Column: Christmas Eve traditions, and cold cuts, mark the passage of time

[RandySF]

On Christmas Eve, I eat cold cuts.

It’s a tradition that started before I was born. Every year of my childhood, and through much of my adult life, Christmas Eve was spent at my grandparents’ house on my dad’s side. There was no roast turkey, no stuffing, no baked ham nor big meal that had Grandma stuck in the kitchen all night.

Instead, we had a large deli tray from the local grocery store: pastrami and roast beef, ham and turkey, pumpernickel and rye bread, and Swiss and cheddar cheeses. There was a relish tray with olives and pickles, and cherry peppers. My aunt Sue made a shrimp salad. My great-grandmother, when she was with us, made an eggnog pie.

Uncle Tom poured drinks for the adults and Shirley Temples for the kids. When I was old enough, I drank a 7 and 7. These days, it’s a Gentleman Jack and ginger ale. There were candy canes hanging on a strand of Christmas lights above the bar. They tasted like Granddad’s cigars.

Like many family traditions, I have no idea how this one began. Maybe my grandparents smartly figured it was a lot more fun to spend Christmas Eve hanging out with family, rather than spending half of the night in the kitchen. There is probably a good back story, but I never asked.





https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/tony-messenger/messenger-christmas-eve-traditions-and-cold-cuts-mark-the-passage-of-time/article_57e9b73a-4d2d-510d-aeb5-86433f139b8b.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_stltoday

[Wingus Dingus]

1. My family usually did the same, when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's--

either as an informal get-together or a pre- or post-Midnight Mass meal of giant cold cut platters, olives, pickles, kaiser rolls, potato chips, etc. My mom didn't cook Christmas Eve.

[Backseat Driver]

4. We, too, have finger foods Christmas eve

Menu for six looks like: chicken nuggets; Jersey Mikes club or roast beef sub slices, veggie tray, shrimp tray, pickled whole beets, crab & dip/chipped beef ball with cracker varieties, tri-color pepper salad, candy/nut selections: cashews, Jordan almonds, butter mints, candy canes, and selection of home-baked cookies: CC, molasses ginger, red velvet sugar, maple snickerdoodles, peanut butter kisses, and rum balls. Adult beverages and wash available, sodas, eggnog*, chocolate milk, iced green tea blend or hot tea/coffee. (I could only find 1 quart and it's lactose-free - shortage in the news due to the lack of the needed percentage of butter fat needed to enrich/thicken it?).

Sounds like a spread, but it's pretty informal grazing. Everyone works from home and is double vaxxed and boosted. We all follow all other masking and sanitizing recommendations away from home. So far, so good!

Then we unwrap gifts here taking nominations, if any, for best wrapped gift; vote on the nominations, and kids depart for home. We sleep in Christmas Day and gather in afternoon for a ham dinner hosted by daughter and SIL - ham, scalloped potatoes, green veggie, macaroni salad, fire-roasted corn, roll and butter; pie dessert (this year caramel apple and/or pecan) - We pot luck the selections - everyone brings or makes something for the table so no one has all the work/cost.

(DH is working both days) - Relax at home New Year's Eve again (we used to go out early to a movie), watch ball drop; kiss w/drink, text/call friends; New Year's Day: Rose Parade and family pork loin roast and sauerkraut, mashed and green veggie/salad dinner hosted by yours truly, and football (Go Buckeyes) - Happy New Year!

[Wingus Dingus]

5. That's how it's done! You've got some real feasts going on, sounds like fun!

The beauty of the Christmas Eve cold cuts/finger foods is that various relatives can stop by, eat, and go as they need to--nothing's being kept hot and there's no real dishes either.

[JI7]

2. Kind of like the cheese plates people have these days

[flying rabbit]

3. Sounds like a plan