Christmas Guest Post... Featuring Maz!

Maz From The Maz Blog

Christmas Traditions

In my family we have a tradition that I love, and that is the Christmas Eve celebrations.  My mum is from Estonia and so we follow the European tradition of having the main celebration on Christmas Eve.   We have our big roast dinner with all the favourites, including the pink beetroot and potato salad (also known as 'herring' salad, if mum adds her secret ingredient).  We did something else that was always a boasting point as a child - we opened our presents on Christmas Eve!!  My brother and I would get so eager to open them, that my mum invented a rule that we had to wait until the first star appeared before we could open them.  It was probably a boasting point for mum too that she didn't have to get up super early on Christmas morning ;)  These days the Christmas Eve celebration has become a tradition with our friends and so it is usually quite late by the time that is over and we get to the presents, but no matter how tired anyone is I insist we open them before we go to bed, as per tradition!!

On Christmas Day I go to my Nan's house (on my Dad's side) for Christmas lunch, which always begins with the traditional "prawn cocktail" with my aunt's amazing home made special dressing.  I am a major prawn lover and this is always the highlight of the Christmas lunch for me!  Then we exchange presents with the extended family there.  

I would like to continue the Christmas Eve tradition in my own family one day, though I might compromise just one present opened on Christmas Eve, and the rest on Christmas morning.