The Christmas Dinner Thread:

[Nightblade]

I'm the other guy who loves those damn Claxton's fruitcakes. Sadly, I never saw any around in stores this year-somebody else must have bought that one they put out for me to buy. Oh, well, maybe next year. Happy New Year whatever you eat, men!

I don't know what a claxton is but I'm sure it's tasty. I don't honestly get the maliciousness towards fruitcake other than I think it's a mob orgasmic hate that occurs with them as if someone is sending out subliminal messages and half the people hat'em and the other "US" love'em ????

[Nightblade]

In a few weeks there will only be about 18 fruitcakes 'cuz I'm eating 10 of em!

Do you sit in a hut in the woods writing manifestos while eating ten fruitcakes ?? I mean that with the most sincerest of kidding.

[Nightblade]

You see Glenn, it's all part of revenge of the fruitcake. You start a thread on Christmas dinner(yours sounded awesome by the way) and everything is fine until the FC Bomb gets dropped and it goes down like a lead fruitcake into the bottom of the pool. And if we could possibly say fruitcake one more time well.......there's plenty more fruitcake where that came from Ho Ho Hoooooooo............

[howdydave]

Do you sit in a hut in the woods writing manifestos while eating ten fruitcakes ?? I mean that with the most sincerest of kidding.

Nope...

I write personal memoirs about my life as a soldier of fortune in the American Galactic Foreign Legion.

[Haroldg48]

Since this thread wanders on, I thought I'd post a picture of my Christmas dinner plate. My doctor would not be happy, but I was. PS-- I had no fruitcake.

[32t]

Since this thread wanders on, I thought I'd post a picture of my Christmas dinner plate. My doctor would not be happy, but I was. PS-- I had no fruitcake.

I hope you ate that in moderation and only had one serving!

[howdydave]

With Russian Christmas coming up on January 7 (they are on the Julian calendar,) here is a traditional Russian Nativity "Holy Supper."

There are several symbolic features to the dinner table (lots of symbolism in Orthodox Christianity,) including the placing of hay under the tablecloth in memory of the manger. Some grain is also thrown in the straw to represent the abundance of Christ’s Coming. The linen tablecloth represents the swaddling clothes.

The Supper usually consists of 12 courses, symbolic of the 12 Apostles. The twelve fasting foods (Orthodoxy has a 40 day pre-Nativity Fast) usually served are: barley, honey, stewed prunes, pierogi, sauerkraut, potatoes, lima beans, garlic, Lenten bread, mushroom soup and salt. Reminders that life is both bitter and sweet and that the work of each day throughout the current year was required to truly celebrate Christ's Coming.

Traditional Foods Served
The foods range from bitter to sweet to remind us of the bitterness of life before Christ was born and the sweetness of life which comes after His birth. The number 12 symbolizes the twelve apostles.

Two may be chosen from each category – except soup.

Appetizers: lkra (caviar), Kutya, Pickled Mushrooms, Piroshki (with mushroom or sauerkraut filling), Herring (with beet and onion slices), Baklazhan (eggplant caviar).

Soup: Mushroom, Barley, Fish (with dumplings), Borscht, Cabbage, Vegetable.

Fish dishes: Baked Pike, Trout or other, Fried Filet of Sole or Bluefish, Fish in Aspic, Stuffed Carp, Fishcakes, Fried Smelts, Boiled Lobster.

Vegetable dishes: Potato Pancakes, Boiled Potato (with dill), Baked Sauerkraut, Baked Sliced Beets, Potato Salad (with beets), Cauliflower (with bread crumbs and margarine topping), Lenten Cabbage Rolls, Pickled Baked Cabbage, "Malosolniyeh" Pickles (freshly dilled).

Fruit & cake: Dried-fruit Compote, Cherry or Blueberry Vareniki, Poppy seed Cake or Roll. Nut Pudding, Apple Strudel, Kissel, Fruit Rolls.

Beverages: Wine, Kvass, Russian Tea (served with preserves and lemon slices)

[rolodave]

Glad to see you are continuing your culture and faith.

[neehooya]

Dave that looks similar to Polish Christmas Eve vigil. We used to prepare various 12 dishes as well (We had G'ma and aunties cooking up a storm). To this day we continue with the vigil dinner, but scaled a bit. We have barszcz (beet soup) with uszka (tortellini like stuffed with mushrooms), and potato/ kraut pierogi.

[howdydave]

Japanese New Year Feast