tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18205784.post116715636074409935..comments2023-10-29T05:06:55.349-06:00Comments on A Day in the Life of the Whittinghams: Twas the Night Before ChristmasAlliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02233842319589466537noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18205784.post-1167322841546250312006-12-28T09:20:00.000-07:002006-12-28T09:20:00.000-07:00Oh but Ellen - you are surely missing out on the C...Oh but Ellen - you are surely missing out on the Christmas crackers: They are filled with paper hats, a toy and usually a groaner of a joke. They are decorated all nicely to add a festive look on your table.<BR/><BR/>There are families here too that celebrate Christmas traditionally on Christmas Eve with having a nice dinner, opening gifts and attending midnight mass. For us, we have always just celebrated everything on Christmas Day.Alliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02233842319589466537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18205784.post-1167309370624062952006-12-28T05:36:00.000-07:002006-12-28T05:36:00.000-07:00oh and important! We DO NOT wear paper hads at th...oh and important! We DO NOT wear paper hads at the Christmas dinner table. We DO NOT have crackers. And I am glad about that.Goofballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11155032632164828945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18205784.post-1167309264589389252006-12-28T05:34:00.000-07:002006-12-28T05:34:00.000-07:00Some cultural differences: I find it funny that yo...Some cultural differences: I find it funny that you point out specifically that you already had a big festive dinner on Christmas Eve. In Belgium we celebrate Christmas mainly on Christmas Eve! Since both my parents and my parents-in-law want to have us over on Christmas eve (and my sister has the same issue for years) we alternate every year.<BR/><BR/>On Christmas day we still celebrate and go to other family dinners but usually I am already tired and too full to truly enjoy it as much as Christmas Eve.<BR/><BR/>The importance of Christmas Eve is , I think?, from the Christian tradition: Jezus is born that night so we celebrate throughout that evening and night and still lots of people go to church at midnight. And we can already give gifts to each other on Christmas Eve as well (or on Christmas Day or at New Year) since we don't have to wait for Santa to come by. <BR/><BR/>(yeaaah our children get gifts twice: once from Sinterklaas in the beginning of December and once from their family for Christmas! Aren't they lucky?)Goofballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11155032632164828945noreply@blogger.com