An Irish Christmas

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I am having the most fun I can remember at Christmastime this year. I am fully embracing my Irish side ("um, it's just the good half," ~ Henry, Goodfellas).

We are going all out in celebration of our Irish heritage! We have decorated every room in the house and placed red holly berries on everything, for good luck in the next year. We created a traditional menu of meals to celebrate for several days, decorated the table in our family tartan, and of course, we have Irish Christmas Crackers! Honestly, I might be more excited than the kids!

A family celebration like this takes days to plan and requires a great deal of organization; at least for me, it does! Maybe this checklist will help you. Here is how it comes together for us:

The first week of December: 

1. Mail Christmas cards. Yes, it is more traditional ~ but, just think about how nice it makes your friends and family feel when they open an old-fashioned, handwritten note inside of a lovely card wishing them a beautiful holiday season!
2. Order specialty items. If you are preparing a more traditional meal, this is the time to order special items such as your Christmas goose and ham, and the goose fat for the roasted potatoes! Irish Christmas cakes are made in September, so ordering now is a must if you didn't make yours several weeks ago! We order ours because not all items can be found in local grocery stores. By the time you find all of the ingredients online, it really is more economic to just order the cake. Walkers makes a very nice cake (be sure to order the Brandy Butter) and mince pies. Here is a link: https://www.walkersshortbread.com/product/luxury-mince-pies/  And, don't forget the Jameson for the Irish coffee!
3. Seats and Vaccines. It's time to count tables and chairs to make sure everyone is comfy. You may want to express your COVID precautions so everyone can celebrate ongoing good health. If you have guests staying in your home, it's time to count the tables and chairs to ensure everyone is comfy. You might also want to prepare special toiletries for that extra special touch.

 
The second week of December:

1. Decorate your house on the 8th of December, on the day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Widespread Irish suspicion says it's bad luck to decorate before the 8th, but I am always too anxious to wait... We begin decorating the day after Thanksgiving. There are Christmas decorations in every room and on everything standing!
2. Plan your menu. This step takes the longest for me because I love to read about the traditions behind every dish. I make a detailed menu to celebrate for days during the Christmas season.
3. Make your grocery list. Depending on where you live, you might have to visit a few stores or order online to find some of the traditional Irish ingredients, such as goose fat for roasted potatoes. 

The third week of December:

1. Another grocery store run. Double-check your grocery list, purchase any forgotten items and a few extra items you have added since your last menu revision. Remember the beverages!
2. Paper or China. Dishes don't need to match, and napkins don't need to be made of the finest linens. It's the time and the memories you share with loved ones that matter. And of course, great food and spirits!
3. Christmas music. Pandora has a fantastic (and free) "Chill Holiday Radio" that streams with only a few commercials. Because who doesn't love Dean Martin's, "Baby, it's cold outside!"

Christmas week:

1. Cooking. Now is the time to plan your cooking days. Make as many dishes in advance as possible and schedule what goes into the oven, when, and for how long. Remember, you want to serve the main dish as it comes out of the oven! And, you want to make the trifle within 6 hours of serving it. *Guests in-town can bring their sides and desserts. Just because you are hosting doesn't mean you should work so much that you are too tired to enjoy the day.
2. Cleaning. Of course, the house looks excellent, so a little spot dusting and vacuuming is something for the kids to take care of; or even the guests. We're family, right! 
3. Don't forget the ice!

Christmas Eve:

• We have a long-standing Christmas Eve tradition: a great dinner, chocolates, new PJs, personalized Christmas ornaments with their names engraved and the year, and the star of the show, an excellent new book! I have been doing this with my kids since they were born. I wash the pj's in advance so they can wear them right away. Along with their pj's, gift boxes contain their new ornament, chocolates, and new book. We enjoy a wonderful meal and read our books to each other. This year's chocolates are, of course, Cadbury Roses.

Christmas Day:

• Ultimately, the Irish celebrate Christmas much like everyone else ~ spending time with loved ones, gift-giving, and enjoying great food. Here are more Irish Christmas traditions and their histories: Irish Christmas Traditions