Traditions
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The holiday season is fast approaching. Fast, man. Much too fast for me. I need mo’ time.
And I always tend to get bent out of shape during the holidays, because I’ve built up a romantic, idealized picture in my head of what holiday memories, and traditions should be.
And it ain’t like it is in the movies.
It just ain’t.
The turkey burns, or worse, it’s undercooked. The stockings aren’t stuffed. And Aunt Myrtle had just a wee bit too much egg nog.
So this holiday season, before the rush gets going, I’m going to look for fun, realistic ways to bring about traditions. Simple stuff that we can actually look forward to, that don’t cost an arm and a leg, or require an army to pull off.
I’d love to hear your ideas too.
Today I pulled an old post from last year about a tradition that my mom began Christmas before last. It’s fun and simple. Even still, to be totally honest, we missed the exchange this past year. But that’s okay. We’ll pick up where we left off this year. Plus, I need all the help I can get, so I’m happy to hold onto it until this Christmas. You’ll understand after you read about The Ugly Cup…
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See this cup?
This isn’t just any old cup…
We call it…
… The Ugly Cup. But it’s actually pretty cute, isn’t it?
I just have to wonder what someone was thinking… “Hey, let’s put Grandma’s face on a cup so we can remember her every morning when we drink our coffee.”
And what is she looking at anyway? She looks sneaky.
Well, there’s more to this cup than just a pretty face. This cup belonged to my Great Aunt Mildred. She passed away 8 years ago and this cup has remained in the family.
Last Christmas my mom began a tradition with the women in our family that involves this cup. All of our names were put in a bag and one blessed soul was picked to be the “Guardian of the Cup” for the following year. Instructions were attached. Here’s a portion of what they stated…
“… While in your possession the cup is to ward off wrinkles, sags and any case of “the uglies” that may try to appear. It is to be kept in a safe place and rubbed at least once a month, or whenever you feel “the uglies” coming on. …”
My name was the first one picked.
The cup must have known I needed some help.
I think that this is a tradition that will carry on for many years to come. Traditions don’t always have to be serious or ancient practices. It’s never too late to start something new with family or friends, and it sure does add to the fun.
Maybe you can begin a new tradition with family or friends this coming holiday season. Or why wait until the holidays? Start one today. Any day can be made special by a small, even silly, tradition.
I’ve yet to rub the cup and I can’t bring myself to drink from it, but I did give her a cute little hat. Fancy.
Because we all know a cute little hat can cover up a month of uglies.
I think she likes it.
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So what fun traditions do you have to share with us all? Do you drive around to check out the neighborhood lights? Do you make a special dish every year during the holidays? Or do you pull out that leisure suit from the 70’s, and sit around the fireplace, eating HoHos, singing Perry Como?
Whatever it is, I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’ve got my list ready to take notes. Do share!
Happy memory making!
She’s darling! And a hat can cover a multitude of sins indeed! Perhaps I’ll try a flower one next time!
Our tradition is that we open presents on Christmas Eve. Not just one, but all of them. And then only Santa comes on Christmas day – not just for the kids, but for everyone.
My favorite Christmas tradition? Amazon. I have an Amazon Prime membership for just that reason. I enjoy picking out presents for everyone, but with my husband from England, me from Texas, and both of us living in NJ with everyone else back in our respective homes, Christmas shopping becomes not just about the picking out, but about the packing, the shipping, the paying for insurance, etc etc etc. So instead, I pick out items on Amazon that I’ve seen in real life and know will be perfect. And let them take care of the wrapping, shipping, insuring, customs forms, etc.
Then I kick back with a cup of Green Mountain Spicy Eggnog coffee and cuddle with my husband.
I absolutely love the holidays. Maybe not the weather or the people that can’t drive in that weather but the idea of being with people I love and smelling cinnamon and seeing twinkle lights make me happy.
I don’t have children so our holidays are spent bouncing around to different houses. So this year I want to have friend-time: Thanksgivmas. Just a small dinner party with friends, to let loose before all breaks loose. (And as for your turkey, try a disposable roaster bag. I think Ziploc makes some. Perfect every time. I promise.)
Our tradition Christmas morning was to have Sara Lee Butter Pecan Coffee Cake and mimosas (for the adults!). I LOVED it as a kid and then thought it was strange as an adult….my mom who made homemade cinnamon rolls and breakfast casseroles…serving heated up coffee cake on CHRISTMAS?!?
Now, as a mom, I get it. She was exhausted. And had probably just gone to bed, 2 hours before we woke them up again at 4:30 with “DID SANTA COME?!?”
When she came to our house one year for Christmas, I MADE coffee cake. She flipped. “Where’s the Sara Lee?” 😉
Sigh. I love that we can discuss the holidays without getting the crazy eye from people. Well, from most people…the others are the token bah humbuggers, of course.
What a sweet tradition in memory of your aunt. I’m sure she’s getting a kick out of it.
My husband and I bought our first place a few years ago so our traditions are still relatively new. Every Christmas, while we’re putting up the tree, we always open a bottle of barleywine (a potent, dark ale) and sip while we decorate. A small tradition but one we look forward to every year.
I won’t lie – I laughed. Out loud.
Growing up, our family would always pile in our Buick station wagon and drive to a small town about 30 minutes away and see the most spectacular display of lights! We drove around a bunch of neighborhoods where the route was marked. There were horse carriage “sled” rides, a live Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, and a live Nativity scene. Some would even give out hot chocolate and cookies. I remember it being my favorite time of the year! I hope one day my husband and I begin a similar (or other) tradition for our future kids. 🙂
Since I no longer live near my siblings, we don’t see each other at the holidays; but we always celebrate with The Professor’s family. Last year we began a new tradition that I absolutely LOVE – no gifts exchanged, but instead, each family unit chose an activity to do as a group. We spent the day after Christmas riding around the city together in a large van doing a scavenger hunt. The focus was on all the places the 3 siblings had experienced as part of their childhood – schools they attended, places they had worked, schools where their parents had taught, the home and neighborhood they had grown up in; then we had pizza & hot chocolate together. It was a fabulous day, TONS of laughter and tears, snapped photos and shot a video that was then edited and sent to each family as a memento of the day. This was by far, better than any gift we could have spent money on – I can’t wait to see what we do this year!
For us the holidays start the first of October, decorating for Halloween including a large glass pumpkin that will stay filled with potpourri (I have black/purple/orange spice scented for Halloween, brown/orange/yellow pumpkin pie scented for Thanksgiving and red/green/gold cinnamon scented for Christmas) which stays out until twelth night in January.
We do a game we call “Ugly Ornaments”. The rules change a little every year to keep in interesting, but basically, a small pile of wrapped presents are spread across the floor and one by one people pick out a present. They can open it or steal one that has already been opened. It might be a pretty ornament or a truly ugly one. And one present is always lottery tickets. The more stealing that goes on, the funnier it is…especially if one of the little kids steals the lottery tickets from Gramma…
Well we have a bunch of family traditions. First of all the kids get matching pajamas every year on Christmas eve. We go to my sisters house for a party, I pre wash and wrap the pajamas and the kids open them there and then put them on before we come home. They are ready for bed and all they have to do is brush their teeth. My oldest is going to be 12 this year and she still looks forward to the matching pajamas. We also, go to the local tree lot the day after Thanksgiving as a family every year and pick out our tree. Then we bring it inside and I get all the lights on it and the kids do most of the decorating. Every year I add a new picture ornament of each child to the tree. When they are ready to move into their own house they will have a picture ornament for every year of their life. They are so fun to look at too, we love them.
Every year I have an ornament exchange with my girlfriends a week or two before Christmas. It is a really great event where some ornaments are stolen time and time again. It’s a riot, and i make it very easy and laid back. Most of the food is ordered or made well in advance so I don’t feel crazed.
Oh, Christmas day, we don’t get out of our jammies. Since we go to mass the day before we have decided a day of rest is in order and we just never get dressed. It’s great!
I love the old cup tradition, and I love how you made her into a flower arrangement, that’s what I’d do.
Traditions…Love ’em! Each year since my kids’ births, I would buy a special ornament that would memorialize an event or a vacation. It would have to do with some specific to that year. I did this for their first 18 years. Each year, the kids and I would enjoy the trip down memory lane as we try to remember when and where the ornament came from. As both kids are in college now(insert tear here), they aren’t really ready to take over the box. However, soon they will be putting up their own trees and will have a ready made ornament collection.
Another tradition is our annual Gingerbread House Building Contest. Ever since the kids were little, I have always set this up. It has come to be expected! I prepare the necessary items in advance. No matter which relatives house or where it is, we always have the contest. There are teams of 2-3 kids (with a few kid at heart adults mixed in). Each team receives the same ingredients. While the food is being prepared, all the kids are in the garage or on the deck or somewhere that is conducive to a good hosing down. I even make ribbons to had out. All the kids are older now but ALL get excited.