My mother was just the opposite. Her Christmas Dinner was very good, it was the rest of the year that was boring.
Same result.
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We always used to open our presents when the bacon on the turkey was lovely and crisp and the bird was back in the oven to brown.
Crispy bacon and champagne.
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truly good cooking is related closely to understanding your ingredients both in flavours and textures. And there fore a great chef will explore and procure.
Christmas back in the 50s in our small community in a mining area in north Warwickshire, and enjoying the luxuries that we only saw and got at Christmas time, Figs and dates and not forgetting the big orange in your stocking, chocolate selection boxes and then the family and friends get together on Boxing day playing the card game Newmarket after the cold Turkey lunch and then all going out for a walk down the Pit lane were the mine was all quite till the next day, when then it was all over for the men in our village and had to clock on again but for us kids the memory stayed with us a bit longer and longer and longer, Oh such happy days.
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Your gravy story reminded me of my own mum’s efforts. Over time i have come to realise that cooking habits are passed down - certainly before the advent of media with multitudes of cooking progs.
My mum’s gravy was always quite an insipid variety that came with mixing hot water with gravy granules, and that was it. My ex-wifes mum used to make it with the meat stock, and some water that veg boiled in, a mix of cold water / flour… and ended up being the tastiest gravy i had ever experienced… times change 
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Oh yes, loved the Selection boxes…normally with a game on the back of the packet.
I think Christmas was so special as it was only then (and birthdays) that we received presents and goodies…and of course new shoes and anything else in the clothing line that we needed. Even hand-me-downs were tarted-up and gratefully received.
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Over the years we built up a Christmas routine involving advent trees, when to open presents who cooked and who put Santa’s gifts together, and The Menu! After we came to France the kids came here twice but the travel was so unreliable we couldn’t continue. We hired a place in the lakes a couple of times until our daughter got her own home and now we go there. It was hard to relinquish control until I realized that she wanted to keep EVERYTHING the same. Woe betide anyone who suggests we change the formula!
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Bah humbug springs to mind.
My wife on the other hand is french so follows the traditions of the french so we eat the food the day before.
Its not that I hate christmas but its just not what it used to be growing up.
Its just comercial now.
Oh yes the gorging on chocolate selection box(s), thanks for reminding me 
…and anyone of adulthood saying, ok you can only have one…yea right.
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My parents never drank during the year but at Christmas we had all the drinks out, Dubonnet, Cinzano, Advokat, Noilly Pratt and the soda syphon got filled up. I still get tempted when I walk past the drinks section of the supermarket. Might even go and get a bottle of Cinzano…And my father used to smoke cigars, only at Christmas…love the smell. Roasting chestnuts in the fire, having legs all red and hot on one side and freezing on the other.
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Suzy…
When I was growing up, Ginger Wine was our family tipple and then, it was only at Christmas… kids over 5 were allowed one small sip… under 5 you just wailed at the injustice of it all …
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The Port came out at Christmas when I was young. If I was lucky I’d be allowed a small one with lemonade. Never looked back…
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Hello Suzy
Your mention of Advocaat brings back a Christmas memory of drinking Snowballs. I believe it was made with Advocaat, lime and lemonade and, most importantly of all, a cherry on a cocktail stick. I imagine they are not very alcoholic as I was a young teenager at the time but I remember feeling grown up because I was having the same drink as my Mum. Lovely memory.
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Ah yes, forgot about the port.
Hi Mandy,my mum too had snowballs. I quite liked them but easy to have too much and then…yugh!
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