Christmas traditions

Idea for these ginger bread decorations from http://madebymaryblogg.blogg.se/2012/december/att-dekorera-pepparkakor-med-kristyr-decoration-ginger-bread-with-icing-2.html

I promised last weekend to write a little more about the Finnish Christmas tradition - and then started to think about it. What is it really? What would be something that everyone more or less agrees with?

There is the meal, for example (seems to be very controversial now-a-days among the city folks ;)). The very traditional foods like carrot and sweet potato casseroles. The ham (actually deliciously salted ham, which I'm watching right now in the oven as I write ;)). The plum pastries. So many feel the food is too heavy, it is too much and too, I don't know, rustic, I guess would be the word to use. So they choose something from the Russian kitchen, or Italian, or French.

Idea for these ginger bread decorations from http://madebymaryblogg.blogg.se/2012/december/att-dekorera-pepparkakor-med-kristyr-decoration-ginger-bread-with-icing-2.html

We are done with the necessary preparations in this house - making and decorating the ginger bread cookies with the children being one of the first things. I am really bad at getting into any kind of Christmas frenzy - what doesn't get done just doesn't get done (that would very often be the Christmas cleaning ;), as people coming and going, it just gets dirty again anyway).

Idea for these ginger bread decorations from http://madebymaryblogg.blogg.se/2012/december/att-dekorera-pepparkakor-med-kristyr-decoration-ginger-bread-with-icing-2.html

It is still quiet in the house at 6 am, mommy enjoying her moment alone, like usual. Soon the house starts to wake up, and we start preparing breakfast - tasting the first slices of the ham with home made bread and mustard.

Then someone goes and buys Christmas presents (of course not on the last minute :), like never) and continues with the wrapping with the necessary hello about the missing scissors and tape and how on earth do you wrap anything shaped like this?? Ahh. Can't wait. But at noon we are done and watch the declaration of Christmas peace aired from Turku, Finland. Enjoy a glass of Gluhwein, followed by a traditional lunch - Christmas porridge made of rice. The one who gets the almond gets a small present to open already after lunch.

My guess for the afternoon is that some go running, some go out with the kids, followed by sauna. If we were in Finland, it would be church instead, but we decided to skip it this year. As we have 6 eager ones waiting for Santa, we hope he will drop off something here already when we are outside, so we get to prepare and eat the dinner without any too-eager children peeking out of the windows every 10 seconds.

Afterwards we lay on the couch beside our full tummies (and eat some more).

It has gone more or less the same way for 40 years, when spending the Christmas with my side of the family. And I absolutely love it.

My children just came downstairs and it is time to close this laptop now for some days. I wish you all a wonderful, peaceful Christmas. May also your days be merry and bright :).