New Christmas Traditions

[Carol Dee]

I am feeling a bit melancholy this year. Mom passed in March. Dad will not decorate the house this year. For several years since Mom no longer wanted the festivities at her home my sister has hosted the Christmas eve tradition of Oyster soup (yucky) and Pigs-in-a-blanket. Over the years other soups and finger foods where added as well as a mutitude of in-laws and grandchildren! When the numbers where smaller everyone gifted everyone. Then we went to drawing names about Thanksgiving time, Now we just bring something and play a game to try to snag the best gift. Now that our kids have spouses and children we have brunch and gift exchange Christmas morn. This year it is moved later at my DIL's request so they can have family time in the morning. The times they are a changing. *sigh* Hmmm what to serve for a new tradition? Pizza! Lasagna? Sandwiches? Leftovers. always plenty of those this time fo year. So... I am off to send out my Christmas cards WEEKS later than normal.

 

[ninnymary]

Carol, I hope you feel better soon. You are dear to us here at TEG.

Mary

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

here's an interesting tradition that may be new to some! how about a peppermint piggie to smash! http://www.saratogasweets.com/peppermint-pig-tale.cfm
i just read an article in our local newspaper about this!

 

[baymule]

Our Christmas Traditions are in and have always been in a state of flux. Not in a bad or confused way, but in a good way, like a changing of location, that divorce, this marriage, the kids that grow up, Grandmother died, things stay the same but for a short while. Time stands still for no one. The one thing that never changes is that we are family. We gather together, some are gone, some can't be there, some show up, but we all enjoy and have a good time.

For years we gathered at Grandmother's house. Then at my Mom's. She was more than glad to pass the torch to us kids. Then the gathering was based on who had the best location, ( read that who had the most room in their house). For quite a few years now we have all gathered at my sister's as she has a large home, but best of all, a large covered deck. In our mild climate, we can usually eat Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner outside.

That all being said, the family tradition that we most treasure is just being family and just being together.

 

[vfem]

I plan on sleep as soon as the kid is done. I mean, a nice long deep sleep!

I'm always so busy, working hours and hours before Christmas comes.... all I want for Christmas is a nap!

Which I'm going to start right now because I got another 12 hours of baking and packing tomorrow. Which I can honestly say "HOORAY" to.

 

[Mickey328]

I always liked driving around to see the lights too. We never did lights since we were out in the boonies all by ourselves...a few decorations around the house and the tree was about it. When I moved out on my own into the city, we did put up lights for several years. Then it just got too darned expensive...I couldn't believe how much electricity those suckers pulled! We have a fair mixing of lights in our little cul de sac; some of the white icicles, some of the blue and some of the multies...it's quite pretty. It'd be a bit nicer if we'd have just a little snow on them, though.

In our family, New Year's was never much of a big deal...we never went out and most of the time were sound asleep by the time midnight rolled around. My first husband was Scottish and in that culture Christmas is for the children and New Year is for the adults...of course, mostly that means lots of booze. I've never been much of a drinker, and being around a bunch of drunks isn't my idea of a good time, LOL. Since we divorced, I've never gone out that night and don't miss a thing. Our planned little gathering on 12/31 this year isn't a New Year thing so much as it's just the one day during the season that all of us are off, and the others aren't big New Year folks either, so it should be fun. I'll be serving "Christmas Dinner" and we'll probably have a glass or two of wine, but that's about it. I actually plan on hauling out some board games and such.

 

[Carol Dee]

Carol, I hope you feel better soon. You are dear to us here at TEG.

Mary

Thank You Mary. You have all been great friend. I will be fine. Helps to talk about it. Hugs help, too. hugs back to you.

 

[Carol Dee]

That all being said, the family tradition that we most treasure is just being family and just being together.

AMEN (and thank you for the reminder.) hugs...

 

[so lucky]

Speaking of decorating the outside of your house: for years I worked about 30 miles from my home, and the quickest route was very rural, a 2-lane dark winding road. I always dreaded the drive home in the winter. But around Christmas, the scattered houses along the route were all lit up. It seemed that each home was a little oasis of good cheer and safety, on that dark road. My drive home was much more pleasant during Christmas, because those bright lights really did light up the night, and my mood.

 

[digitS']

I think it does help to talk about things - both negative & positive.

There were 5 paragraphs in this message box last night about losing Mom and, really also, Dad. I just deleted them after reading back thru the words.

The "days" are starved for light right now! Our most recent storm . . . It could be clear and -9F like for HPQueen there in Minnesota, I suppose.

Did you know that we have our earliest sunset right about now? The darkness will continue creeping later and later into our mornings until, I believe it is, January 4th. It just has to do with time keeping and the calendar. The very shortest day averages out to be right around December 21st, as usual.

Light!!!!!

Steve