Christmas & New Years Plans, Do tell!
 

Since I will be packing and moving over Christmas and New Years this year, I will be celebrating in a room full of boxes with the Yankee and Pup.
So I was wondering what the rest of the World (Fodors is a world, isn't it?) would be doing.
What are your Holiday plans? Where will you be?
Thank you, Scarlett~ ((F))

Somehow Scarlett I think you will make even the move and boxes, etc. festive and special!

We are leaving for London tomorrow, but only for a week this time. Will be attending a performance of A Christmas Carol (dinner afterward) on the 19th, and then going up to Murphys (a delightful little town in the California Gold Country with lots of wineries, etc.) Saturday morning for an overnight stay.

Christmas Eve is always divided between our family (we open our gifts then) and our "second family," where we again exchange gifts. Christmas day with family, but don't as yet know at whose house. Food at both places. Our nieces are fabulous cooks so we usually come home stuffed.

New Year's I think we are attending a house party, with everyone bringing hors doeuvres and/or dessert.

My best wishes for a wonderful life in your new home!

Thank you Giovanna!
I am planning next Christmas in our new home with everybody there to make up for this one being less festive~
Murphys sounds like great fun and having someone else cook is fine with me too :)
I have always wanted to spend Christmas in London. A friend took her children one year and the hotel staff, decorated a small tree and put it in the childrens room. I guess I grew up reading too much Dickens etc. but London in winter is very appealing to me.

Oh Dear Scarlett,
I'm so sorry that you have to move during the holidays. Remember I've got this terribly long layover in Newark the day after Christmas if you need any help packing. I'm heading over to Italy for New Years. Then back again, all to soon, to keep bringing in those babies. But I won't think about that right now, I'll think about that tomorrow.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday anyway, I'm sure next year will be amazing for you along the beautiful southern coast!
"Melanie"

It will be a traditional small-town Christmas for us, as usual.

We're in the midst of putting up decorations, since our little town is having its annual "Christmas on the River" (featuring a lighted riverboat parade) celebration this weekend, and we want all the out-of-towners to see how pretty the town can be.

We'll have children and grandchildren here for Christmas, and on Christmas Eve we'll have our usual gathering of friends--probably about 35 people,including three generations of several families.

Christmas Eve menu always includes husband John's famous ham, hot off the smoker and served in little yeast rolls.
The punch bowl will be full of eggnog, of course.

Christmas dinner will be turkey, with charlotte for dessert.

Scarlett, I hope the move goes well, and best wishes for the holiday season, and the future in your new home.

Well Scarlett, if you realllly mean "everyone" next Christmas then you'll have make sure to post directions to your new home. ;-)

Christmas will be a simple affair with the family (H and daughter) and 2 other couples. New Years we might have a little block party on our tiny cul de sac and pull up chairs, have some drinks, and shoot fireworks.

I was feeling a bit mopey because, due to work and other circumstances, we wouldn't be able to travel to see family this year, but, after reading Scarlett's and others postings, Christmas is what you make it. I'm in the South, so the weather could be warm (we've only had one freeze so far this year) We have what's become an annual Christmas Eve potluck at our house, then go to Midnight service at our church. I may make a Mexican main dish (posole or enchiladas)because Mexican food for Christmas is very festive to me. We'll also watch "White Christmas" at some point (also an annual ritual) Our Sunday School class will go caroling at a local hospital in two weeks--we always look forward to that!
Scarlett, I've spent 2 Christmases in London (and the Midlands) and they are lovely. One of my favorite things are all of the special trivia questions and puzzles that are in the paper for Christmas--a lovely tradition, I think. I remember coming back from Midnight service to my boyfriend's home and having sherry and Christmas Cake before we went to bed. I can tell you what we always had for Christmas dinner the times I was there, but perhaps that's getting off track and needs a different post.....

December will be a feast of experiences for my daughters and I. We are leaving for London in a few hours. Our to-do list is far fuller than the 5 days we will be there. Hopefully, I will be able to bring home some special holiday gift treats for my friends and family. Also, we've all three just finished The Davinci Code and are eager to visit some of the locales in the book.

Then I have a week to cram in as much work as possible before flying to Colorado where we'll have a white Christmas in our home in the forest; skiing, tubing, eating, snowshoeing, ice skating and all the other things that the Rockies provide.

So much to be thankful for!

Grasshopper-what did you think of the DaVinci Code? I really want to read that.

Byrd, do you live in Petaluma?

Personally, I loved it. Couldn't put it down. I found myself constantly referring to my "Art and Architecture of the Louvre" and the internet for details of places and art. Also, it made me want to learn more about a lot of things. I love books like that. The fact that my daughters both zoomed through it as well (all on my 3 week library loan period) says something.

Some criticize Dan Brown's writing as amaturish and his charactures cardboard, but I am quick to willingly suspend disbelief and enjoyed the book immensely.

We are going to "the zoo," aka Mom and Dad-in-law's house in New Mexico. Four generations of family, including six kids under the age of 4, all staying in the same house. Wish me luck! :)

Betsy-- No, we live in a town in west cventral Alabama named Demopolis. Does Petaluma have a riverboat parade?

Miz Possum--you must live close to us, as our weather has been warm, too, but we're expecting temps in the 20s tomorrow night. Maybe you're right about a thread of Christmas dinner menus...I'd love to hear everybody's tradition...

Christmas will be low key for us, with dinner at DH's parents on the day itself, then out of town to my folk's house until the New Year. No extended family this year, so things will be nice and quiet.

I, too, am planning to have some parties and a big Chritmas dinner at our place next year, when the house is in better shape!

Good luck with your move, Scarlett, and Happy Holidays to everyone :)

Nice thread Scarlett! Reading these responses makes this dreary SF day a little more festive.

We'll have a quiet Christmas at home - just DH and the cats. Then off to Paris for New Year's Eve.

Tell us more, everyone!

We will be flying for a Christmas visit home to Australia from Zurich for just over two weeks leaving the day after Christmas. I expect our Christmas day will be packing and finishing the last minute details but we will then have 16 days of home, family and sun before we come back to the snow and work!

Parents coming in from Spain for 2 weeks for Christmas (staying with me in my NYC apartment... should be "interesting" to say the least) and then off to Amsterdam for NYE!! Can't wait.

P.S. Scarlett, Best of luck on your move and with what I am sure is a truly lovely new home.

Awww, these are so great! I am wishing you all the Happiest of Holidays and Safe Journeys.
Grasshoppper, I'll miss you, have a great time in London, buy Poppers to Pop on Christmas at the dinner table:)
How great to celebrate NYE in Paris ! And Amsterdam!! Michelle, my son used to be in a band and they were in Amsterdam often, he loves it there! You will have so much fun~
MsPossum, I used to make Enchiladas for Christmas dinner when my children were younger, Mexican food is so colorful, you are right, it is festive!
This year I am having the butcher take the bones out of some turkey thighs and I am stuffing them. Served with sweet potato puree and apple chutney...Pup will have his new bone ((&))
Melanie, enjoy yourself, those babies will wait :) write to me at [email protected]-we will talk when you get to Newark..
Thank you for the good wishes ((L))

We're flying to Prague on the 16th for 4 days nights and then on to England with the family for Christmas and New Year. On Jan 3rd we're off to Venice for 4 nights and then directly home /back to San Francisco.

I can't wait!