Reflection: Those Many and Varied Holiday Traditions
Many of us are celebrating Christmas today! If you're among them, Merry Christmas!
That doesn't really mean something standardized because I believe every family has their own way of doing things.
Over the years, I've not only celebrated Christmas with many different families across the USA, I've also celebrated Christmas in a few other countries. It is based on this that I feel like I can safely say that "everybody does things their own way."
Back in Denmark, when I was a kid, the big day was actually December 24th, Christmas Eve. Sure, we used to have a big mid-afternoon meal on the 25th but the official lighting of the Christmas tree - yes, we actually used real candles, on a live tree - and the exchange of presents took place on the 24th in the evening.
One of the "odd" things I remember about Christmas as a kid was that there was no bedtime. That seemed like the coolest thing! The adults would often be up and have another small meal around midnight (or later) before heading home... or just spending the night.
In my very early teens we moved to Spain, and Christmas was different there. For starters, it was the first time I spent Christmas in a place where it didn't actually get cold in the winter. I never quite got used to that...
What was interesting about our Christmases in Spain was the fact that they kept going for quite a while, specifically until "12th Night" which was also an important day by Spanish tradition.
We didn't really do our festivities the Spanish way, but it was hard to ignore that the door-to-door carolers kept showing up until early January. I spent seven Christmases there...
These days, we don't actually have a strong Christmas tradition, it varies a little bit from year to year what we do. This year we actually did all our presents as a family this evening, and the 25th is for a big meal for friends. Some of the variability has to do with when/if the kids are coming over from nearby Seattle.
As I said in yesterday's post, food is a big part of our Christmas around here. I think some of that probably has to do with the fact that as we're getting older the exchange of stuff becomes less important and just spending time with people becomes more important.
It was different yet again during the years I lived in Texas. Some of my best memories were of the years I was single and was part of a friend's "orphan Christmas" for people who were unattached and had no family to spend the holidays with.
Whereas it was never intended as a "matchmaking" thing, more than a few from that group ended up paired up...
More than anything, I spend a lot of time contemplating gratitude around this time of the year. Maybe that sounds a bit cliche, but I believe it matters to pause and consciously be grateful for the good things in our lives.
Thanks for stopping by... and a very Merry Christmas to you!
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Created at 2023-12-25 12:45 PST
1025/2280
This time of year many small local or international traditions spill over making the time interesting. To enjoy a Christmas with snow would be a highlight never experienced in my lifetime.
Normally a Christmas dinner is served on 24th then cold meats and salads on the 25th, this year traditional Christmas Evening dinner today for the first time in many years enjoying a bit of rain and cooler day to cook.
To You and Yours have a wonderful day!
I have a friend who had a real tree with real candles until this year. She got her first artificial tree and was given battery candles for it. She's in her 70's now.
Not a lot of traditions in my immediate family, just I wasn't allowed to start lights and music until the day after Thanksgiving and had to stop on New Year's Day. Stockings and presents as early as I could get people up (yup, I was the "kid") on Christmas Day and at some point in the afternoon we'd eat a big meal we'd spent the morning making.
All that's changed now...
I usually spend this time of the year spreading love to people. That’s what I do most in this season. I hardly go out because I just want to be at home and spend time with my family
Merry Christmas to you!
Traditions of days gone by are wonderful memories that we made with our family throughout the years. Now, everyone has their own large families and they now live in other states and countries. Our friends are now whom we share our love and time with and that is what we are thankful for. Life is good!