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Holiday Traditions
It's that time of year! Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays are right around the corner. Many of us have family customs and traditions that mean so much to our heart....whether it is decorating the tree, Christmas Eve celebrations, homemade gifts....
I find the best thing about the holidays is keeping family traditions that keep us oh so close to ones who have passed on as well as passing along the tradition to a new generation! The memories of Christmases gone by are just one of the dearest memories to me.
I would like to hear about some of your holiday traditions! Maybe with sharing our ideas we can all start a new tradition to be passed on for years to come!
I find the best thing about the holidays is keeping family traditions that keep us oh so close to ones who have passed on as well as passing along the tradition to a new generation! The memories of Christmases gone by are just one of the dearest memories to me.
I would like to hear about some of your holiday traditions! Maybe with sharing our ideas we can all start a new tradition to be passed on for years to come!
It must be a Wisconsin thing. We too have Santa delivering presents in the snow outside. You can usually "hear" the sleigh-bells if you listen real close.
Before Santa arrives we have Oyster Stew and a table full holiday food. The "Christmas Miracle" is read from the bible. Everyone must tell of a Blessing that they received in ending year. Family presents are open and Santa's timing is great because after all the family gifts are open, along he comes. We've even gotten "glimpse" of him as he passes the snow (artificial) frosted windows, courtesy of which ever adult can sneak away and get into the suit. The children's eyes and excitement is worth the effort, even in 30 below weather.
Thanksgiving is just a huge turkey dinner with all or family together, laughing and picking on the one who made the pies for the dinner. It's just a family thing since I was a small child and an Aunt made a pecan pie that was so hard you couldn't cut it with a butcher knife. The story is the pie was thrown outside and birds broke their beeks trying to eat it and the animals brought it back to the front door uneaten, etc, etc. So ever makes the pies gets picked on a bit. We all like to bake the pies.
Before Santa arrives we have Oyster Stew and a table full holiday food. The "Christmas Miracle" is read from the bible. Everyone must tell of a Blessing that they received in ending year. Family presents are open and Santa's timing is great because after all the family gifts are open, along he comes. We've even gotten "glimpse" of him as he passes the snow (artificial) frosted windows, courtesy of which ever adult can sneak away and get into the suit. The children's eyes and excitement is worth the effort, even in 30 below weather.
Thanksgiving is just a huge turkey dinner with all or family together, laughing and picking on the one who made the pies for the dinner. It's just a family thing since I was a small child and an Aunt made a pecan pie that was so hard you couldn't cut it with a butcher knife. The story is the pie was thrown outside and birds broke their beeks trying to eat it and the animals brought it back to the front door uneaten, etc, etc. So ever makes the pies gets picked on a bit. We all like to bake the pies.
This will be an exciting holiday at my house. As my Mom and Grandma have gotten older and with my Dad and Granddad gone, It is my turn to share the holiday in my home.
My family has grown to include 2 beautiful grandbabys and my two Son's partners so I will try to make the holiday nice and cozy like my Mom and Grandma did.
I will never beat my Grandmas house but I hope to come close. We have a tradition of Santa and his Reindeer landing in the front lawn. Since there have been no little ones until just 2 years ago, we can carry on the tradition once again.
When it's dark, one of the grownups go outside with a board and make like there are tracks in the snow. We take a couple of boxes and wrap them up, throw them in the yard to make it look like Santa dropped them and then make some noise to alert the kids and run. The kids will look out the window and see the tracks and presents and WOW, the excitment starts. It's sooo much fun to watch the excitment in their faces.
Well that is one of our family traditions.
Take care.....Mollyrae
My family has grown to include 2 beautiful grandbabys and my two Son's partners so I will try to make the holiday nice and cozy like my Mom and Grandma did.
I will never beat my Grandmas house but I hope to come close. We have a tradition of Santa and his Reindeer landing in the front lawn. Since there have been no little ones until just 2 years ago, we can carry on the tradition once again.
When it's dark, one of the grownups go outside with a board and make like there are tracks in the snow. We take a couple of boxes and wrap them up, throw them in the yard to make it look like Santa dropped them and then make some noise to alert the kids and run. The kids will look out the window and see the tracks and presents and WOW, the excitment starts. It's sooo much fun to watch the excitment in their faces.
Well that is one of our family traditions.
Take care.....Mollyrae
Thank you suz-q. You know, we always have a Chineses Christmas. We each buy a gift, and then when we have our tree, we draw numbers and from 1 to however many are here, we start with #1. If e like the present we can keep it, if not we can exchange with the person who has the numbers from 2 thru ? We have a good time, many laughs, a lot of jokes, and some tears.
We have been very fortunate in our lives so we enjoy family and friends and our grandbabies.
gentle hugs
Angel
We have been very fortunate in our lives so we enjoy family and friends and our grandbabies.
gentle hugs
Angel
These mostly pertain to the New Year.
From my mom: snacks, peanuts, and pillow mints
From my dad's family:
At 12:00 am we bang pots, pans, whatever we can find and make a really loud commotion. (and pretty much look stupid) Last year, my grandma, one of her friends and I opened the door and went just a few steps outside our front door to bang pots. If it isn't -20 below freezing, maybe we can try walking around the block, lol.
Then for New Year's Day we eat black-eyed-peas and hammocks. (you're supposed to somehow get a silver doller or something in the year for each bean you eat on New Year's Day- which I haven't seen materialize yet.)
Otherwise Christmas is pretty much... We haven't really celebrated it as much lately as we have in past years. We do usually put up a tree even if it may be Christmas day and put a few ornaments on it. One thing we enjoy are the presents and opening them.
Thanksgiving: Lately we travel from Southeast Wisconsin to my grandma's house in MN and help out at her church. They serve a Thanksgiving pot luck every year. This Thanksgiving will be the first year that will not be traveling over to my grandma's house, because I live here. I still hope to help at the church event and do hope my dad can make it over.
From my mom: snacks, peanuts, and pillow mints
From my dad's family:
At 12:00 am we bang pots, pans, whatever we can find and make a really loud commotion. (and pretty much look stupid) Last year, my grandma, one of her friends and I opened the door and went just a few steps outside our front door to bang pots. If it isn't -20 below freezing, maybe we can try walking around the block, lol.
Then for New Year's Day we eat black-eyed-peas and hammocks. (you're supposed to somehow get a silver doller or something in the year for each bean you eat on New Year's Day- which I haven't seen materialize yet.)
Otherwise Christmas is pretty much... We haven't really celebrated it as much lately as we have in past years. We do usually put up a tree even if it may be Christmas day and put a few ornaments on it. One thing we enjoy are the presents and opening them.
Thanksgiving: Lately we travel from Southeast Wisconsin to my grandma's house in MN and help out at her church. They serve a Thanksgiving pot luck every year. This Thanksgiving will be the first year that will not be traveling over to my grandma's house, because I live here. I still hope to help at the church event and do hope my dad can make it over.
That is a beautiful tradition...very meaningful...thanks for sharing!
My husband and I, our 3 children and their spouses and all 9 grandbabies make a trip into Houston and our first stop is the Children's Hospital. My Big Dave has played Santa Claus every year since the 1st grandbaby was born, 14 years ago. We come back to our house and sing Christmas Carols and we have bread pudding and hot apple cidar.
It's been a long painful year for some of us, so I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones.
gentle hugs
Angel
It's been a long painful year for some of us, so I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones.
gentle hugs
Angel
Now that the election is over, I am bumping up this post! I enjoy so much reading about others traditions and hopefully starting some of my own with my family!
We always have a Christmas party and go caroling. We also like to go on a sleigh ride in the Siearras--oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh (yes, they get you to sing the song)! Oh, and the Nutcracker--I love to go see it at Christmastime (my husband calls it his fifty-dollar nap LOL!).
We always go to Candle lit service....its always so beautiful to see all the candles, and everyone joining hands and coming together..
We put up our tree (fake of course) every Thanksgiving with all the family with us... We do the reindeer dust to.. the children get so excited....We only let them open one or two presents on Christmas eve...the rest come from Santa....
Love it Swampy!!!
That is too cool swampy! I bet its lots of fun!
Every few years, someone gets a purse with black roses. Both men and women have gotten it. You are supposed to write something in it, sign and date it, then give it to someone else in a few years, usually not next year though.
The black purse was originally a high school graduation present, given to one of Swampy's cousins in 1956. No idea if it was a joke or not, but it was supremely tacky, even given the customs of the time.
Since it has been under the tree since the 50s, you can find inscriptions in it from many relatives that passed away. Good for memories.
The black purse was originally a high school graduation present, given to one of Swampy's cousins in 1956. No idea if it was a joke or not, but it was supremely tacky, even given the customs of the time.
Since it has been under the tree since the 50s, you can find inscriptions in it from many relatives that passed away. Good for memories.
I am so curious that I am bumping it up!
Alikat made me think of something for the kids to do. My daughter is three this year and is finally understanding "Santa". You can put glitter in a baggie and label it "REINDEER DUST". You sprinkle it on the lawn before you go to sleep.. This way when Santa comes he will see your house because the dust will light the way!
Thank you, Alikat for your traditions! I love the red dye in the water!
Thank you, Alikat for your traditions! I love the red dye in the water!
on thanksgiving, we always start decorating for christmas, both inside and outside the house. that keeps the whole family busy all weekend!
we always have gumbo for christmas eve dinner and go to mass. then we leave out water for the reindeer (and after kids are asleep i add one dot of red dye to the water) and check in the morning and they are always amazed that rudolph drank some!
we open family presents on christmas eve to make room for santa.
we always have gumbo for christmas eve dinner and go to mass. then we leave out water for the reindeer (and after kids are asleep i add one dot of red dye to the water) and check in the morning and they are always amazed that rudolph drank some!
we open family presents on christmas eve to make room for santa.
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