Driving around looking at Christmas lights is an American tradition. In some places, whole neighborhoods get together and do their yards and houses up in astounding light displays with animated characters, Nativity scenes, Santa on the roof, etc. It's great fun and really adds to the Christmas spirit.
RBNightlinger, Peacock Lane in Portland, OR, the residents that want to buy a house there have to sign a contract that they will have their home exterior decorated for Christmas from Thanksgiving Day to January 1st. Over the decades, no one buys a house on Peacock Lane who doesn't love and adore Christmas! For many people and families, driving or walking down Peacock Lane is a tradition. Park a few blocks away, buy a hot cocoa at the beginning of the lane, walk down one side, walk up the other sidewalk. :D
@@mercoid muslims celebrate Christmas so what is your point? Jews also celebrate Hannukah. Is there a rule against lotta LIGHT? I'm pretty sure the whole holiday is based on how long they could keep the fucking light going.
The alcohol that goes with eggnog is rum, brandy or bourbon. However a combination of dark rum and cognac will preserve the eggnog's taste the best. Merry Christmas.
When my arsehole doctor let me drink ... dark rum and cognac in eggnog. Also, I have a biological aversion to bourbon in or with anything (an aversion picked up in college)
It was filmed in the Cleveland area when I was in high school. One of my teachers was an extra in that film and I remember him descending the nights that he spent doing that.
A great classic film for Christmas is "Miracle on 34th Street" -- but you need to find the original 1947 black and white version with Edmund Gwenn and a young Natalie Wood. Avoid at all costs the several "remakes" that Hollywood has perpetrated on a long-suffering public, since it was done right the first time. Make sure it's not a version chopped up to fit television's time constraints, either. You'll love the scene between Kris and the little Dutch girl. It's wonderful.
@@davidmarquardt2445 No, it was released in 1947. The Macy's Parade shown in the opening was the actual parade for 1946. They had to get those scenes right!
For Christmas music, you must purchase the album soundtrack for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, a jazz combo. Superb music for the holiday season.
🎬That movie is a major hoot. Admire your dedication. It might be something we'd watch at some point during the holiday season. 📺 Growing up the TV used to be off limits in the main living areas. It still is forbidden for the gift exchange. 📲 Tech is now kept to a strict minimum. 🎼Holiday music rules📻. It is a whole day & evening of group games, interaction, light hearted conversation as well as noshing & grazing.😊
I have to admit, when I came here in 1963, outdoor displays, were not in my experiences, Till I made a good American, that I'd visit at Christmas most years, After dinner, he and his family drove me around to see these amazing outdoor displays. I think the best term I can use back then was Gob smacked. Talk about being awed, is an understatement. I loved it, who wouldn't. Have t admit, they are even more awesome today. When my mother was still with us, it became our tradition, to drive to a neighborhood, that went all out on these Displays. we also usually had Turkey at Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas. on a few occasions, when my sister did the Christmas dinner, to give her a break, we'd visit a Chinese Restaurant. And as usual, plenty left over for the following day. Two things. I never really adopted was eggnog and Pumpkin pie. We'd go with good old fashioned Apple Pie. And later on, enjoyed all those Christmas movies. Especially Dicken's " A Christmas Carol" and usually watched them all, from Reginald Owens, but our all time favorite was Alastair Sim's version, and of course Albert Finney's " Scrooge" the musical version. Of course now, We have all those Hallmark Christmas RomCom movies. Basically the same story, but always as a rule, fun to watch.
An odd fact here, the caricaturist Thomas Nast, drew the first cartoons of Santa Claus as we know him today. He also was the first to use the elephant as the symbol of the Republican party.
David Marquardt Clement Moore's 1822 version was illustrated quite early. Although technically he was called Saint Nick, everyone knew he was the same character as Santa Claus. Despite Nast's depictions and their popularity, the red suit evidently didn't become mandatory until well into the 20th. century.
Juan Sierra Santa Claus is the patron Saint Nicholas of Myra. From the _Aegis & Intelligencer_ (Bel Air, Md.) dated December 26th, 1884. _“HISTORY OF SANTA CLAUS._ _The history of Santa Claus-a curious mixture of truth and fable-goes far back into the ancient time. Centuries ago a child was born in Asia Minor who received the name of Nicholas. His parents were wealthy and of high rank, and desiring to express their gratitude to God for the birth of their son, they resolved to educate him for the Christian priesthood. The child was sober and thoughtful, and while yet young both his parents died and he inherited their great wealth. He considered the riches a sacred trust; he fed the hungry, he clothed the destitute, and performed all kinds of good deeds as secretly as possible. As a priest he was greatly beloved; as a bishop he continued his benevolence. After his death the church canonized him and he became one of the greatest patron saints, being revered as the help of the poor, the protector of the weak, and as the especial patron saint of little children, who were taught to believe that their good gifts came from him. St.Nicholas was the name given him by the monks, and this was familiarly changed to Santa Nic’laus, and finally clipped down to Santa ‘Claus, who is still represented as retaining his old habits of secret benevolence and coming down the chimney at nights, laden with Christmas presents for children. A pleasant fiction it is to them, under the cover of which that charming secrecy concerning the donors of gifts is kept up, though little eyes and ears and minds are keen, and Santa Claus is usually very well known to them as a much more modern personage than old St. Nicholas. But the children enjoy the harmless pretence, the mysterious filling of stockings and the heavily laden Christmas tree.”_
Standing rib roast; garlic, heavy cream and grated cheddar mashed potatoes; Yorkshire pudding and gravy; bacon and minced onion green beans; Brussel sprouts sauteed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar; That's a Christmas feast!
The story of the movie its a wonderful life is really pretty amazing. Jimmy Stewart supposedly just got back from ww2 and was suffering from ptsd really bad. There were times he was hardly able to function and used alcohol to cope. Supposedly the movie really helped him to heal and come to terms with what he just went through. It was also the first movie that used foam fake snow. Before the foam was developed they used white colored corn flakes.
The sad thing about "Wonderful Life" is that it was initially sort of a flop. It wasn't until it went into public domain in 1974 and Ted Turner started showing it on WTBS (later TBS) that it started becoming popular... then everybody was showing it at Christmas time. Someone bought the rights to it (forget who) and now again you rarely see it. I'm glad we own the dvd.
Dallas here. We do smoked turkey and cornbread “dressing” with loads of celery, onions, black pepper, and sage, here on Thanksgiving but ham, mashed potatoes, homemade mac and cheese, and green beans almandine for Christmas. I do remember my Granddad making turkey, but never smoked, for both holidays all through my teens growing up although my Mom swears we had ham for Christmas.
I hate living in Texas because it is too damn hot. The summers are a killer! But the people and culture in San Antonio, Texas-- fabulous!!! So if it is already Mexican it's a good thing.
While there are some areas in Texas that might favor tamales, most of Texas goes with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and the like. BTW, always be skeptical of anything said by someone who claims to "hate living in Texas" because clearly they aren't very bright, and it's someone who's doing the entire State of Texas a great disservice by remaing here. Y'all have a nice day.
Tamales are very popular in some households in SoCal. Wish my family adopted that delicious tradition! Nothing more scrumptious than a Cheese & Chile tamale. Yum. December is such an action packed month for us: holiday parties, light tours, secret Santa & gift exchanges, cookie swapping, carolling, candle lighting ceremonies, special services, etc. All the extra prep work can be grueling. To ease some of the big bustle surrounding Christmas Eve & Day, we moved our major family feasting to 🦃Thanksgiving, 🐣Easter & 🇺🇸Memorial Day. 🎄Christmas is now about an easy festive brunch offering. The "cosy" meal of day. Later, there is a beautiful buffet w/soups, salads & a sandwich bar spread. Something you can return to graze as needed. 🍭Plus, sweets & treats to nosh on throughout the entire day. 🍽We still make it festive, but try to stick with dish washer friendly items. 😓Just do not spend the entire day sweating in kitchen or fussing over some ultra formal presentation. 👍
There is one unique tradition that I think you will love. My family has the tradition of having a birthday cake for Jesus. We would always do it either Christmas eve befor going to Nana's house or late in the evening on Christmas day. The other one I just remember is a single Christmas gift on the eve to everyone (we go in around where a person gives a small gift one to the person on their right) . As for why; I believe we came up with the idea to keep the young kids happy enough to make it through the night. As for the other reason: be willing to give without expecting getting something back from the person you give to.
Here in AL, I've never had stuffing, but instead it's dressing. I make with cornbread, chicken stock and spices so it's more of a casserole and never put in the turkey.
Melting Pot! Yay! My husband and I are mostly of English and Irish ancestry. We grew up on turkey and stuffing year after year, but for some reason, we decided we didn't want to do that anymore. We do cook at home; we've had tacos some years; lasagna other years; and Asian ginger chicken stir fry other years. They're all great.
A nice big old fashion Italian Catholic Christmas. Christmas Eve is the feast of seven fishes .Christmas Day is ham, lasagna, macaroni and cheese. Too many dishes served at Christmas time to list. And after you’re done eating you can chill out on the plastic cover couch.
i am also in the mid-west, ham for Christmas, turkey for thanksgiving ,shrimp and lobster for new years eve, prime rib for new years day. desserts cookies,home made candies,and triffel.
One thing about the "extravagantly" decorated houses is that those decorations have been collected over many many years, even decades. A lot of people wait for after Christmas sales and then buy stuff for the next year. So it isn't even a huge splurge. It just looks like it when everything is put up. I think one of the biggest expenses are when you reach a point that you have to call in an electrician to wire you up an entire separate fuse box just for the Christmas lights. When you reach that point....you may take a few minutes to decide if you've gone overboard yet. And a question: Can you explain about Panto? People have tried, but I still don't understand it and the tradition.
When I had an electrician out to add a circuit so I could use my table saw without dimming all the house lights, I also had him add a four gang box on a timer outside so I had a good place to plug in the outdoor Christmas lights 😂
Love A Christmas Story, watch it every year. Had a Red Ryder too when I was 8 or 9. Actually, I still have it 35 years later, there it is sitting in the corner of my office.
We would never have Christmas without cranberry sauce or relish, gingerbread and wassail. As far as movies our family loves Charles Dickens Christmas Carol and Meet me in St Louis ( a must for a midwesterner)!
We always did turkey or ham (occasionally both), but I know some people do goose. Heck, it gets mentioned in the song Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer - "Now the goose is on the table, and the pudding made of fig". As I recall, my father cooked a goose once years before I was born and the experience convinced him that no one sane would ever attempt it twice.
Turkey and ham for Thanksgiving; turkey and home-made enchiladas for Christmas. And tamales of course, they're a big thing for Christmas here since there's a lot of Mexican-Americans in Central California. And sooo yummy.
When I was a young whippersnapper in the 60s, we had roast pork on New Years Day (for good luck), ham at Easter, turkey for Thanksgiving and a Dickensian goose for Christmas.
We have a standing rib roast for Christmas dinner. It's a once a year splurge. As the head cook and bottle washer, I love them because they are so easy. Just stick it in the oven until done. No stuffing, no gravy, just really good beef, some sides and Christmas cookies for dessert. Also, the Miracle on 34th St. has to be on your top 5 Christmas movies.
In the Southwest and Southern Califonia, where Mexican and Central American cultures are so prevalent, tamales are a big Christmas tradition. Mothers and grandmothers get together for big tamale-making parties in preparation for the holiday. :)
Yes! All through the south, they are now a tradition with everyone. In one small town I lived in, there was one Mexican-American family that made them by the dozens. (They had 10 slow-cookers going 24/7 cooking the ingredients) The local paper printed times when the latest batches would be available.
We’re Southern, and Italian and German American. My mother made Christmas lasagna and a side of coleslaw for Christmas and ham and potato salad and spiced peaches for Christmas Eve. Mom loved her Christmas stollen bread, lemon butter pie, and her very favorite mince pie with bourbon. Merry Christmas 🎄 to all.
Prime rib is a christmas tradition in my family! However, now that my brother is hosting christmas, we have prime rib, turkey AND ham. But, its for 30 guests at the table
Living in the south I can assure you that there is no season for pecan pie. It is a year round indulgence down here, a part of our cultural identity. Like barbeque, sweet iced tea and college football, pecan pie is who we are. And we are very happy to share it with any and all. Bill Murry's Scrooged is a personal favorite. So a VERY merry Christmas to you and your wife and a joyous and prosperous New Year, Y'all. 😁
My mom and I make a phenomenal homemade eggnog, beating eggs and whipping cream, and adding brandy and bourbon and whiskey! Just saw Die Hard: the Musical. Truly an incredible holiday experience.
I do a turkey for Thanksgiving and a Prime Rib Roast for Christmas. Exception is company coming from England this year so will also make a turkey for Christmas as well
Brandy or rum for the eggnog. My favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Carol; the 1951 version with Alistair Sim. I believe it is called Scrooge in England. Happy Christmas to you and the missus.
I've just started watching recently and love what you have to say about America. It brings to light some of the things that we may take advantage of. And hello from your neighbor in Iowa (:
Hey, you sometimes pronounce your words with the American R sound! I first noticed it when you said at 00:48, you said "when I first moved heRe," and it was glorious to see the transition that your speech is going through. I hope you can feel some sense of pride in the fact that you're integrating so much to the point where your accent is becoming a mixture of your native one and a new American one!
My favorite Christmas food is Moravian sugar cake. I live in NC, and we travel past Old Salem a few times a year when going to visit family and get a make-it-at-home kit for the sugar cake. It’s a lot of work but I always love it. Also, my family always does a fish fry on Christmas Day for dinner. Fried shrimp, oysters, flounder, clams, etc. That’s my other favorite tradition.
I'm in Bethlehem, PA! My family isn't Moravian, but YES we have those too! EDIT: The Moravian Sugar cake, I mean. We also have those Moravian sugar cookies, the thin ones with molasses. I used to love going to my cousin's Moravian church for the Love Feast.
ladyjanewriter Yea, my family isn’t Moravian either, but they sure do know how to make a sugar cake. The wife of one of my dad’s best friends is Moravian, and her church sells the cakes for fundraisers. They always reach their fundraising goals very quickly.
Brandy is traditionally used in eggnog but bourbon goes beautifully with it. I also found a recipe that uses butterscotch liquor in it and it’s pretty tasty.
If you like pecan pie, you'll love caramel pecan pie... and also you need to try a pumpkin roll if you haven't. It's a pumpkin sponge cake with cream cheese filling rolled up like a yule log.
Favorite Christmas main dish: orange glazed Cornish hen stuffed with rice, diced apple, and mincemeat. Got it from a book titled "Low Wattage Microwave Cooking." Okay, I'm just weird (but it's delicious).
I wore my Christmas sweater today. Green sweater with a white fluffy cat wearing a crown with jewels, and red sparkly boots. And a few little ornaments around the neck of the sweater. I love cats.
Lawrence, I noticed you commented on your Christmas sweater & didn’t hesitate. Sounds like you have converted to the American-ism of sweater rather than the British-ism of “jumper”. Using jumper for that type of clothing always seems very startling since an American jumper refers to a sleeveless dress which usually has a shirt or blouse worn underneath !!
I enjoy hearing you every day! Thank you for continuing with Vlogmas! Have you watched "Gremlins"? It is also a Christmas movie. Happy Holidays to you and your lovely wife! ❤
You must try sweet potato pie. It's more of a southern choice for the holidays, but it is truly delicious. If you can find it in the store, definitely give it a try.
I didn't realize that "stuffing" was something you could even get in a box until I moved off! We always were partial to "dressing" instead. Homemade and heavy on the sage. And oh "It's a Wonderful Life"... We did that show in high school. Our leading lady broke her arm a week before the first show!
Here in Montana, we do prime rib, but it is once a year thing for us, and of course purchased on half price coupon. Mince pie is full size, we prefer decor all natural and handmade , economical and ecological.
Nicholas Cage I'm in RI, we do ham as well. I just moved to mass a couple months ago and I work at a market as a baker, I was told to make less stuffing than I did for thanksgiving because most people eat ham hear. A new england thing?
I'm of Dutch descent and we have ham on every Christmas. Being in New York there are tons of Italians and it's tradition for them to have a giant fish dinner on Christmas Eve
Christmas Vacation is my absolute favorite all time movie. Christmas with the Kranks, A Christmas Story, The Muppets Christmas Carol, and Scrooged are timeless favorites, too. Thanks for you perspective of American Christmas❤️
Southern Comfort in eggnog is a must! I also sprinkle a dash on nutmeg on top. We do turkey and ham for Thanksgiving. For Christmas, it depends if we want a turkey day repeat or do prime rib. I may have mentioned on another video that for New Year's we have an ancestral heritage meal like corned beef and cabbage or an English roast with Yorkshire pudding and sticky toffee pudding.
I read somewhere that brandy is used in eggnog as well. I personally like it just by itself. Best carton brands are Southern Comfort vanilla spice and Hood golden eggnog.
Rebecca Combs I’ve always heard brandy, too, but I also just like it plain. And Southern Comfort is by far the best and creamiest. For a real treat, sometimes I blend it with eggnog ice cream for a milkshake. Yum!!!
Back on Long Island, my family had roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans and Yorkshire pudding and homemade gravy. Also warm rolls. My mom was a wonderful cook
If you use bourbon for your eggnog, try Old Granddad, either the classic or the Bottled-In-Bond (100 proof) is a great choice on a budget. Another good option if you'd like a more "fancy" bourbon for both mixing and sipping straight would be Eagle Rare or Angel's Envy. Cheers!
The Italian-American side of my family always made Christmas ravioli! All the women would get together on the 23rd and spend the whole day making the pasta and fillings from scratch, assembling a couple hundred raviolis (meat ones and cheese ones), and leave them to dry overnight to be eaten Christmas eve and Christmas day. One great aunt would make enormous batches of the best meatballs in history, and another would cook a great big ham. Being Italian, the family is big and loves food. :)
Indeed. The recipe I've used a couple times is from Paula Deen and it uses bourbon, it's so good. It's an odd recipe though as it calls for 1 to 2 cups of pecans. I've tried it at both extremes and I prefer it with only 1 cup of pecans.
Our American Christmas dinner meat is usually prime rib roast beef (and sometimes ham as well.) And we’ve been making Yorkshire pudding (which everyone loves!) for about 7 years. So that’s now a tradition. Deserts are pecan pie and cranberry apple pie. Drinks are Egg Nog (always with Brandy), Hot Butter Rum and Spiced Mulled Wine. Christmas movies are It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas Story, Nightmare before Christmas and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, that used to be a Thanksgiving movie growing up, but now we do it at Christmas time.
Depending on your background, seafood can be 'traditional' too. My Italian-American friends eat calamari on xmas day. Happy Christmas to you and Lady T! 🎄🎁
"Louisiana Christmas Day" by Aaron Neville and "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Vince Vance are faves for music and "Christmas Vacation" and "A Christmas Carol' with George C. Scott, Alistair Sim, or Mr. Magoo are movies faves. When I was at university, many years ago, "It's A Wonderful Life" was a tradition due to the number of students thinking of suicide after winter exams.
It varies for us, we'll either do a spiral ham or, like this year, prime rib. Sometimes turkey, but being after Thanksgiving, we usually opt for the former two. Being my mom is part Sicilian, we usually do a lasagna on New Year's for the dinner get-together. My mom usually makes biscotti with the Christmas cookies though.
Bruce Cook downtown was Cleveland and the family house was also in Cleveland...now a museum for the film. I think that the flagpole scene was also filmed in Cleveland.
I live just south of Cleveland and every Christmas "A Christmas Story " house open to go through. This is the house where the outside scenes were shot. The original mail box and shed are still there. One time I was there actor who played Randy was there signing autographs. One hilarious thing that happened a few years ago was someone stole the shed but ended up taking it back 🤣🤣
Rum is the standard alcohol for eggnog in NYC where I grew up. As for the Christmas main course: My English grandfather and great-grandmother switched from turkey to roast beef and Yorkshire pudding by the time I came along. Other English treats were mince pies, fruitcake, plum pudding (soaked with booze and set alight for serving), and homemade shortbread cookies. Great memories.
You know "National lampoon" as a brand name, but I know it as a humor magazine which was quite popular from 1970 to 1985. The magazine was sold in 1985 and the new publisher dumbed it down to the point where the publications popularity began to fade. After a few years it went from a monthly publication to a "once in a while" publication until the final issue was printed in 1997. Nat Lamp epitomized the term "politically incorrect".
American living in Scotland. I really miss Christas cartoons from Rankin Bass...RUclips can only fill the gap so much. My fiance and I love the channel btw. Nice to hear someone that appreciates things from both cultures
T WAS the night before Christmas, ( in Texas that is ) were ther ain't any snow. But the wind was a hollering, it was bone cold! Anna & Nick we"er asleep in there beds, I 'd dreaming of Xmas like me & like you ! Their boots were hung at the end of their beds. For this is Texas what more needs to be ssid? When all of sudden from out the cold night there came such a ruckus, it gave Anna a fright! Like a shot from a g un Anna ran to the window to see a loaded up buckboard across the long prairie. The driver was grinning & hauling with a will ! The horses not reindeer he drove with such skill. COME -on their Buck, Poncho, Rancho & Price to the right there'll be plenty of travelling for all tonight! The driver wore Levels & a shirt that was red. He had a 10 gallon red Stetson on top of his head. As he stepped from his buckboard his suspenders he did snap, he was really a sight! With his beard & mustache, so curly & white. As he burst into the cabin Nick awoke, astonish neither one spoke. When Nick recovered the use of his jaw he asked in a whisper, Are you the real Santa claus? AM I THE REAL SANTA? Well, what do you think? And he smiled and he gave a mysterious wink. Then he left some presents (gifts) under the tree. Then he leaped in his Buckboard and call back in a Texas drawl, to all you young'ins keep your boots polished, your horses well fed . And Merry Christmas Y-all!!! 🎅🎁🎁🎁👌🏼🌲🌲🌲
Bourbon. Spiced rum. Or brandy. Also great as coffee creamer Traditional meals we have are standing rib roast and surf and turf (fillet and crab legs) and also live in the Midwest. Ham for us is Easter Home Alone and Lost in NY are my must watch moves as a 90s kid. Amazing light displays on a street near where my husband grew up and it takes them months to set all the lights up. Merry Christmas 🎄
I think my favorite Christmas movie is the movie White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Love a good musical and this one is old style songs, dancing and fun story.
On the topic of holiday-themed booze, I still think peppermint schnapps is my favorite. I haven't had the opportunity to try advocaat yet, but I would love to.
Growing up in a city on Lake Erie, more than likely we would have a White Xmas. Our family tradition was going to pick out a Xmas tree from a farm and making Xmas cookies with my mother. I was fortunate to have a mom with excellent cooking and baking skills. A few days after the tree branches "fell", we would decorate the tree. My siblings and I would hunker down and watch "Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Frosty the Snowman". To this day, as a middle-aged person, I still watch Charlie Brown Christmas. As a matter of fact, I watch it every year for the nostalgia, great jazz soundtrack and the Peanuts Gang dance.😄 Background Christmas music was the classic Jackson 5 Christmas Album, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis and the Temptations.
I always liked mixing Bailey's with Southern Comfort egg nog. No curdling, *ever* (lol) ..and I *adore* pecan pie. I can't have any of these, anymore, so feel free to indulge on my behalf, Laurence. 😉
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Some other things that are American: Charlie Brown Christmas special, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Frosty the Snowman.
Bill Bo Haggins
Remains of the Day as well.
Dont forget A Christmas Story! A classic!!
Also the grinch
The movie WHITE CHRISTMAS too.
Juan Sierra
Really? I thought it was a depressing movie about a man with a miserable life as a butler?
Driving around looking at Christmas lights is an American tradition. In some places, whole neighborhoods get together and do their yards and houses up in astounding light displays with animated characters, Nativity scenes, Santa on the roof, etc. It's great fun and really adds to the Christmas spirit.
RBNightlinger, Peacock Lane in Portland, OR, the residents that want to buy a house there have to sign a contract that they will have their home exterior decorated for Christmas from Thanksgiving Day to January 1st. Over the decades, no one buys a house on Peacock Lane who doesn't love and adore Christmas!
For many people and families, driving or walking down Peacock Lane is a tradition. Park a few blocks away, buy a hot cocoa at the beginning of the lane, walk down one side, walk up the other sidewalk. :D
Candy K ....That’s how they keep the Jews and A-rabs out.
@@mercoid muslims celebrate Christmas so what is your point? Jews also celebrate Hannukah. Is there a rule against lotta LIGHT? I'm pretty sure the whole holiday is based on how long they could keep the fucking light going.
One block of 34th Street in Baltimore does a crazy good one, for a city block of row houses.
@@johnmcdonald9304 and christmas ain't really about christianity so what's your point. im not religious but that doesn't mean i cant "celebrate" it. 🙄
The alcohol that goes with eggnog is rum, brandy or bourbon. However a combination of dark rum and cognac will preserve the eggnog's taste the best. Merry Christmas.
I added a dark rum, bourbon, cognac to mine and aged for 2 months.
Mark me down for Bourbon.
A splash for flavor, not 2 jiggers to make a cocktail out of it
I’m not a personal fan of liquor, but for an all-American eggnog recipe, look up George Washington’s.
When my arsehole doctor let me drink ... dark rum and cognac in eggnog. Also, I have a biological aversion to bourbon in or with anything (an aversion picked up in college)
Agreed, one year we did a homemade version with Booker Noe bourbon ( overkill ? maybe :0 ) cognac, and rum. It was something to marvel. ;)
I love A Christmas Story. Great movie. “You’ll shoot your eye out!”
The pink bunny outfit. 😆
"Fra...gil..e'. Must be Italian." "I think that says fragile dear." "O'yeah."
Oh...Fudge...
It was filmed in the Cleveland area when I was in high school. One of my teachers was an extra in that film and I remember him descending the nights that he spent doing that.
Jaime M YES!!!
“Soap POISONING!”
A great classic film for Christmas is "Miracle on 34th Street" -- but you need to find the original 1947 black and white version with Edmund Gwenn and a young Natalie Wood. Avoid at all costs the several "remakes" that Hollywood has perpetrated on a long-suffering public, since it was done right the first time. Make sure it's not a version chopped up to fit television's time constraints, either.
You'll love the scene between Kris and the little Dutch girl. It's wonderful.
Holiday Inn, too; My wife and I watch it every year!
I think "Miracle on 34th Street" might be even older. I think the original was some time in the 30's.
@@davidmarquardt2445 No, it was released in 1947. The Macy's Parade shown in the opening was the actual parade for 1946. They had to get those scenes right!
The '94 version is pretty good.
Maureen O’Hara was the star actually.
For Christmas music, you must purchase the album soundtrack for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, a jazz combo. Superb music for the holiday season.
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation is the movie we traditionally play while opening presents. We lost it once, waited over 2 hrs until we found it.
There's no shame in that. 😂
I've never heard of watching a movie while opening presents (For us it's usually just when you wrap presents). Sounds like fun.
🎬That movie is a major hoot. Admire your dedication. It might be something we'd watch at some point during the holiday season.
📺 Growing up the TV used to be off limits in the main living areas. It still is forbidden for the gift exchange. 📲 Tech is now kept to a strict minimum. 🎼Holiday music rules📻. It is a whole day & evening of group games, interaction, light hearted conversation as well as noshing & grazing.😊
I have to admit, when I came here in 1963, outdoor displays, were not in my experiences, Till I made a good American, that I'd visit at Christmas most years, After dinner, he and his family drove me around to see these amazing outdoor displays. I think the best term I can use back then was Gob smacked. Talk about being awed, is an understatement. I loved it, who wouldn't. Have t admit, they are even more awesome today.
When my mother was still with us, it became our tradition, to drive to a neighborhood, that went all out on these Displays.
we also usually had Turkey at Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas.
on a few occasions, when my sister did the Christmas dinner, to give her a break, we'd visit a Chinese Restaurant. And as usual, plenty left over for the following day.
Two things. I never really adopted was eggnog and Pumpkin pie. We'd go with good old fashioned Apple Pie. And later on, enjoyed all those Christmas movies. Especially Dicken's " A Christmas Carol" and usually watched them all, from Reginald Owens, but our all time favorite was
Alastair Sim's version, and of course Albert Finney's " Scrooge" the musical version.
Of course now, We have all those Hallmark Christmas RomCom movies. Basically the same story, but always as a rule, fun to watch.
An odd fact here, the caricaturist Thomas Nast, drew the first cartoons of Santa Claus as we know him today. He also was the first to use the elephant as the symbol of the Republican party.
David Marquardt
Clement Moore's 1822 version was illustrated quite early. Although technically he was called Saint Nick, everyone knew he was the same character as Santa Claus. Despite Nast's depictions and their popularity, the red suit evidently didn't become mandatory until well into the 20th. century.
Juan Sierra
Santa Claus is the patron Saint Nicholas of Myra.
From the _Aegis & Intelligencer_ (Bel Air, Md.) dated December 26th, 1884.
_“HISTORY OF SANTA CLAUS._
_The history of Santa Claus-a curious mixture of truth and fable-goes far back into the ancient time. Centuries ago a child was born in Asia Minor who received the name of Nicholas. His parents were wealthy and of high rank, and desiring to express their gratitude to God for the birth of their son, they resolved to educate him for the Christian priesthood. The child was sober and thoughtful, and while yet young both his parents died and he inherited their great wealth. He considered the riches a sacred trust; he fed the hungry, he clothed the destitute, and performed all kinds of good deeds as secretly as possible. As a priest he was greatly beloved; as a bishop he continued his benevolence. After his death the church canonized him and he became one of the greatest patron saints, being revered as the help of the poor, the protector of the weak, and as the especial patron saint of little children, who were taught to believe that their good gifts came from him. St.Nicholas was the name given him by the monks, and this was familiarly changed to Santa Nic’laus, and finally clipped down to Santa ‘Claus, who is still represented as retaining his old habits of secret benevolence and coming down the chimney at nights, laden with Christmas presents for children. A pleasant fiction it is to them, under the cover of which that charming secrecy concerning the donors of gifts is kept up, though little eyes and ears and minds are keen, and Santa Claus is usually very well known to them as a much more modern personage than old St. Nicholas. But the children enjoy the harmless pretence, the mysterious filling of stockings and the heavily laden Christmas tree.”_
LOUIS XVII
Yes, I've read this before.
John Bisset. Alastair Sim IS Ebenezer Scrooge. My wife and I watch it every year. No one did it better then he did.
Standing rib roast; garlic, heavy cream and grated cheddar mashed potatoes; Yorkshire pudding and gravy; bacon and minced onion green beans; Brussel sprouts sauteed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar; That's a Christmas feast!
The story of the movie its a wonderful life is really pretty amazing. Jimmy Stewart supposedly just got back from ww2 and was suffering from ptsd really bad. There were times he was hardly able to function and used alcohol to cope. Supposedly the movie really helped him to heal and come to terms with what he just went through.
It was also the first movie that used foam fake snow. Before the foam was developed they used white colored corn flakes.
In real life Jimmy Stewart served in the military. Interesting to read about.
He flew 20 combat missions in B24’s during WW2. After the war he stayed in the Air Force reserves and eventually was promoted to Brigadier General.
@@speedy1998 Thank you. I did not know those detaills.
Wow, thanks for the info on Jimmy Stewart. I had no idea 😐
The sad thing about "Wonderful Life" is that it was initially sort of a flop. It wasn't until it went into public domain in 1974 and Ted Turner started showing it on WTBS (later TBS) that it started becoming popular... then everybody was showing it at Christmas time. Someone bought the rights to it (forget who) and now again you rarely see it. I'm glad we own the dvd.
It's nice to hear someone say something positive about this country.
Dallas here. We do smoked turkey and cornbread “dressing” with loads of celery, onions, black pepper, and sage, here on Thanksgiving but ham, mashed potatoes, homemade mac and cheese, and green beans almandine for Christmas. I do remember my Granddad making turkey, but never smoked, for both holidays all through my teens growing up although my Mom swears we had ham for Christmas.
Here in Texas, Tamales served as the main course at Christmas. And whenever I've been served or served eggnog it's always been with spiced rum.
Valerie Alwood Tamales and green chili is quite common here in Colorado, too. 😉
Spiced rum +1
I hate living in Texas because it is too damn hot. The summers are a killer! But the people and culture in San Antonio, Texas-- fabulous!!! So if it is already Mexican it's a good thing.
While there are some areas in Texas that might favor tamales, most of Texas goes with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and the like. BTW, always be skeptical of anything said by someone who claims to "hate living in Texas" because clearly they aren't very bright, and it's someone who's doing the entire State of Texas a great disservice by remaing here. Y'all have a nice day.
Tamales are very popular in some households in SoCal. Wish my family adopted that delicious tradition! Nothing more scrumptious than a Cheese & Chile tamale. Yum.
December is such an action packed month for us: holiday parties, light tours, secret Santa & gift exchanges, cookie swapping, carolling, candle lighting ceremonies, special services, etc. All the extra prep work can be grueling. To ease some of the big bustle surrounding Christmas Eve & Day, we moved our major family feasting to 🦃Thanksgiving, 🐣Easter & 🇺🇸Memorial Day.
🎄Christmas is now about an easy festive brunch offering. The "cosy" meal of day. Later, there is a beautiful buffet w/soups, salads & a sandwich bar spread. Something you can return to graze as needed. 🍭Plus, sweets & treats to nosh on throughout the entire day.
🍽We still make it festive, but try to stick with dish washer friendly items. 😓Just do not spend the entire day sweating in kitchen or fussing over some ultra formal presentation. 👍
A Charlie Brown Christmas, not really a movie but shown every year.
Along with the original stop motion Christmas movies! Rudolph, Frosty, a year without Santa ect...
The original cartoon The Grinch who stole Christmas is big in our house
Don’t forget to take off the Corn husk!
And for an actual movie, there's Miracle on 34th Street.
alanr4447a ...Christmas in Connecticut, It Happened on 5th Avenue, the 1951 Scrooge.
There is one unique tradition that I think you will love. My family has the tradition of having a birthday cake for Jesus. We would always do it either Christmas eve befor going to Nana's house or late in the evening on Christmas day.
The other one I just remember is a single Christmas gift on the eve to everyone (we go in around where a person gives a small gift one to the person on their right) . As for why; I believe we came up with the idea to keep the young kids happy enough to make it through the night. As for the other reason: be willing to give without expecting getting something back from the person you give to.
Pumpkin comes in cans and canned pumpkin makes a wonderful pie. Recipe is on the can.
Here in AL, I've never had stuffing, but instead it's dressing. I make with cornbread, chicken stock and spices so it's more of a casserole and never put in the turkey.
Jennifer Baxter we refer to it as stuffing in the Midwest, dressing is what we put on salad
Melting Pot! Yay! My husband and I are mostly of English and Irish ancestry. We grew up on turkey and stuffing year after year, but for some reason, we decided we didn't want to do that anymore. We do cook at home; we've had tacos some years; lasagna other years; and Asian ginger chicken stir fry other years. They're all great.
We love A Christmas Story, but then again I am from Indiana :) fun fact my daughter has the leg lamp and puts it out every Christmas :)
😂😂😂 I would love a leg lamp! "Its a special award!" 😂😂
A nice big old fashion Italian Catholic Christmas. Christmas Eve is the feast of seven fishes .Christmas Day is ham, lasagna, macaroni and cheese. Too many dishes served at Christmas time to list. And after you’re done eating you can chill out on the plastic cover couch.
i am also in the mid-west, ham for Christmas, turkey for thanksgiving ,shrimp and lobster for new years eve, prime rib for new years day. desserts cookies,home made candies,and triffel.
One thing about the "extravagantly" decorated houses is that those decorations have been collected over many many years, even decades. A lot of people wait for after Christmas sales and then buy stuff for the next year. So it isn't even a huge splurge. It just looks like it when everything is put up. I think one of the biggest expenses are when you reach a point that you have to call in an electrician to wire you up an entire separate fuse box just for the Christmas lights. When you reach that point....you may take a few minutes to decide if you've gone overboard yet. And a question: Can you explain about Panto? People have tried, but I still don't understand it and the tradition.
The new LED light bulbs use so little electricity, you can really afford to go for it.
When I had an electrician out to add a circuit so I could use my table saw without dimming all the house lights, I also had him add a four gang box on a timer outside so I had a good place to plug in the outdoor Christmas lights 😂
Love A Christmas Story, watch it every year. Had a Red Ryder too when I was 8 or 9. Actually, I still have it 35 years later, there it is sitting in the corner of my office.
We would never have Christmas without cranberry sauce or relish, gingerbread and wassail. As far as movies our family loves Charles Dickens Christmas Carol and Meet me in St Louis ( a must for a midwesterner)!
Read your comment and immediately found myself humming the song.
The main Christmas meals I'm aware of are turkey, ham, and prime rib... and in some households a combination of any of the preceding.
Daniel Some people will have the foods they grew up with from their immigrant grandparents , like Italian food along with a Ham or Turkey, etc.
Don't forget big pots of gumbo and jambalaya for us in Louisiana
We always did turkey or ham (occasionally both), but I know some people do goose. Heck, it gets mentioned in the song Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer - "Now the goose is on the table, and the pudding made of fig".
As I recall, my father cooked a goose once years before I was born and the experience convinced him that no one sane would ever attempt it twice.
We always had homemade chicken noodle soup on Christmas Eve and just fended for ourself on Christmas Day.
Some people do Christmas goose.
Turkey and ham for Thanksgiving; turkey and home-made enchiladas for Christmas. And tamales of course, they're a big thing for Christmas here since there's a lot of Mexican-Americans in Central California. And sooo yummy.
Love "A Christmas Story" nice video... thanks for sharing...
When I was a young whippersnapper in the 60s, we had roast pork on New Years Day (for good luck), ham at Easter, turkey for Thanksgiving and a Dickensian goose for Christmas.
Pulled pork is really popular here in South Carolina. Everyone cooks a hog and makes their own bbq sauce.
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is also a great holiday show. It really captures the spirit of Christmas.
We have a standing rib roast for Christmas dinner. It's a once a year splurge. As the head cook and bottle washer, I love them because they are so easy. Just stick it in the oven until done. No stuffing, no gravy, just really good beef, some sides and Christmas cookies for dessert. Also, the Miracle on 34th St. has to be on your top 5 Christmas movies.
In the Southwest and Southern Califonia, where Mexican and Central American cultures are so prevalent, tamales are a big Christmas tradition. Mothers and grandmothers get together for big tamale-making parties in preparation for the holiday. :)
Yes! All through the south, they are now a tradition with everyone. In one small town I lived in, there was one Mexican-American family that made them by the dozens. (They had 10 slow-cookers going 24/7 cooking the ingredients) The local paper printed times when the latest batches would be available.
We’re Southern, and Italian and German American. My mother made Christmas lasagna and a side of coleslaw for Christmas and ham and potato salad and spiced peaches for Christmas Eve. Mom loved her Christmas stollen bread, lemon butter pie, and her very favorite mince pie with bourbon.
Merry Christmas 🎄 to all.
Sunshine Dae, your mother's recipes sound so good. Lemon Butter Pie. Yum.
Prime rib is a christmas tradition in my family! However, now that my brother is hosting christmas, we have prime rib, turkey AND ham. But, its for 30 guests at the table
Living in the south I can assure you that there is no season for pecan pie. It is a year round indulgence down here, a part of our cultural identity. Like barbeque, sweet iced tea and college football, pecan pie is who we are. And we are very happy to share it with any and all. Bill Murry's Scrooged is a personal favorite. So a VERY merry Christmas to you and your wife and a joyous and prosperous New Year, Y'all. 😁
Stuffing is different in the US from region to region.
My mom and I make a phenomenal homemade eggnog, beating eggs and whipping cream, and adding brandy and bourbon and whiskey!
Just saw Die Hard: the Musical. Truly an incredible holiday experience.
We do turkey and ham for Thanksgiving and Christmas here. There's also pecan, pumpkin and sweet potato pie.
I do a turkey for Thanksgiving and a Prime Rib Roast for Christmas. Exception is company coming from England this year so will also make a turkey for Christmas as well
My family does Prime Rib for Christmas dinners with sauteed mushrooms, mashed potatoes and gravy, and asparagus with hollandaise sauce.
Brandy or rum for the eggnog. My favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Carol; the 1951 version with Alistair Sim. I believe it is called Scrooge in England. Happy Christmas to you and the missus.
It’s a Wonderful Life is my absolute favorite! I watch it every Christmas!
I've just started watching recently and love what you have to say about America. It brings to light some of the things that we may take advantage of. And hello from your neighbor in Iowa (:
Hey, you sometimes pronounce your words with the American R sound! I first noticed it when you said at 00:48, you said "when I first moved heRe," and it was glorious to see the transition that your speech is going through. I hope you can feel some sense of pride in the fact that you're integrating so much to the point where your accent is becoming a mixture of your native one and a new American one!
The silent R, just like Boston folks
I was born and raised in the New York City / Northern New Jersey area and we don't pronounce the letter "R" in most words !
He also said gotten instead of got.
I had German (Prussian) Grandparents. We always had goose. After they died, we went turkey, and then standing prime rib. My fam is now back to goose.
My favorite Christmas food is Moravian sugar cake. I live in NC, and we travel past Old Salem a few times a year when going to visit family and get a make-it-at-home kit for the sugar cake. It’s a lot of work but I always love it. Also, my family always does a fish fry on Christmas Day for dinner. Fried shrimp, oysters, flounder, clams, etc. That’s my other favorite tradition.
I'm in Bethlehem, PA! My family isn't Moravian, but YES we have those too!
EDIT: The Moravian Sugar cake, I mean. We also have those Moravian sugar cookies, the thin ones with molasses. I used to love going to my cousin's Moravian church for the Love Feast.
ladyjanewriter Yea, my family isn’t Moravian either, but they sure do know how to make a sugar cake. The wife of one of my dad’s best friends is Moravian, and her church sells the cakes for fundraisers. They always reach their fundraising goals very quickly.
Ooooooo a fish fry! That’s a very merry Christmas!
Brandy is traditionally used in eggnog but bourbon goes beautifully with it. I also found a recipe that uses butterscotch liquor in it and it’s pretty tasty.
If you like pecan pie, you'll love caramel pecan pie... and also you need to try a pumpkin roll if you haven't. It's a pumpkin sponge cake with cream cheese filling rolled up like a yule log.
Chicago Italian Roast beef Sandwiches! Our family’s Christmas dinner.
Christmas with the Kranks!
When did jon tron get here
A Christmas Story is the best modern holiday movie - we love!
Favorite Christmas main dish: orange glazed Cornish hen stuffed with rice, diced apple, and mincemeat. Got it from a book titled "Low Wattage Microwave Cooking." Okay, I'm just weird (but it's delicious).
I don’t know why but I can’t refuse watching your videos. Now there is one every day until Christmas?? You know me so well. See you tomorrow.
Your vlogs are the main thing that's really getting me into the spirit this year. Thanks Laurence!
I wore my Christmas sweater today. Green sweater with a white fluffy cat wearing a crown with jewels, and red sparkly boots. And a few little ornaments around the neck of the sweater. I love cats.
Lawrence, I noticed you commented on your Christmas sweater & didn’t hesitate. Sounds like you have converted to the American-ism of sweater rather than the British-ism of “jumper”. Using jumper for that type of clothing always seems very startling since an American jumper refers to a sleeveless dress which usually has a shirt or blouse worn underneath !!
I was typing "Die Hard" when you said it. "It's a Wonderful life" seems all Pollyanna, but it's actually a grim movie. Must be why I like it.
I enjoy hearing you every day! Thank you for continuing with Vlogmas! Have you watched "Gremlins"? It is also a Christmas movie. Happy Holidays to you and your lovely wife! ❤
Its a Wonderful Life is definitely my all time favorite Christmas movie.
You must try sweet potato pie. It's more of a southern choice for the holidays, but it is truly delicious. If you can find it in the store, definitely give it a try.
How close is it to pumpkin pie?
Easy to make too.
Robin Smith
It taste a lot better than pumpkin pie
It looks like pumpkin pie, but the texture and flavor is more pleasing.
I didn't realize that "stuffing" was something you could even get in a box until I moved off! We always were partial to "dressing" instead. Homemade and heavy on the sage. And oh "It's a Wonderful Life"... We did that show in high school. Our leading lady broke her arm a week before the first show!
Allie H dressing is what you put on salads.
I'm Mexican we do tamales posole and atole so good
bisquichitos (cookies) in New Mexico -- and green chile salsa. After Midnight Mass, eggnog and wine.
Same here
I need to look up those Mexican recipes. Sounds good.
Homemade tamales are the BEST!
We are all coming to your house.
Here in Montana, we do prime rib, but it is once a year thing for us, and of course purchased on half price coupon. Mince pie is full size, we prefer decor all natural and handmade , economical and ecological.
Why are Europeans so embarrassed about being happy?
I think they want to look stoic like in old portraits and photos
We don't trust it - normally a facade for despair - despair on the other hand - lovely and comforting, ^oo^
Because they aren’t!!! FREEDOM MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@SpaghettiManGuy Help, I'm being repressed, ^oo^ ruclips.net/video/ZtYU87QNjPw/видео.html
Generalize much? Seriously, what a ridiculous comment.
Miracle on 4th street, another iconic Christmas movie
Outdoor lights have become much more a thing back here!
Once again, Egg Nog with Meyers Original Dark Rum is delictable
My family does ham, we are in Connecticut
@DeadHomer Might as well be Thanksgiving all over again. You should try prime rib for Christmas!
Nicholas Cage I'm in RI, we do ham as well. I just moved to mass a couple months ago and I work at a market as a baker, I was told to make less stuffing than I did for thanksgiving because most people eat ham hear. A new england thing?
I grew up in NJ and we always had ham on Christmas Day.
my family has mostly done ham too, I love in Massachusetts.
I'm of Dutch descent and we have ham on every Christmas. Being in New York there are tons of Italians and it's tradition for them to have a giant fish dinner on Christmas Eve
For my family for Christmas dinner is venison, I know most people won't like it but thats our tradition. Film is National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.
Where do you get venison? I highly doubt any major store is going to sell that.
@@intelligencecube6752 maybe they hunt it themselves?
That'd be really interesting.
Yes, I hunt it myself, thats why I said " I know most people won't like it", but its my tradition.
intelligence Cube
Just wondering: why would it be "really interesting"?
For pure nostalgia-“I’ll be home for Christmas”very popular in WW2. Last verse ends “if only in my dreams”
My dad always does lasagne for Christmas
Christmas Vacation is my absolute favorite all time movie. Christmas with the Kranks, A Christmas Story, The Muppets Christmas Carol, and Scrooged are timeless favorites, too. Thanks for you perspective of American Christmas❤️
I would like to try tamales as a Christmas dinner. My favorite religious song is "Mary, Did You Know?" (Mark Lowry edition)
It's my favorite Christmas song. I didn't know that Mark wrote that song until recently.
@@Karenswalk1207 I love him!!! So funny but came up with this heartfelt song.
Nearly everyone I know in Texas has tamales on Thanksgiving and Christmas even if having a full turkey dinner.
Southern Comfort in eggnog is a must! I also sprinkle a dash on nutmeg on top. We do turkey and ham for Thanksgiving. For Christmas, it depends if we want a turkey day repeat or do prime rib. I may have mentioned on another video that for New Year's we have an ancestral heritage meal like corned beef and cabbage or an English roast with Yorkshire pudding and sticky toffee pudding.
I read somewhere that brandy is used in eggnog as well. I personally like it just by itself. Best carton brands are Southern Comfort vanilla spice and Hood golden eggnog.
Rebecca Combs I’ve always heard brandy, too, but I also just like it plain. And Southern Comfort is by far the best and creamiest. For a real treat, sometimes I blend it with eggnog ice cream for a milkshake. Yum!!!
In Chicago, get the Oberweis Egg Nog. Pricey but great.
I dont know how widespread the brand is, but hands down Hiland egg nog beats all competition.
I personally prefer the taste of a good brandy in my eggnog to the overpowering flavor of a bourbon.
@@awesomelyshorticles I have never heard of it, they must not sell it down here. I'm from Mississippi
Back on Long Island, my family had roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans and Yorkshire pudding and homemade gravy. Also warm rolls. My mom was a wonderful cook
If you use bourbon for your eggnog, try Old Granddad, either the classic or the Bottled-In-Bond (100 proof) is a great choice on a budget. Another good option if you'd like a more "fancy" bourbon for both mixing and sipping straight would be Eagle Rare or Angel's Envy. Cheers!
The Italian-American side of my family always made Christmas ravioli! All the women would get together on the 23rd and spend the whole day making the pasta and fillings from scratch, assembling a couple hundred raviolis (meat ones and cheese ones), and leave them to dry overnight to be eaten Christmas eve and Christmas day. One great aunt would make enormous batches of the best meatballs in history, and another would cook a great big ham. Being Italian, the family is big and loves food. :)
Bourbon in eggnog yes. Bourbon in pecan pie - also a brilliant choice!
mmmmmm...bourbon in pecan pie! That sounds delicious!
Bourbon by itself is a good choice, too!
Indeed. The recipe I've used a couple times is from Paula Deen and it uses bourbon, it's so good. It's an odd recipe though as it calls for 1 to 2 cups of pecans. I've tried it at both extremes and I prefer it with only 1 cup of pecans.
Our American Christmas dinner meat is usually prime rib roast beef (and sometimes ham as well.) And we’ve been making Yorkshire pudding (which everyone loves!) for about 7 years. So that’s now a tradition. Deserts are pecan pie and cranberry apple pie. Drinks are Egg Nog (always with Brandy), Hot Butter Rum and Spiced Mulled Wine. Christmas movies are It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas Story, Nightmare before Christmas and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, that used to be a Thanksgiving movie growing up, but now we do it at Christmas time.
Depending on your background, seafood can be 'traditional' too. My Italian-American friends eat calamari on xmas day.
Happy Christmas to you and Lady T! 🎄🎁
Kate W. yes lobster and 7 fishes is our Christmas eve dinner
I remember learning in all my Italian classes at school that fish was a traditional Italian Christmas dish.
My family on my moms side is German and we heat pickled herring and smoked salmon every Christmas.
Never realized the pickled herring was not something everyone ate on Christmas Eve until I was an adult lol
TiggerIsMyCat Christmas Eve meal: 'LA Cena dei Sette Pesci' ....seafood and fish... no meat.
"Louisiana Christmas Day" by Aaron Neville and "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Vince Vance are faves for music and "Christmas Vacation" and "A Christmas Carol' with George C. Scott, Alistair Sim, or Mr. Magoo are movies faves. When I was at university, many years ago, "It's A Wonderful Life" was a tradition due to the number of students thinking of suicide after winter exams.
My Italian American family does home made pizza and make Spingi.
It varies for us, we'll either do a spiral ham or, like this year, prime rib. Sometimes turkey, but being after Thanksgiving, we usually opt for the former two. Being my mom is part Sicilian, we usually do a lasagna on New Year's for the dinner get-together. My mom usually makes biscotti with the Christmas cookies though.
@@BigEpinstriping Homemade biscotti is the best! I am trying to get my madre to make some christmas day.
In Georgia, a family set up an entire 9 acres of lights for the community to see. They spend one whole month doing it each year.
The advent (so to speak) of LEDs has brought on more of Christmas lighting due to the much reduced power demand.
So I'm aparently I'm not human. I've never cried watching it's a wonderful life.
Actually, most of the outdoor shots for "A Christmas Story" were in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bruce Cook downtown was Cleveland and the family house was also in Cleveland...now a museum for the film. I think that the flagpole scene was also filmed in Cleveland.
John P I know I am late but yes it was in Cleveland. I lived in Cleveland at one point during the Christmas season you can do tours of the house😉
I live just south of Cleveland and every Christmas "A Christmas Story " house open to go through. This is the house where the outside scenes were shot. The original mail box and shed are still there. One time I was there actor who played Randy was there signing autographs. One hilarious thing that happened a few years ago was someone stole the shed but ended up taking it back 🤣🤣
Rum is the standard alcohol for eggnog in NYC where I grew up. As for the Christmas main course: My English grandfather and great-grandmother switched from turkey to roast beef and Yorkshire pudding by the time I came along. Other English treats were mince pies, fruitcake, plum pudding (soaked with booze and set alight for serving), and homemade shortbread cookies. Great memories.
You know "National lampoon" as a brand name, but I know it as a humor magazine which was quite popular from 1970 to 1985. The magazine was sold in 1985 and the new publisher dumbed it down to the point where the publications popularity began to fade. After a few years it went from a monthly publication to a "once in a while" publication until the final issue was printed in 1997. Nat Lamp epitomized the term "politically incorrect".
American living in Scotland. I really miss Christas cartoons from Rankin Bass...RUclips can only fill the gap so much.
My fiance and I love the channel btw. Nice to hear someone that appreciates things from both cultures
T WAS the night before Christmas,
( in Texas that is ) were ther ain't any snow. But the wind was a hollering, it was bone cold!
Anna & Nick we"er asleep in there beds, I 'd dreaming of Xmas like me & like you ! Their boots were hung at the end of their beds. For this is Texas what more needs to be ssid?
When all of sudden from out the cold night there came such a ruckus, it gave Anna a fright! Like a shot from a g un Anna ran to the window to see a loaded up buckboard across the long prairie. The driver was grinning & hauling with a will ! The horses not reindeer he drove with such skill.
COME -on their Buck, Poncho, Rancho & Price to the right there'll be plenty of travelling for all tonight! The driver wore Levels & a shirt that was red. He had a 10 gallon red Stetson on top of his head. As he stepped from his buckboard his suspenders he did snap, he was really a sight! With his beard & mustache, so curly & white.
As he burst into the cabin Nick awoke, astonish neither one spoke. When Nick recovered the use of his jaw he asked in a whisper, Are you the real Santa claus? AM I THE REAL SANTA?
Well, what do you think? And he smiled and he gave a mysterious wink. Then he left some presents (gifts) under the tree. Then he leaped in his Buckboard and call back in a Texas drawl, to all you young'ins keep your boots polished, your horses well fed . And Merry Christmas Y-all!!!
🎅🎁🎁🎁👌🏼🌲🌲🌲
*Thank You!*
@@Civilized-Joke .....
And a Healthy, Happy New Year!
This is great!
Cool. I like the Cajun Night Before Christmas, too!
@@trixier6505 thank you
Bourbon. Spiced rum. Or brandy. Also great as coffee creamer
Traditional meals we have are standing rib roast and surf and turf (fillet and crab legs) and also live in the Midwest. Ham for us is Easter
Home Alone and Lost in NY are my must watch moves as a 90s kid.
Amazing light displays on a street near where my husband grew up and it takes them months to set all the lights up. Merry Christmas 🎄
Did you do George Bailey with an American or a British accent?
It most likely was American. A lot of people have fun imitating Jimmy Stewart.
I think my favorite Christmas movie is the movie White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Love a good musical and this one is old style songs, dancing and fun story.
On the topic of holiday-themed booze, I still think peppermint schnapps is my favorite. I haven't had the opportunity to try advocaat yet, but I would love to.
Jammie Parton Oooh yeah! Add it to hot cocoa if you don’t do a straight shot!
Growing up in a city on Lake Erie, more than likely we would have a White Xmas. Our family tradition was going to pick out a Xmas tree from a farm and making Xmas cookies with my mother. I was fortunate to have a mom with excellent cooking and baking skills. A few days after the tree branches "fell", we would decorate the tree.
My siblings and I would hunker down and watch "Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Frosty the Snowman".
To this day, as a middle-aged person, I still watch Charlie Brown Christmas. As a matter of fact, I watch it every year for the nostalgia, great jazz soundtrack and the Peanuts Gang dance.😄
Background Christmas music was the classic Jackson 5 Christmas Album, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis and the Temptations.
I always liked mixing Bailey's with Southern Comfort egg nog. No curdling, *ever* (lol) ..and I *adore* pecan pie. I can't have any of these, anymore, so feel free to indulge on my behalf, Laurence. 😉
My family usually does brisket for Christmas. Turkey is for Thanksgiving and ham is for New Year's Day.
Thanksgiving... Dress rehearsal for xmas