Christmas in Texas & North Carolina - OT

[Jim Flanagan]

No: HPFGUIDX 7191

I remember Christmas at my grandparents' house near New Braunfels, 
Texas.  There are many Germans and Slavs in central Texas whose 
ancestors came over in the 1850s.  As late as the 1960s, people of my 
grandparents' generation spoke German among themselves.  There's 
still a hint of an accent among the younger generations.  Anyway, 
here's what I remember about Texas/German Christmas:

Lots of food - turkey, ham, lots of different vegetables -- green 
beans with almonds, cooked squash or pumpkin, buttered flat noodles, 
whipped potatoes with gravy, white bread-based dressing, maybe 
chicken soup. Store-bought whitebread dinner rolls or sliced white 
bread :P were more common than home-made breads. Drinks included 
alcoholic or nonalcoholic eggnog, iced tea, creme soda (fuer die 
kinder). Dessert included angelfood cake, fruit cobbler or pie, 
and/or German chocolate cake; always plenty of christmas cookies.  
Presents were opened on Christmas eve.

My father's family was Scotch/Irish from East of Dallas. The main 
difference in Christmas dinner was that the dressing (stuffing) was 
sage/cornbread (yum!), and usually included a jello/fruit salad.

There were fireworks shows around Christmas. I heard that this 
tradition was related to Confederate Independence day (?). Never 
heard of Crackers, though.

My wife's family in NC, also Scotch/Irish, includes collard greens  
and field peas (a.k.a. blackeyed peas) in their Christmas "dinner". 

Jim Flanagan