup.
          I might actually do it in January (the helping, not the drowning) when it's
          still cold, but everyone's forgotten about all the festive stuff. In fact, I
          think I will, but I won't promise now. That would be like giving someone a
          present for Christmas, completely meaningless, they think you're doing it
          because everyone else is.
          • ms.jones Re: And I'm going to electrocute carol singers. 22.12.05, 01:46
            > I might actually do it in January (the helping, not the drowning) when it's
            > still cold, but everyone's forgotten about all the festive stuff

            Yep, good will/peace/understanding aren't just for Christmas, not that you'd
            know it from the media.

            That would be like giving someone a
            > present for Christmas, completely meaningless, they think you're doing it
            > because everyone else is.

            If you know this is what they are thinking.

            I used to try to rebel against putting a stupid plastic/real tree in my living
            room but was always outvoted. Can't remember last time I lifted a finger to
            hang traditional garish rubbish on it. This year for a change I was amongst the
            first to have it up tastefully decorated and colour co-ordinated by mois. Santa
            and reindeer outside the house next year, I wonder?

            PS Stuffing some laxative into the mince pies would be more discreet than
            electrocution.
            • russh Re: And I'm going to electrocute carol singers. 22.12.05, 05:39
              I reckon you're just like the rest of us now.
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