Holiday Traditions

[Aliceacc]

Define "holiday" ;-)

Ryan and I are Jewish converts in Chicago. My family (we're no longer close to his by their choice) is Catholic--800 miles away in my New York hometown. We didn't speak for 20 years, but now we're close again. And although I'm secure in my own tradition, I was also a Christmas Tree maven before converting and didn't want to give up the one December tradition that reminded me of my family. So we decided to create a "Not Really a Chanukah Bush" a few years ago. I used to do massive, Victorian Christmas trees many years ago. So using what I used to do as a guide, we handcrafted or adapted ornaments to represent the entire Hebrew calendar year of Jewish holidays, and we top the tree with a stained-glass Star of David created by a glass artist who herself has an interfaith family.

Now that my family (for 18 glorious months now) is back in my life, they want Ryan and me to move back to New York, and we really want that too. And when that happens, I look forward to my Christian adult nephews and their kids putting Santa ornaments on our Chanukah Bush, to represent that our family is finally one again. Aaaand I'm misting up writing that...

Absolutely lovely.

 

[quandrea]

Define "holiday" ;-)

Ryan and I are Jewish converts in Chicago. My family (we're no longer close to his by their choice) is Catholic--800 miles away in my New York hometown. We didn't speak for 20 years, but now we're close again. And although I'm secure in my own tradition, I was also a Christmas Tree maven before converting and didn't want to give up the one December tradition that reminded me of my family. So we decided to create a "Not Really a Chanukah Bush" a few years ago. I used to do massive, Victorian Christmas trees many years ago. So using what I used to do as a guide, we handcrafted or adapted ornaments to represent the entire Hebrew calendar year of Jewish holidays, and we top the tree with a stained-glass Star of David created by a glass artist who herself has an interfaith family.

Now that my family (for 18 glorious months now) is back in my life, they want Ryan and me to move back to New York, and we really want that too. And when that happens, I look forward to my Christian adult nephews and their kids putting Santa ornaments on our Chanukah Bush, to represent that our family is finally one again. Aaaand I'm misting up writing that...

My family is fractured due to religion. If you are comfortable perhaps you can pm me and let me know how you went about mending things after twenty years. My parents disowned me, my children and husband three christmases ago.

 

[indimom]

Our traditions have melted and blended and changed through the years due to changes in family structure, jobs, ages and stages.

My first and favorite: going to church on Christmas Eve (ending with Silent Night by candlelight), then going to my grandparents house with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins for dinner and a gift exchange. When my grandmother passed, that tradition ended, and the extended family started scheduling a party a few weeks before Christmas. All of my sibs have parties with their in-laws on Christmas Eve now. My husband and I did not; so, I tried to recreate the feel of that special night by going to my parent's church and visiting at their house Christmas eve for cookies and coffee.
We only get to do this every other year since I have to work Christmas Eve every other year. It's not the same since it's just the six of us, but it still has that down home Christmas feel that I love. This is my work year, so I'm looking forward to 2017.

My husband's Granny (whose in her mid 90s) made Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits as a breakfast treat when he was young. Since this is a truly naughty "meal" we started serving it Easter and Christmas morning at our house. Sometimes we add real food to the menu, but it wouldn't be Christmas without Chocolate Gravy.

When my kids were old enough to be in "the know," I started wrapping presents as I bought them and putting them under the tree before Christmas. It looked so festive and left them drooling to know what was inside all those packages and bows. BUT, I didn't want them to figure out gifts in advance based off shape or size or "sound;" so, I would "code" the packages and leave name tags off so no one knew which boxes were theirs. For example, one type of gift wrap for each person, or a design - tree, snowflake, phrase - on each tag, etc. By far my most successful was when I used labels with their various names (incorrectly) and then coded the "From" portion of the label so I would know who they were really for. And, of course, I would try to conceal obvious boxes (like packing legos so tight they don't rattle). Drove the kids crazy trying to figure out what the code was and which packages were theirs.

A lot of our activities vary year to year, but DD and I usually do some baking. DH is the last minute shopper who has to run out alone to shop on the 22nd, 23rd or 24th. My tree always has peppermint candy canes, I accept no substitutes. And I always put my three pillar candles in every window of the house: 12 total. Oh, and the dogs get new blankets every Christmas (that's about as long as they last since they are both toy and bedding).

 

[Poohlove]

I am so glad to hear that you have reestablished a relationship with your family and that it is such a strong one!!! Thank you for sharing something so personal, it made me a bit misty too

I hope that you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!!!

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

My family is fractured due to religion. If you are comfortable perhaps you can pm me and let me know how you went about mending things after twenty years. My parents disowned me, my children and husband three christmases ago.

Your profile is private but check mine and message me and I promise to reply.

 

[nja33]

But my very favorite tradition is my family's unique tradition of the craziest, weirdest, most unconventional to/from cards that we can think of. It started in the early 1990s when I addressed a pair of slippers to DD#2 from The Barefoot Contessa. DD#2 was really getting into cooking right about then, and she was sure the gift was a copy of Ina Gartin's latest cookbook! From that point on, it became a competition to see who could come up with the most confounding card. This year, I think I have it in the bag, though. I got a gift for DD#1, from Miss Jean Brody. The train of thought goes: The Prime of Miss Jean Brody (one of DD#1's favorite movies), DD#1 has an Amazon Prime account, the gift is an Amazon gift card! Did you follow that? Both DDs, DGD and her husband are all getting gifts from ICE - I got them each a AAA membership and ICE stands for In Case of Emergency.

Queen Colleen

We did something similar for a few years. It started with my mom forgetting to put who the present was from and told my brother to just pick someone. I believe he said Derek Jeter. So for the next few years some gifts were "from" celebrities. Yankee players always brought new t-shirts and jerseys. One brother got the newest George Carlin book from George Carlin.

We've got a lot of traditions. Some have changed over the years but they're still there as we've all grown up and my siblings all have kids of their own.

-You have to see Santa at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Otherwise you don't get presents.
-We decorate the tree at my parent's house on Christmas Eve. It's something she did growing up and something we've done my entire life. Mom makes homemade pizza and we have candy and cookies and generally lots of junk food before we turn on the Christmas music and decorate.
-Everyone has certain ornaments they MUST put on the tree. Anything Minnie or Tinker Bell are mine. My sister has her Stitch ones. And there are glass balls with years on them and you have to put the one that corresponds to your birth year on the tree. Even my SILs have ones with their birth years.
-On Christmas morning presents are opened in age order, youngest to oldest. Stockings are opened first and then, once everyone's ready, the youngest can begin.
-Christmas morning breakfast is whatever candy or cookies you want and my mom will usually make Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.
-For Christmas day we spend it with my dad's family. The location has changed over the years as the family grows and expands but it's always with his side.
-We have a birthday cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus.

 

[awalker1015]

We have a few. One is we always do the drive through light show near Opryland a week or so before Christmas, then hit Opryland Hotel to see decorations, then dinner out.

Dd11 and I see the Nutcracker every year. We do the matinee then walk across the street the Hermitage Hotel for hot chocolate for her and a cocktail for me.

Christmas Eve we go to the early church service which is candlelit and geared towards kids. We then let kids open one gift and do a casual easy dinner.