Well what happens for Christmas is my family that I haven't seen that often during the year comes down Christmas Eve and stay all the way to the second of January. Usually on Christmas day we just try and have the loudest party on the street. We are a pretty out going family and we know how to party when we want to.

Well half my family is Italian and the other half has lived in Canada so long they just say they are Canadian. Plus there is my boyfriends family to consider. So, my Christmas/Yule is always exciting.
First my mom's:
We all get together at my grandparents house and eat turkey roll, with cranberry sauce, asparagus and baby potatoes. We open gifts, which are a china piece for my sister and I that match each of our set and my brother gets money. We all play catch up for the vast majority of the day seeing as we never visit them, then we hug goodbye and leave.
My Italian side:
well, since we are not allowed to eat meat, we have the biggest fish cook off ever! my mom makes a garlic shrimp/scallop/clam/oyster dish that is just amazing! My Nonno cooks an actual fish like salmon or trout or both. My Zia Josie normally makes a red pasta fish sauce for pasta and burns a turkey. My Zia Lorraine will normally make the vegetables since no one else thinks to make veggies. And then my Zia Josie normally serves her famous terimesue (sp?). We all yell at each other and make fun of each other and laugh the night away. Aruguments turn into laughter which turns into arguments which end in laughter with tears. Then happily full and drunk we drive home. yes, my dad used to drink and drive on Christmas eve. oh well, we didn't die, that's a good thing right?
my boyfriend:
Huge family and friends get together with a fire in the back. Drinking and sharing stories of the years past and the dreams to come. All in fun, no yelling and no crying.

I normally like to have a small yule meal with a roommate and thank the Gods for Sharing with me another heart of winter, and light some incense for them. nothing too big or fancy just because of everything else being so busy and so loud. I normally open a present early on yule, This year my boyfriend got me slippers and I opened it today.

and that is the holiday's with me.

You are all so awesome. No, seriously! I LOVE learning about different cultures and how people hold to their family traditions. Thank you all for being so open and for sharing so much here. I am going to be honest and tell you that this holiday is not exactly the happiest of my years. But when I come here and read such spirited posts, well, I feel more spirited. And trust that I need it! :yes: