We did this before and found many no longer eat as our parents did at this time of the year
No traditionalist my dream still is cold sea food platter for the 4 main meals my family eat in those two days
Not going to happen my visitors/family arrive tomorrow and demand strictly traditional baked hot, food
Bet they make me remove the gum tree standing in for my Christmas tree too
Hope each and every one, Special mention to GY AND HIS HELPERS ENJOY IT AS I WILL

Hi Belly, I'll get in early, and the answer to you question for most is; "TOO MUCH!"

We have many of the family this Xmas, and the excess has started already. My son-in-law, he's Cook Islander, informs me he'll be around "early" tomorrow with his spit roaster to cook some poor little pig, I assume that's like 5am (he does a beaut suckling pig). I also assume the drinking will start early, like around 5am, Cookie the piggy cooker does like a drop.

On top of all the regular stuff, Mum is doing Maori/Island favourites of 'raw fish' and 'fry bread'. Got to love those grand children, our beautiful granddaughters two 13 year old's, said last night, "We want to do something for Xmas as well", all they could think off was they know how to make 'apple crumble', I said, "sounds good girls, lets add your apple crumble to the menu."

Dear Belly,

Christmas Eve is by European tradition an important time for
our family. The meal is made up of sea-food dishes, salads,
delicious desserts. For Christmas Day Lunch - it's glazed
ham, turkey, Christmas vegetables, and of course a Christmas
log.

Wishing You and Yours a Very Merry Christmas and A Healthy,
Happy, New Year 2019.

Enjoy every moment!

We have the immediate family gathering at my eldest daughters this year. She reckons it is easier for her to do Christmas than travel with the kids.

It will be all the traditional stuff, with prawns as well, but all but the plumb pudding will be cold. Enjoy that Christmas ham folks. It is usual to not find leg ham in the shops for some months after Christmas. I guess they exhaust the supply of legs coming up to Christmas.

Anyway, no matter what you eat too much of, Have a Merry Xmas, & a Happy & Prosperous New Year.

Paul Foxy every one it go,s without saying may this be a great one
My mum,s last Christmas sat 32 people, including the we don't eat much mob who arrived right on lunch, without warning
We ate ten chooks ham pork all the baked vegys and puddings
My mob mostly stays at home but as the eldest I get my share here
At any moment the yard will be full of parked cars
They demand tradition, that is all the baked stuff they have in England
That tradition after my dad died is my best mate who is also my brother cooks every thing
I however am the pudding cook,two this year little if any with be left over but they are both in the five KG range
I long for my dream meal mud crab few king prawns and heaps of salad with a few other sea food things
You two will be interested to know my brother votes Liberal, and NRL fans will get this, follows Manly, the team every one loves to hate
have a great time every one
Paul like me you seem to have a tribe rather than a family must say the roast pig has me licking my lips

Hi Belly, Hassy and Foxy,

So much going on, I see steamed puddings (the Maori'don't put dried fruit in their's) on the stove. The two big fellas won't stop eating, worse than the kids. I see ham getting sliced up by two oldest, for a snack. Mum keeps the white fat and skin off the ham for frying down later as paka paka. They waste noting, the bone ends up as soup about New years.

A merry Xmas and happy new Year to you and the family Hassy, nothing like a good Xmas day with the family around. Love those prawns, got the moko (grandson aged 11) he has a couple of crab pots, hope Dad takes him down day.to put them out this evening down at Morton Bay, and gets a couple of nice sized muddies, I wish Belly he gets something it would be nice.

Foxy, what is in a traditional Xmas Log, is there brandy?

Belly, both my Old Man and Grandfather were traditionalists with Christmas lunch. Granddad demanded tradition, the white linen table cloth, and a hot dinner, the lot even if it was 110 in the shade, out in the bush. Poor old Nan and the Aunts worked their arses off preparing, no women's lib in those days. Granddad was Country Party through and through. Acted as electoral officer at the local school on election day, the vote would be something like Country party 39, ALP 0.