Christmas Traditions

[Jill Sparrow 9,675]

I always decant wine...and I only ever drink red wine... a few hours prior to imbibing. Never pour it into glasses straight from the bottle. Decanting improves even a mediocre wine.  Once decanted and left to rest for a while, it doesn't usually last long! 

[nonnaB 4,766]

My sons restaurant also serves wines of a certain category by the glass. Now, you say the rest of the wine will go "off" but no my son is so uptodate with everything to do with wine. He bought a gadget that will extract the wine but no air will enter the bottle thus preserving the wine for the next connoisseurs.

Its a gadget that most sommeliers have. 

[jonab 1,643]

I have one of those gadgets, nonna. Doesn't get used very much as any wine doesn't have time to go off. Once opened a bottle of wine here lasts for about half an hour - and it's not me drinking it, honest!

[Oztalgian 2,927]

10 hours ago, Ayupmeducks said:

Once you open a bottle of wine, you expose it to air, then it starts oxidizing.

Ayup,

You should get your wine in that great Australian invention "The Goon Bag" or the "Silver Pillow" I can't believe it was invented over 50 years ago. It greatly reduces oxidation as air is not introduced when dispensing and can last 3-4 weeks.

If you choose carefully some of the Chateau de Cardboard is not too bad and certainly OK for quaffing at BBQ's and they are getting better all the time.

[Waddo 921]

3 to 4weeks ? Your supposed to drink it, not let it evaporate !

[Oztalgian 2,927]

43 Standard drinks in a 4 litre wine cask = 2 glasses a night for three weeks, just about right 

[IAN FINN 605]

My mum and grandma used to put sherry in the trifle they made for Christmas the sponge cake on the bottom of the bowl really soaked the sherry up must have been many schooners oh it tasted so good.

[radfordred 6,278]

About to preform that good old Boxing Day tradition jumping on the wheelie bin 

 

[radfordred 6,278]

Just had my first mince pie  it’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas 

 

[nonnaB 4,766]

Today just mixed 6 kg of dried fruit 1/2 with brandy and 1/2 with gin for small Christmas cakes. Leaving them to soak for 3 days. I have enough fruit left to make about 10 jars of mincemeat.

[LizzieM 9,272]

Crumbs @nonnaB, you must be making a lot of small Christmas cakes!  

[nonnaB 4,766]

Yes mini ones to sell in Deborah’s restaurant .

[Beekay 4,403]

I'd best put me order in then Nonna.  

[nonnaB 4,766]

Yes as we are limiting the number

[mary1947 1,908]

At the off licence you allso got Ruby wine  from the barrel made up with lemonade it was like Port n lemon. When out with mum and dad many/many moons ago, mu dad whould insist on buying all ladies a drink at Christmas time. He would ask them if they would like a drop of custard and you dare not say no. Custard ?? was Advacart of cause. Mum would sit there with her drink and comment I don't know why he comes out with me he's always with the other ladies.

 

One Chritmas tradition which if you are a younster you will not remember.

Christmas Dinner time at the pub MEN ONLY.

Boxing day Women and Men but you must not forget to make up and take your Turkey and stuffing sandwiches wrapped in an old bread wrapper.

 

Also did you have one of thoses everlasting Turkeys?

Back to dad one christmas he went down cattle market and brought the biggest Turkey they had. Problem it was too big to fit into the oven.

Solution Cut it in half.

[nonnaB 4,766]

On 9/29/2022 at 8:41 AM, mary1947 said:

 

 

Christmas Dinner time at the pub MEN ONLY.

Why ? Aren't the women supposed to drink on Christmas day. My parents weren't pub goers so neither were we. I think it was a selfish idea so i suppose it was the idea of women slaving over a hot stove and not being able to enjoy themselves.

I remember Christmas day when everyone helped and then spent the rest of the day eating chocolates and watching TV the only alcohol we had in the house was sherry for the trifle and bottles of home made wine and then it was only a glass. Dad was brought up absolutely teetotal his parents were very strict. My grandad would turn in his grave if he knew I'd married into a catering family.

[nonnaB 4,766]

Tomorrow after 3 days marinating , the fruit will be added to the other ingredients and mixed ( anyone want to stir and make a wish? ) then baked. My grandchildren always liked to stir and wish but its a few years since i made Christmas cakes so i suppose now they are getting too adult to join in things like that but they did enjoy it especially when they got to lick the bowl out.

[mary1947 1,908]

Hi nonna my dad did like a pint, but he would never go out Christmas day dinner or even Sunday dinner time, but my grandad use to, all I was trying to say was about our tradition's . Which was what i knew about.  As famileys go i think this bit of Christmas went when my Grandad  and folks his age passed away   I  do agree though men tended to be selfish years ago, as far as they were concernd, women were there to be cook an bottle washer and just have babies. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then,

[Ayupmeducks 1,728]

Where would you go Christmas Day??? Years back when you went for a walk Christmas Day, the city was a ghost town, I don't recall any pub being open, Boxing Day, most Landlords only opened Sunday hours.

[mary1947 1,908]

Christmas day pubs opened 12-00 2-00 they were always closed when church services were on. So you would go to church then the pub have dinner, sleep then back to church. Pubs would not open Christmas day evenings. 

[mary1947 1,908]

Q/      When  do Christmas Day  and New Years day fall in the same year?

[nonnaB 4,766]

Every year

[Beekay 4,403]

When I worked on the buses I volunteered to work every Christmas day, (when I were still single) because at that time I thought it were the most boring day of the year. I used to love the diverse routes we used to take, rather than just one regular route.

[Ayupmeducks 1,728]

I never worked on a Christmas Day in my life, When I was at Boulby Mine, they asked for volunteers on all staffs to go in early for statutory examinations of workings, equipment etc for a couple of hours, pay was 8 hours at triple pay, or double pay and a day off in lieu.

[RadFordee 66]

@BeekayI didn't think buses even ran on Christmas Day. I remember in the late 60's my Grandparents used to come to our house for tea on Christmas Day and always came by taxi,which we as kids thought was very grand at the time. I have no idea where they would have got the taxi from as they didn't have a phone to call one. They lived on Manchester St near Victoria Baths so could maybe have walked into the city and picked one up there.