Christmas Onboard

[Nausikaa]

Hi All,

This topic is about Christmas so let me begin by wishing you all a very merry Christmas or whatever you are celebrating at this time of year.

Having spent many a Christmas at sea, mainly in the merchant navy, where we had fantastic food, often presents and watch-keeping duties, I wonder how YOU, as a cruiser, are spending your Christmas be it at sea or in port?

Do share your experiences!

Me? A conventional Christmas ashore is on the cards this year together with my three sons.

Aye // Stephen

[redbopeep]

A very Merry Christmas to you

Our plans are to spend Christmas at anchor in one of our favorite quiet spots. We'll bake cookies and brownies, make chicken and stuffing, and figure out a few new recipes for hot toddies, I imagine. We'll pop a few of my favorite sappy DVD's into the computer and watch things like The Waltons Homecoming: A Christmas Story. We'll likely share some of our brownies and hot toddies with whatever other folks may be in our favorite little anchorage. The last time we were there was 2008 (with our previous boat) and we were blessed by a traveler who brought a fine bottle of wine to each of we boats anchored there.

We hope that everyone has a safe and blessed holiday.

Fair winds,

[Lighthouse]

A merry Christmas to all. The whole family staying over at my home for the Christmas weekend - let good times roll.

[Blackthorn]

To one and all,

Merry Christmas to all and our wishes for good health and fair winds for the coming year. We will be celebrating Christmas aboard. The admiral has planned a full turkey dinner with all the fixings followed. We have brought our instruments to amuse ourselves following dinner, should we be able to lift them.

Best wishes

Jim & Sue

[JeanneP]

We're in New Jersey in "The House that Jack Built" (my father), and one sister, two brothers and their families, and a couple of friends who all spend Christmas Eve with us with a whole lot of food, games, and exchange of presents. Food contributes so much to the nostalgia of this time of year that we have borrowed from all the family and friends' heritages for our foods - a little Dutch, German, French, English, Swedish, Italian, and American among others. It is such fun to share, and it teaches the younger generation to welcome something new and "foreign". Pickled Herring, though, left the younger generation seriously underwhelmed.

It's so nice after so many years away from the US to have a familiar family home to celebrate in. Yet I have so many fond memories of holiday celebrations far from home with cruisers and kind locals who opened their homes and hearts to us, I hope that we can extend that tradition to those we meet who are also far from home.

May your holidays be joyous spent with those you love.

Peace and Joy,

Pete and Jeanne

[Nausikaa]

Originally Posted by JeanneP

It is such fun to share, and it teaches the younger generation to welcome something new and "foreign". Pickled Herring, though, left the younger generation seriously underwhelmed.

Even here (I am in Sweden at the moment), in pickled-herring's promised land, kids are not so in awe of it. It is an aquired taste. Having said that, and despite being a lover of pickled herrings, I have never got round to liking surstömming; fermented Baltic herrings. Give me a good matjes or just normal sill anyday.

On our Christmas table you will find at least 5 different sorts of pickled herrings and, as an unusual bed partner, English Christmas pudding. I picked up a couple of big ones in Malta last week and am really looking forward to having one at Christmas and one as New Years' desert.

Merry Christmas All

// Stephen

[Aquaria]

Â*... just back from the winter-light festival of Saint Lucy with swedish friends (living in GER) where we had alot of pickeled herrings of many different kinds - original from Sweden Â* . With that lots of Glögg (typical swedish mulled wine - it's worth asking our experts for the recipy!)Â*Â* Â* Â* and home madeÂ* lussekatter Â* Â* Â*- swedish safron buns. All that far away from the boat, which is stowed away high and dry in a shed, awaiting the next sailing season. Â*But we decorated the bow with some Christmas decorations. And on one of the Christmas holidays we will be on board, wearing big boots, a big coat, listening to Christmas music while charging the batteries...Â*

Â*from snow covered and deep frozen Germany

Uwe

SY Aquaria