Our main holiday party was Christmas Day. When I was a child we would see my mother’s cousin’s family on Boxing Day. We would alternate each year as to whose house we went to visit.
When I was a teenager my Aunt held an open house every year in her tiny apartment near The Beaches in Toronto. It was a snug fit but it was fun. She is a very good cook and the nibbles table was always full of new and tasty delights.
In Ireland my mother’s parents held an open house on Christmas Day. The family would have their Christmas meal at lunch and then a huge tea was laid out and all the friends and family would come over to share a nibble and a warm cup of tea or something stronger.
They changed the party to Christmas Eve some time after my mother moved to Canada. Nibbles, a cup of cheer and good friends were all that were needed. There were people greeting each other with big smiles and good conversation all around. My main memory of those parties is the laughter.
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