{"id":6734,"date":"2019-12-26T19:03:34","date_gmt":"2019-12-27T01:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wobben.org\/?p=6734"},"modified":"2020-02-02T13:40:40","modified_gmt":"2020-02-02T19:40:40","slug":"christmas-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wobben.org\/blog\/our-home-life\/about-life\/christmas-tradition\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When we talk about a tradition it is implied that it is a habit that is supposed to stay the same over the years. But we do adapt traditions over time, we mold them to our changing lives, circumstances and wishes. And some get dropped… while at other times we create our own<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing Up<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, our Christmas tradition was to put up the tree, to have meals with family and to go to the midnight mass on Christmas Eve. We didn’t exchange gifts as we already did that a few weeks earlier, for the Sinterklaas<\/a> fest on the 5th. But back to Christmas: in Holland, the focus is mainly on the 25th and 26th, being the first and second Christmas Day. They are equal statutory holidays as well. Families or couples will often go to one side of the family on one day and to the other side on the second. With equally big meals usually! Growing up we would get some fancier meat dishes, like a fancy roast, rabbit or boar. Not really the turkey tradition like you have in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gourmetten<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As an adult, raclette dinners would become more and more popular. You prepare food at the table on a table-top grill in the middle (for meat and veggies) and little pans underneath to melt cheese. We call it a gourmet set and the verb is “gourmetten”. It has become the classic choice for family gatherings at Christmas!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"raclette
A raclette dinner (we call it “gourmetten”) with Canadian friends in 2009<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Family in Holland<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My dad lives in a home and yesterday, first Christmas Day, they had an old-fashioned fancy dinner with several courses. His girlfriend Amalia and my brother Ton joined him. Ton sent me the following pictures and he said it lasted for several hours. Dad told me on the phone that it was a dinner to never forget!<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t