Celebrating UK Christmas as an Immigrant (vs my Canadian Christmas)

[@atmosphere60]

This whole habit of eating dried fruits caked with spices in the winter goes back to medieval times. In the days before fridges people dried their fruit to store over winter, and brought it out for festive feasts along with their precious spices. It's the same on the continent with things like lebkuchen

[@loraleepooley3669]

I have tried to like fruitcake but I cannot 😂

[@davidroberts1816]

North Americans have no taste and are allergic to anything that’s not American

[@tomw2131]

Not only that, in mediaeval times they would cook meats (wild boar, deer, rabbit, etc) with root vegetables (not potatoes, as they hadn’t been discovered yet) with “rare & expensive” fruits, nuts and spices (nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon/canel); mash the meats and veg down and then bake in a pastry “coffin” with a pastry top or topped with little “birdies” (yes, garden birds, plucked and gutted!). I’ve followed a recipe and it tastes just like traditional “mince pies” but has meat in it! 😋

[@jenanization]

What's not to like? It's fruit and booze @@loraleepooley3669

[@sfjnet]

The look of pain on your face when you say "spiced fruit" is hilarious!

[@suzannehawkins383]

I too am an older Canadian from Ontario. my grandparents were all from the UK. in 2019 I decided to check out how the Brits celebrate Christmas. So I spent two weeks in London doing traditional Christmas activities. I had a Christmas Dinner at The Crypt at St Martin's, saw A Christmas Carol live at The Old Vic. Checked out all the Christmas Markets, etc, etc. It was the best Christmas time of my life! And extremely similar to my family's traditional Christmas.

[@josephh16]

I've lived in Canada all my life and I love Christmas pudding, Fruit cake (dark and light), mince tarts, etc. MMMMM. My mom's family was English and she made all that stuff. But, of course, Cadbury chocolate is good too!!

[@Grandadflipsfurniture]

I'm in the UK and we'll have an early starter (prawn cocktail for me) followed by turkey and whay seems like 27 veg (spuds, sprouts, parsnips, carrot & swede, cauli, etc.), cranberry sauce, Yorkie pud, proper pigs in blankets (not sausage rolls), gravy and cheese sauce on the cauli. Then sit on the couch and fall asleep as the kids play with toys. Heaven!

[@Kestrel1971]

I'm from Cambridgeshire in England, but I am living in Nova Scotia, Canada. Christmas dinner has always been turkey, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, buttered brussel sprouts, chopped carrots, stuffing, gravy. Dessert has typically been figgy pudding. but occasionally apple and rhubarb pie, both with custard. Throughout the day, LOTS of chocolate and biscuits and sherry.

[@DidrickNamtvedt]

I'm from Norway and I've been following you for a long time, love your videos! I've always been fascinated by Canada but I also love the UK as I've been there many times myself and even lived there for half a year as an exchange student (in Southampton in 2015) so it's fun to see the UK from your point of view. My mom is half American so many things she grew up with that she's told me about are things that seem to be in common with things you grew up with in Canada as well, so my American roots through her can sort of relate. And I love all things Christmas, maybe except weather when it's too cold and when the ice makes the ground super slippery. But it's nice with all the decorations, Christmas music and the many Christmas movies out there that always put me in the holiday spirit. I'm spending Christmas with my family in our cabin in the mountains this year (about a three hour drive from my hometown Bergen on the west coast) and Christmas is always beautiful up there! We have our big celebration with dinner, dancing around the tree and presents on the evening of the 24th, and that's a day we all look forward to, kids and adults alike! :)

[@lynn9931]

I love watching your interpretation of Britain, I'm British living in Canada and let me tell you, cranberry sauce in a can/tin is very much a British thing BUT, I would say more a Northern than a Southern food lol. Never had bread sauce in my life, most people I know here and in Britain have more than one meat on xmas day, turkey and ham for example and yes, I do both mash and roast potatoes lol. I think because I've spent half of my life in Canada I get confused as to what my British memories of food are and what is Canadian. Love watching and I wish you and your family a Happy New Year.

[@LoisPallisterCIY]

I'm in London and I used to make my own cranberry sauce before I went keto at any time of the year. Never seen it in a tin! Why mash and roast potatoes Lynn? I'm baffled! Hope the New Year is treating you well.

[@ga57cas]

You are such a nice person. The end bit about Twitch and keeping lonely people company, lovely. 👏 Have fabulous Christmases 🇬🇧

[@loraleepooley3669]

Alanna’s a gem❤️

[@rogerwitte]

I am English and 63 years old. For most of my life I would go to my Great Aunt Stella and do Christmas Dinner like you describe for England, except that at about 4 when we were all stuffed we would go for a walk to get over the comatose feeling. We would walk in the crisp cold for half an hour and then go back to the house and drink champagne. Then about 20years ago I married a Jamaican and, shortly after, Great Aunt Stella passed away. So now I have a Jamaican influenced dinner. We will jerk a fowl (sometimes turkey, sometimes duck, sometimes goose), roast some gammon, and curry some goat. We eat it with cole slaw, fried plantain and, in a nod to England, brussel sprouts. We will drink a toast with rum. We still end up very full and comatose. (PS I do like christmas pudding but only if it is drowning in custard. You can use cream or brandy sauce if custard is unavailable but custard is my preference).

[@thomaskjr4322]

Christmas in Denmark is celebrated the 24th. Dinner is usually Duck, Turkey or a Pork roast, caramelized potatoes, red cabbage and gravy. For dessert we have Ris a'lamande which is rice pudding with chopped almonds exept for one whole one. Whoever get the whole almond get a present. After dinner we sing a few christmas carrols before exchanging presents.

[@diceykitty2542]

Sorry 😉… but I grew up in “Trawna” (aka Toronto) and Christmas was fruitcake, mince meat tarts, Nanaimo bars, butter tarts and Yorkshire puddings. One side of my family, although many generations removed from Brit ancestry, kept certain food traditions and merged them with more traditional Canadian fare. In addition, my French Canadian side gave us tortiere on Christmas Eve. I still make my nan’s fruit cake recipe. My wife is from the prairies where there were many similarities with the UK food traditions but we incorporate her Icelandic heritage food traditions, as well. You are right to recognize it is family specific and ever evolving. Always enjoy the channel and your journey. By the by…. Snow is way better than rain at Christmas. Have a wonderful holiday season.

[@lottie2525]

You forgot the obligatory spouts for Christmas dinner. We have ours in the evening too, and actually, your Canadian Christmas routine sounds pretty similar to ours. The best thing about Christmas pudding is setting it on fire, best thing for it 🤣🤣

[@white_clover767]

09:58 Im a South African living in The Faroe Islands (Nordic country just below the Arctic Circle). We have 2 Christmases, the Scandinavian one on 24th and South African one on the 25th. A Faroese Christmas plate has duck or goose, red sweet pickled cabbage, apple stuffing, candied potatoes and gravy. After we have Danish rice pudding with cherry sauce. Our South African plate has cold chicken pie, Cold gammon/ham, three bean salad, devilled eggs, loaded potato salad, pasta salad, then Christmas pudding and custard after.

[@frankmitchell3594]

A Christmas thought, an Australian once told me that when he was a kid he wondered what British kids did during the school summer holidays because they did not have their Christmas toys to play with .

[@robertpearson8798]

I’m an older Canadian (from your area I think) and I still make quite a number of fruitcakes every year for myself and the few people I know who genuinely like it. A liberal application of rum after it’s made is a big plus. I love Christmas pudding but rarely have it because I’m usually too stuffed with Turkey and dressing to have room. I also make my own mincemeat (an all fruit version without suet) and my Wife makes me tarts and pies even though she doesn’t care for it.

[@shanemjn]

As someone who also has two nephews, I very much agree with "I don't think they'll like them, I'm sending six"

[@timelord5920]

Your Christmas pudding tribulation sounds like a scene from the Vicar of Dibley! 😂

[@DavidJCane]

Kent in the UK. Christmas dinner (early afternoon): 1st course - smoked salmon; 2nd course - turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, peas, green beans, Brussels sprouts (for those that like them), gravy; 3rd course - Christmas pudding or Christmas cake (depending on what one prefers), mince pies, brandy cream. Present opening: after Christmas dinner. Evening: cold cuts, more mince pies, more Christmas cake, mint chocolates, stollen, Quality Street.

[@nordwestbeiwest1899]

If you want the real Christmas spirit then come to Germany where this tradition comes from to celebrate Christmas with a tree and Advent. The most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe are there, and the food is soooo good, unforgettable and definitely a repeat visit! The Germans brought the Christmas tree to Britain and North America, yes yes the Germans.....

[@SteveMikre44]

Every family has a crazy Aunt or Uncle. I guess Alanna is the crazy Aunt in her family...😂🇨🇦🇬🇧

[@AdventuresAndNaps]

😂

[@joannecunliffe8067]

I'd ♥ to have a crazy aunt like Alanna!

[@MarkARhodie]

lol

[@joegoss30]

I'll be making believe that Xmas doesn't exist as I usually spend it solo. At least there's footie on Boxing Day.

[@joannecunliffe8067]

@@joegoss30 I'm a Buddhist and have just spent Bodhi Day (Buddhist Christmas) alone. The first meal Siddartha Gautama is supposed to have eaten (because he was weak from meditating/fasting) after achieving enlightenment was rice and milk ... so I ate my home made rice pudding alone (it was yummy though). Both of us need to reach out to the community (local and online) and know there are friends out there. We aren't alone and don't need to be. Make 2024 the year you feel wanted again. I am. ♥ Jo.

[@grahvis]

Since there is only me, this year I decided to break from tradition and make an individual fish pie. I will be using hake and prawns, broccoli, mashed potato and extra mature cheese.

[@philjameson292]

I have to say that the German influences into the UK over the last 20 years has been great Christmas markets, stollen, glueing etc. probably helped somewhat by the popularity of Lidl and Aldi

[@clivebrealey6795]

Glueing! 😆

[@philjameson292]

@@clivebrealey6795 I meant to say gluhwein

[@olienajh]

I’m from Kent too & my Christmas dinner will consist of turkey, sage & onion stuffing, sausage meat stuffing, pigs in blankets (bacon version) roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, broccoli, carrots, sprouts, parsnips, gravy. I don’t eat parsnips, sausage meat stuffing or the bacon. We then have Christmas pudding, which again, I don’t eat so I’ll have ice cream or an alternative dessert. We eat early afternoon. Presents are opened mid morning. We usually have some sort of cooked breakfast too. In the evening we have snacks & nibbles, which usually consist of biscuits, shortbread, mince pies, crisps & dips, the obligatory Heroes & Celebrations plus any other chocolate we can muster up. We are having a quiet Christmas as we suffered a bereavement earlier this year so it’s our first one without our loved one. Normal service will resume next year!! I hope you enjoy however you celebrate it.

[@CYNC33]

Christmas dinner in my family has always just looked a whole lot like a standard Sunday Roast, plus a few extra things. We've never done Turkey, so it's usually just roast beef or chicken with the standard roast potatoes, veg, Yorkie puds and gravy but with some stuffing, sprouts and parsnip added.

[@wonhung]

Most people have their Christmas Dinner early so the can listen to the Queens/Kings Christmas Speach at 14:45 which they watch while washing down their Christmas dinner with either Tea, or alcohol and in my parents house the men would smoke cigars & my maternal grandmother would smoke a Charoot (short thin cigar, flat at both ends not tappered like a proper Cigar)

[@cruachan1191]

In Scotland here, my family tend to do Christmas Dinner kind of like a Sunday "lunch" but that nowadays means about 4pm earliest. Older relatives no longer with us wanted lunch at lunchtime and also the Queen's Speech was a big thing to them. Dinner itself quite traditional with turkey, roast potatoes and veg, pigs in blankets etc but starters are usually more varied. Seafood platters for those that like such things, maybe chicken satay or potstickers or spring rolls for those who don't like me. More traditional starters like soup (which would probably be Scotch Broth in the past) can be quite heavy just as a starter. Also IME, Christmas cakes and pudding and even to an extent mince pies are something that the older generation preferred. I find them over sweet and very heavy, which they are meant to be but if you like light moist cakes like carrot cake for example then it might not be for you. I have to make Nutella Cheesecake every year for my nieces and nephews as they all love it, the adults will probably have a trifle with some alcohol in it or maybe a Yule Log.

[@peterjackson4763]

When you lived in a house with no central heating then you appreciate heavier meals. My parents got central heating installed when I was 6 but tried to use it as little as possible.

[@RatKindler]

My family is Chinese-Jamaican-Canadian and so our Christmas dinner had elements of all three cultures. My Chinese work colleague once invited me for Christmas dinner and served food similar to regular Canadian Christmas dinner except that they had steamed rice instead of any potatoes. I was looking all over for the Jamaican rice and peas until I realized that this was the first non-Jamaican Christmas dinner I'd ever had and it didn't include rice and peas. It didn't seem like Christmas dinner to me.

[@dougbrowning82]

My uncle was Ukrainian Canadian. Every Christmas Eve, their family would do a full Ukrainian buffet, were we would exchange gifts. This was an opportunity to see people we didn't see all year. The Yule Log channel started in Calgary in the 1990s, where it was created by a Shaw TV technician. It became a holiday staple in all of Rogers/Shaw markets, where it runs as a one hour loop, and was reformatted in the 2000s for HD. Not to be undone, Bell has their own Yule Log, as well as an aquarium and a black screen.

[@jackaylward-williams9064]

When I was 5, I was crazy about Big Cook, Little Cook, a show that used to be on CBeebies where two chefs get a customer in their restaurant who either has a distinctive occupation or is a character in a well known story, and have to come up with a dish which suits them (eg a bread basket for Little Red Riding Hood or a set of red, orange, and green jam tarts for a traffic warden.) Christmas Day also happens to be my birthday, so naturally, I got to choose what we had for dinner, and on the day that my mum asked me what I would like, I had watched an episode of Big Cook, Little Cook where a medieval knight comes to the restaurant and the characters serve him a pizza in the shape of a shield, so it was a pretty easy choice. My personal philosophy has always been “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, so 20 years later, “shield pizza” is still the centrepiece of my festive feast.

[@Nikki7B]

Im Canadian from Ontario. I know one thing we have in Canada (again family to family) and also the southern states, is ambrosia salad (marshmallow salad) and also mashmellow topped sweet potatoes. I have learned that this is very much a Canadian and Southern US states dish, that is common for Holiday get together. My parents always made both, and i love them.

[@MS-19]

Your childhood Christmas experience accords very vaguely with my own, but with a notable exception: dinner would be even earlier. One year, my younger sister (then aged about 7 or 8) insisted on us getting up at the crack of dawn so we could open our presents. Having done so, we asked Mum to get going with the Christmas dinner - we were always very enthusiastic to help, for instance by prepping prawns for the prawn cocktail starter or soaking sponge fingers in sherry for the trifle - and she went along with it even though it was still only 8am. We sat down to the finished meal at around 11.30am and when our grandparents came knocking at 2pm to wish us Merry Christmas and drop off presents, they found us ... comatose on the sofa! Fast forward to the here and now, and you'll find my Christmas Day plans are geared around my job. Having been at work from 4pm to 12.45am, I'll be up at around 8am, leaving the house by 8.40, restarting work at 9 and finishing at around 12.30pm, after which it's back to make Christmas dinner. Visiting family has to wait until Boxing Day at the earliest, but as there's normally no work required, that feels like the proper Christmas rest day!

[@shed66215]

We have croissants for breakfast on Xmas morning, shop bought but warmed up with a generous helping of butter on them, have done for a number of years now. Christmas dinner is done with meat on one side and vegie on the other but will have mash, baked tatties, Yorkshire pudding, broccoli, spouts and white sauce and parsnips on both. Xmas pudding, yes with warm brandy sauce. Then of course anything that might be left over for later in the evening...Am having my first of the year with a group of friends on Saturday, yes at 1.30.

[@ElliotDooleysmith]

For me growing up we would have "stocking" at the end of our beds, they were just pillowcases. Then in the morning we would go into our parents room and open all that stuff. Then we would have to get up and go down for breakfast, usually this would consist of my parents trying to work out how long the turkey needs in the oven and when it should be put in. We werent alloeed to go into the lounge until we haf all finished breakfast. Thrn we had yo wait gor my granny to come over, she was usually always late. On occasion, my other grandparents would come over, but that meant my dad had to pick them up. I always volunteered to with him. Back in the 90s i remember the roads being completely empty on Christmas day, it was fun being the only car on the road. Then once everyone was there we would be allowed in the lounge, we would usually hand out all the presents first, them it was a bit of a frenzy of paper everywhere. There was no order or civility. Over the last 10 years that has changed and its a bit more of a dignified affair. Then it would be food about 2-3pm.

[@sagewillowLisa]

I’m from the southern U.S. For Christmas this year - ham, Mac and cheese, green beans, corn, sweet potato soufflé, rolls, deviled eggs, and probably a chantilly cake for dessert (sponge cake with a berry filling, mascarpone frosting and fresh berries on top).

[@eustaquiozambrano2974]

Thanks a lot for sharing. Have a good day 👍

[@digitalcomposer2000]

Visit family the weekend before, exchanging gifts, then we spend Christmas alone. Wonderful

[@Theinternalrewrite]

Love the clip from epicurious. I frequently watch those videos alongside this channel right here.

[@Canalcoholic]

For me, Christmas dinner is only a starter for the main event. That’s Boxing Day dinner with all the cold cuts, pickles, re-heated roast potatoes, bubble and squeak, and all of the crisps, nuts, cheeses and biscuits (crackers), port and liqueurs.

[@marcelwiszowaty1751]

A hearty soup made from Christmas dinner leftovers does it for me... delicious!

[@linpulver2106]

My family is totally with you on this!

[@jcasillas78]

Great video! Wishing you good weather for your moms' visit!

[@dafyddrhobert2414]

I always work through Christmas as bank holidays are a waste of time. I won't be with clients but at least I can prepare things in the greenhouses ready for the growing season. I have started a tradition where my Christmas meals are very alternative. It started when I decided to redecorate my kitchen and dining room over the festive period. I remember being up a ladder painting the kitchen ceiling on Christmas morning. So, this year my main Christmas meal will consist of baked beans, chopped tomatoes, fried onions and bacon. This will be followed by a slice of Christmas cake.

[@nolslifegren]

UK hands down . Starter : Prawn Cocktail , glass of fizz Mains : Turkey and roast pork + crackling . This means as well as adding cranberry and bread sauce you can add apple sauce : ) Roast taties and mash . Yorkie Puds Sprouts , carrots , broccoli , cauliflower cheese : ) Sage n onion Lotsa gravy Pud : Trifle Add lots of booze

[@elwolf8536]

You fking legend 😂😂 👍 add some avokat and I'm sold

[@jillianb8992]

What a fun gift for your nephews!!! Very similiar vibes to your Christmas as a fellow Canadian. The only difference I think was we did with the whole family like, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Christmas day was usually on my Dad's side of the family and then Boxing Day was my Mum's side of the family. Wild and tons of fun as a kid.

[@gordonwallin2368]

Boxing Day is the Best! Eases family tensions, relaxes the whole Holiday; it's great. (The Yanks don't have so it's humbug on them.)

[@WijaLE]

Christmas Dinner plate (main): Turkey (or goose) Braised red cabbage Honey roasted parsnips (and maybe carrots if bothered) Roast potatoes (Heston Blumenthal recipe on Waitrose yt comes in clutch) Pigs in blanket Stuffing Brussels Sprouts bread sauce Cranberry sauce Cumberland sauce Gravy

[@grumpyone5963]

Yes that’s the way, honey roasted parsnips are the best. I generally add salt and a little olive oil too before a decent drizzle of honey👍

[@SusanneMBarrett]

I live in San Diego, California, and for the past few years, we've moved away from the traditional turkey or ham and instead made chicken enchiladas for Christmas dinner with Spanish rice on the side and a HUGE apple pie with whipped cream, homemade English toffee, and my (secretly easy-peasy) peppermint fudge for dessert. This year we decided on tortilla soup (a tomato-based soup with Anaheim chiles, white onions, tomatoes, and corn, topped with freshly fried tortilla strips and cheddar cheese) and the usual apple pie and peppermint fudge. We will also make some frosted sugar cookies between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. YUM!!! I would like to try an English Christmas Pudding after it's been lit on fire, just to see whether I'd like it. Perhaps I'll stop by a British shop and pick one up to try during Christmastide.

[@SarahHalina]

In Canada: I'm Canadian born, but my grandparents are from Poland and very Catholic so a lot of our Christmas traditions came from that. Christmas is truly a 2 day event (Christmas Eve & Christmas Day). Christmas Eve usually starts at around 6:00pm. First we take a wafer that was bought at the church and we give our wishes for the people in our house (usually good health, happiness that type of stuff), then we pray (again the very Catholic family) and then we eat our fish, pierogi (usually mushroom and potato) and white borscht. Then we would wait for the first star (it was a lot more fun as kids sitting in my grandparents house just staring out the window waiting until we saw that star) and then we would open the presents from our family. It was usually whatever present was pulled out from under the tree first got opened first. There was really no system to it. Sometimes the adults would try to alternate for the kids so one kid wasn't sitting there waiting forever to get their present while another kid kept getting presents. Then we would have some dessert (usually cookies that grandma made) and watch whatever Christmas movie happened to be on. Then we would go to church for 11:30pm to sing Christmas carols and do the midnight mass. Then Christmas Day we would go through the stocking to see what chocolates Santa brought and then we would open the Santa gift we got. Then around 2:00pm we would have our Christmas dinner which is usually a turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy (literally Campbell's mushroom soup with a whole bunch of stuff added to it to make it thicker and more like a gravy), pierogi (yes again. we are Polish after all) and whatever vegetables everyone feels like having (usually peas, carrots and corn).

[@alanmurrell6369]

Canadian here living in the UK. Going to be decadent and have mashed and roast potatoes and will be eating around 4:30-5 ish. My family are British so when growing up in Canada had mince pies, but I detest Christmas pudding

[@sas949]

Get up early, open presents in turn ( double goes for the kids ) while drinking Buck’s Fizz. Bacon and egg sandwich for breakfast. Men go to the pub for a couple of pints while the ladies are finishing off the Christmas dinner, ( it was all prepped earlier) Back before 3 pm, open the wine and some bubbly, have a feast, Christmas pudding with white sauce, rum on it for some. Wash up, chat, maybe watch a film. Have a cold meat buffet at about 8pm Eat, sleep, repeat with another branch of the family.

[@hill_skills]

Oh, moved to France for a bit and spent my first Christmas Eve in the back of my car and cried. Then lots of stuff happened and subsequently I spent too many Christmases on my own in a flat. I got white a white Christmas, but I missed my family.

[@janiceturton7756]

My daughter lives in Paris she is travelling over for a week at xmas then going to meet up with her partner who is Irish at his family home near Dublin . Im currently receiving a lot of Amazon and on line parcel deliveries, as she is ordering her presents and sending here to wrap up when she arrives lol

[@maryannbower9706]

I'm from southwestern Ontario, so my dinner is similar to yours. We have fresh cranberry sauce. My family is Scottish and English heritage. I've been exposed to mince pie ,Christmas pudding, etc. I've now acquired a taste/tolerance for both. I'm 40 years older than you. My advice to you dear is to give it time . They will grow on you.

[@loraleepooley3669]

You’re helping to keep me sane right now. Something happy to watch. Thank you.

[@CaitlinHoey]

Hey Alanna! Fellow Canadian from Grimsby, Ontario, who's been over in the UK 8 years as well. Spiced fruit ... I feel SEEN! Haha. I vom everytime I'm offered Christmas pudding or mince pies and some of my British friends can't understand why. It's just not for me and what I'm used to. Thanks for making me laugh (I love the jelly cran as well!). Happy Christmas to you x 🇨🇦🤍

[@Elwaves2925]

As a lifelong UK person, I can't stand Xmas cake or pudding either. The fruit part is okay, same for the icing and marzipan, it's that sticky, treacle like substance that tastes awful. In the past I used to have Dundee cake with icing and marzipan, it's much nicer. 🙂

[@carolineskipper6976]

Really intersting seeing what is the same and what the differences are. I'm a Brit (in England, if that makes any difference) Our Christmas Day goes like this: Stockings- like you, full of chocolate, socks, hair accessories etc etc. When the children were small, they also got one present from Father Christmas alongside their stocking (to sort of keep them going). Our stockings were not beside the fire, but laid across the foot of their beds. Breakfast would be fresh fuit salad, fancy muesli and yogurt. We used to go to church for an hour, but no longer do this. Home for snacks - crisps, nuts etc. Dinner - yes, at 2pm :P - of roast bird(s) of some kind - possibly goose, pheasant, guinea fowl - but not Turkey or chicken. Roast potatoes, brussels sprouts, carrots parsnips, gravy, 2 types of stuffing, breadsauce, cranberry sauce (but NOT from a tin! Christmas puddding (British fruit style) and here is our family signature dish: pudding is served with almond blancmange! I've never heard of anyone else doing that- but don't knock it till you've tried it! It's a perfct counterbalance to the rich pudding! After the dinner has been cleared away, and replaced with bowls of chocolates and mince pies, then- and only then- do we open our presents! We do like you, an organised 1-at-a-time session, where everyone is able to appreciate everyone else's gifts. The evening is slumped on the couch, watching a couple of shows on TV, possibly with a cheese board for anyone not too stuffed to ever eat again!

[@cultfiction3865]

You need to get back to the hour at Church. Jesus gave you all that food✝️

[@carolineskipper6976]

​@@cultfiction3865 You know nothing at all about my life and why that change happened. Rude!!!!

[@mrpad0]

South coast Brit here, but I have been living in Ohio for over 20 years. When I moved here and married I just imported the traditional English Christmas with me. HA! My family here (all sides) just appear to love it. Some years after emigrating, my wife's daughter married a French man so we would alll do the French Christmas Eve, the English Christmas Day (and Boxing Day too). Everyone was keen because we'd all just have done the Thanksgiving thing that is so American! Most of our vegetables we use at Christmas are home grown (we freeze early crops especially for this part of the season) and I tend to make a lighter desert (fresh fruit trifles). OH! And pigs in blankets here are sausage meat wrapped in sauerkraut (so, more German). I STILL can't get over how early decorations go up here and try to resist whenever possible! Boxing Day is another formal roast type meal, but then immediately a party afterward. Mostly family, but friends too on that day. May your Christmas be extremely Christmassy for you and yours in all the best ways!

[@michelekirby-xv4sw]

You got them the best mince pies. Had these the other day. Amazing.

[@grahammeaton4598]

Merry Christmas from the UK

[@LaraRayCanada]

I lived in the UK, but now live in Canada. Our Christmas Day traditions in the UK (which we continue in Canada) were very similar to yours in Canada. Breakfast, Christmas dinner was dinner time, one present at a time etc. my mom is from Canada & I wonder if some of that was her Canadian influence hearing how ours were so similar. I can’t bare the thought of Christmas dinner at lunch time and it has never made sense to me haha! Awesome video Xx

[@Phiyedough]

We never ate huge amounts at Christmas, the emphasis was on quality and variety rather than quantity. We had the roast type meal at lunch time then a cold buffet in the evening. This included mince pies and Christmas cake. The cake and mincemeat were always home made but the Christmas pudding was usually shop bought. There was usually also trifle as part of the buffet meal. The crackers and paper hats were at the buffet meal rather than the lunch. That is a good idea about opening presents one at a time, although as a kid I would not have enjoyed being the centre of attention when my turn came up.

[@suzannehawkins383]

christmas day routine must be Canadian, just like our traditional day! we had to wait for 8am to wake our parents, then stockings, then a good breakfast. followed by presents which were handed out one at a time, then opened taking turns. Then it was to start preparing the dressing for the turkey, and dinner around 6pm. usually too full for dessert, so dessert, typically mince tarts with ice cream, was later in the evening.

[@patjackson8649]

It must depend on your family background regarding the Christmas cake/pudding in Canada; my grandparents were from Northumberland and Nottinghamshire and we had ‘stir up Sunday’ near the end of November when we made the cakes and mincemeat and they were stored in a cold cupboard and ‘fed’ with brandy for the month. I still love all those old traditional treats. I’m in Winnipeg and this year we’re doing Italian Christmas for my brother in law but I’ll likely do a roast dinner with roasties and Yorkshire pudding at some point during the holidays

[@Dan-zb7vn]

Where are your brussel sprouts and sausage and sage and onion stuffing balls, hi Alana from the ROI entertaining as always cheers 😊.

[@betagombar9022]

Fruit cake and a nice cuppa ☕ you can't beat it, especially on a dull, grey winters day.

[@deckard6_634]

dinner happens at dinner time which is around midday, pushed back to around 2pm at Christmas as it takes time to make a big feast, and at tea time we have our tea (evening meal).

[@johndownie7030]

A little bit of trivia: Pigs in blankets are also known as kilted soldiers in Scotland and if you take a pig in blankets/kilted soldier and then wrap them in flaky pastry you get quilted pig/soldier You can also make quilted toads which are a pig in blanket incorporated into a Yorkshire pudding At my step daughter’s house Christmas dinner is something like this Starter: Prawn and melon ball cocktail Soup: Homemade Lentil Soup with warm bread rolls Main Course: Corn fed chicken (we’re not really into turkey), gammon joint, roast beef joint and pigs in blankets Sage and onion stuffing, pork and apple stuffing, bacon and cranberry stuffing Boiled Potatoes, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes Garden peas and baby carrots brussel sprouts (maybe some broccoli ) Cranberry sauce/red currant sauce (cranberry sauce is dangerous for those who are on blood thinners) Sweet; Some kind of gateau (usually Black Forest) Christmas pudding and maybe a mandarin cheesecake All served with a choice of ice cream, whipped cream, pouring cream or brandy sauce

[@jamesg163]

We make our Christmas puddings homemade, from my grandmas recipe, only Christmas pudding I’ll eat and it is genuinely delicious! Recipe is different to most others, some ingredients changed. Makes it softer and more moist.

[@robertpearson8798]

We did our own fire log video on DVD a few years ago while having a particularly good fire when camping in a provincial park.

[@MrFlazz99]

The trick with christmas pudding is what you put on it - good custard, maybe with a good alcoholic dosing, makes the treat.

[@cadifan]

In NZ growing up we had all the usual mince pies, Christmas cakes, roast Christmas chicken ('cause turkey sucks), cold ham, yorkshire puds, etc. but that was then. Nowadays it's a lot more bbq in the backyard or on the back deck. Everybody does Christmas differently. Many go to their bach (beach/holiday house) for Christmas, some stay home. I go to my brother's who has a lifestyle block and plenty of room for our family and his in-laws and we all have a big bbq cooking up whatever meat you bring and there's potato salads and green salads and cold ham, and then desserts, usually my other brothers trifle plus what others bring. Then we all sit around drinking beers getting sunburned and wishing we didn't eat that last mouthful. It's often early to mid afternoon as it's only a week or so after the longest day so it doesn't get dark 'til really late and doesn't cool down at all.

[@angiebolton-cox1490]

We do things a little differently in our family. We have our Christmas dinner on the 24th. Then on Christmas Day we fast. We serve meals for others who can’t afford to eat. Then we eat lots on the 26th ❤

[@janr2133]

I’m having my 4 sons, 1 daughter in law, 1 granddaughter and 1 grandson here for Christmas Eve finger foods dinner, games and presents then on the 26th drive down to San Antonio to attend my oldest grandson’s Air Force boot camp graduation! Merry Christmas y’all!

[@tonys1636]

Christmas winter veg tastes sweeter once it has had a few frosts on it, so don't buy the Sprouts, Swede or Parsnips too early. Should be ok this year if the farmers can get on the fields to harvest through the snow. Avoid the prepacked or frozen ones as often harvested too early. I love Christmas Pud but cold sliced and in a sandwich. Also not too keen on Turkey Breast, prefer the thigh or leg, better still Goose or Duck. A nice Rib of Ancient Breed Beef or a Haunch of Venison is also a favourite. It is Christmas Lunch for me at 1.30 - 2pm so the Kings Speech can be watched over desert or the Port and Brandy at 3. The family arguments after before the making up over more booze.

[@grumpyone5963]

Wow you’ve got me salivating over the beef and venison! We also eat around 1:30 ish, then for tea we have a large gammon ham roasted with cloves and a honey mustard glaze. If we have room later, a piece of my homemade Banoffee pie!

[@BBKing1977]

0:24 "The couch is doing just fine... it's just lumpy." Me too, couch. Me too!

[@paulhill1665]

I have just purchased a Christmas pudding, 24 months matured, its all about what you have with it. custard of course, clotted cream and brandy butter, home made, not purchased, unsalted butter, icing sugar and lots of brandy. Forgot to add, purchased a small bottle of ice wine (from Canada ), to have with it.

[@CRINOTH]

Everyone in my family adores Christmas pudding and Christmas cake (both homemade by my mum). We usually have the Christmas pudding on Boxing Day though - preferring a lighter dessert (such as trifle) on Christmas Day itself after such a heavy main course. :) You didn't mention the most iconic element of British Christmas dinner - Brussels sprouts. Love them or hate them (and my family is divided on that) they add a nice pop of colour to the dinner plate. :)

[@PhilR0gers]

British. My Christmas dinner plate contains; Roast duck or goose (turkey is way too bland), roast potatoes, carrots, peas, beans, parsnips, pigs in blankets (sausages in bacon), gravy made with duck/goose stock and sour cherries, home-made chestnut and orange stuffing, home-made orange sauce or gooseberry sauce, Yorkshire pudding. (There will be some haters who say Yorkshires should not be served with Christmas dinner, but I say eat what you want - there's no rules!).

[@racheltaylor6578]

I love that Baileys double cream you get in Sainsbury’s .It goes well with a mince pie.

[@Andrew8468]

For dinner here is Canada ours is pretty much the same as yours minus the sliceable cranberry sauce lol. My grand-nephews and grand-nieces will get to open one small present on Christmas Eve with the rest Christmas morning. Dinner is 3-4pm ish depending on how early the prep started. We usually go out to look at the Christmas lights as well. Not so much now but go out for the Boxing Day sales at the malls or downtown Toronto if you were brave to spend all your Christmas money. The major tv providers have a fireplace channel year round. They may also have an Aquarium channel and a sunset/sunrise channel

[@danielferguson3784]

Originally Advent Calendars had simple Christmas Greetings in each 'window' or door, one opened each day until December 25th , with a Nativity scene in the final one. They were produced by greeting card companies. Only in recent years have they been mostly produced by chocolate companies, & have chocolates behind the doors. Dinner time in the UK is at mid-day, only the upper classes had dinner in the evening.

[@jrd33]

I must disagree with the last part. For working people, dinner was usually in the evening. Lunch would just be something light to get you through the day (a Ploughman's Lunch or Cornish Pasty, for example). Sunday would be an exception.

[@cby63]

Merry Christmas from Niagara Falls Canada 🇨🇦

[@gamingtonight1526]

You can cut the top 6 inches of the tree off, so there's room for a Star or Angel, rather than be bent over!

[@vtbn53]

Australian here, this year will be a seafood platter for Christmas dinner. Yum!

[@indecisivegirl9983]

I’m in South Texas and this years Christmas dinner is homemade tamales, fajitas, spanish rice, a fresh pot of pinto beans, and tortillas 😋dessert will probably be pie but I don’t know which I’ll make yet.

[@MarkARhodie]

You sitting in front of the couch, takes me back to an earlier Adventure and Naps. lol

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

Your Christmas dinner is very different to the one my family has enjoyed just about each year since I can remember, or about 70 yrs, whether in UK, Canada, or US. Roast goose with apple sauce and cider gravy, thyme & sage stuffing, roast & boiled spuds, bruxelles sprouts with lardons, chippolatas, and julienne carrots/swede/parsnips. White Christmas pudding with brandy butter. Stilton w grapes. Lots of decent Pinot Noir, and port with coffee later. Then sleep while pretending to watch some twee film on the tv. Merry Christmas everyone, and have the Rennies close at hand. 🎅👼

[@sheilalowery6226]

A little late here from the Midwest US. This year is pork chops, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, candied carrots, Mac and cheese, deviled eggs and crescent rolls. And a birthday cake for dessert! Merry Christmas everyone!

[@LoisPallisterCIY]

Loving your videos and just subscribed 🙂 Born and raised in London. I never have Turkey because it isn't traditional for us and came over from the US. Had Goose in the past but now there is just the two of us we usually have duck which I love. I am a clean keto/carnivore person but I do allow sugar and carbs over Christmas and some bread too which I would normally never eat. I pick a fortnight each year that covers Christmas and New Year and on the last day I'm back to my keto way of eating. Last year I ordered some Yorkshire Brack, which you would not like. It is a tea bread with lots of dried fruit and I adore it lightly toasted with lashings of butter on it. I get chocolates from Hotel Chocolat these days but I would never touch stuff like Quality Street (I hate those!). We get some great cheeses in. I normally only eat organic but over Christmas I get in some of my favourite cheeses and they are not all organic such as Cornish Yarg (traditionally wrapped in nettle leaves but now they do one wrapped in wild garlic leaves which I love). We also love Cropwell Bishop's Beauvale (a soft creamy blue cheese). And Perl Wen, an organic soft cheese from Glyneithinog Farm, Wales by Caws Cenarth. This is a bit like a Brie. We go for a range of British cheeses, many of which I had first tried on holidays. So last year the starter was a wild mushroom soup with truffle oil and croutons. But we had that for a late breakfast or early lunch as we don't normally eat breakfast at all and if we tried to eat everything at once we would feel stuffed as you described and I don't like that. The main meal was roast duck with saffron roast potatoes roasted in goose fat, a special gravy, stuffing balls with cranberries, chestnuts and sausage meat, brussels sprouts with almonds in butter, home made brad sauce (it's all home cooked). NO Yorkshire Pudding! I just can't serve it with poultry - it traditionally goes with beef (look it up to find out why - It was served before the rest of the meal) and I don't have it now due to the flour but I used to love it. And I do prepare much of this in advance so it's easy on Christmas Day. After that I did some crafts and he read a book. We don't usually watch TV on Christmas day. Then later on in the evening we did have a Christmas Pudding with double cream and brandy butter. First time in years but I loved it. I usually make a couple of trifles - a raspberry one and a tangerine one (without any jelly!) which are a lot lighter to eat. On Boxing Day we have a boiled ham with mashed potato and Piccalilli which my mum did when I was a child - and I love the potatoes which I won't eat again for another year. and that is our only meal of the day but we do have lovely cheeses, Yorkshire Brack, Mince Pies, chocolates etc to pick on if we want to. Also some Liqueurs, gin and even a few beers to choose from rather than just the wine we usually drink. So, as you say everyone is different 🙂 Hope the New Year is good for you so far x

[@martinlewis1015]

Just tried Aldi stolen bites with marzipan or apple 🥰😍🥳🤩 Can't stand sprouts or cabbage but roasted parsnips are like a sweet potato. We have our Christmas Day as breakfast, then dinner late afternoon, then open presents one each in turn and then late evening may have a snack

[@FranklinYoung-s9d]

Have a lovely Xmas Alana, you are a star💥

[@geoffh2560]

ah such a great video, so good to see the ol' sofa again!

[@barriehull7076]

The fire thing had it's own channel 24/7 back in the day on satellite tele. We are near neighbours Alanna, Kent/East Sussex border. My sister in Cornwall never has Turkey we have pork and beef, my nephew has never liked Xmas Pud, he has peaches and clotted cream and custard.

[@forcestorm4119]

As this was one of ur Christmas video, righting on Christmas day, just wanted to wish u a Merry Christmas to you and ur family, well done on the content this year, wish u well for the next. And merry christmas to all the followers on here as well

[@RalphWigg1]

Christmases since my wife passed is quiet, just me & my son. However, we'll have a tree & decorations. Hope yours goes well x

[@jenniferciliberto]

I live in the U.S. We usually have a huge pot of homemade vegetable soup and a baked ham that we make sandwiches with. And lots of desserts like chocolate cake, peanut butter balls, brownies, and chocolate chess pie. I enjoyed this video!!

[@darrellneal4375]

Thank you for your need vibe that makes me laugh.

[@Buzpud]

Alana your Christmas morning timetable sounds identical to ours. We have our Christmas dinner at 12:30/1pm. Usually finishes about 3-3:30ish. Then it’s a nap then games and turkey sandwiches. Netflix now has a fire log video. Actually several so you can choose a different wood to burn. 🤣

[@MichaelJohnsonAzgard]

We have our dinner at 1pm. Starters either prawn cocktail or tomato soup. Main course of turkey, roasties, Yorkshire puddings, pigs in blankets, parsnips, stuffing, gravy, bread sauce and cranberry sauce but instead of mash we have potato dauphinoise or gratin. For dessert it'll either be Christmas pudding, Christmas cake or chocolate log.

[@michaelayling8855]

Christmas dinner in UK was always about.4 or 5 pm as we left the pub about 3.

[@PaulMGleeson]

Brit here. Our Christmas day sounds s bit like yours. Midnight mass Up around 8 Stockings Coffee light breakfast Ooen presents. Presents distributed by youngest. Open one at a time, in turn, starting with oldest, then in order of age. Walk the dogs Back to mulled wine, sherry, Madeira etc and sweet nibbles, short bread, mince pies, stollen. We used to have rum and shrub, but you cant get shrub any more. Sometime after 5 Christmas dinner. Always a rib of beef with horseradish sauce and either goose and apple sauce or Turkey with Cranberry sauce. Roast potatoes and parsnips, Brussels sprouts, peas, carrots, sweet corn, creamed spinach, Yorkshire pudd, gravy. Trifle for dessert. Later on a cheese board, always a stilton and a Brie so ripe it can walk off the board, crackers, toast with Elesenham's Patum Pepurium.

[@north45j]

Your Canadian traditions are similar to ours in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Been watching and really enjoying your videos. You are a bright spot on the internet. Have a Merry Christmas.