Well, hey there! Power outages, trips to Paris, grading frenzies…there’s a lot for me to share, but I’ll start with a Ten on Tuesday. This week, Carole asked for Holiday Traditions. This is a bit of a challenge; my family is so spread out that it is difficult to maintain traditions from childhood, but we’re not a family that is steeped in tradition anyhow. Traditions established in my last marriage have no place in this new life, and after celebrating eight holiday seasons together, I guess Neal and I have started to create our own. So, here it is, a mix of old and new:
1. The silver tinsel tree. My asthma prohibits me from having a real tree, and I’m of the mind that if I’m going to have something fake, let it be REALLY fake. I adore this tree.
2. Baking cookies. One of my best friends arrives from New York each year for a cookie-baking frenzy. We usually bake for about 8-10 hours. It is so fun to share the cookies with merchants and friends.
3. The Christmas boot. My family didn’t have Christmas stockings; we had ceramic Christmas boots made by my gram. I still use mine, though I now also put out a stocking made for me by my ex’s aunt.
4. Holiday movies. Nothing gets the spirit going like a good holiday movie. I’m not a fan of the more modern classic, you know, the one with a leg lamp? I go for the old-school classics like It’s a Wonderful Life.
5. Christmas cards. Each year I waffle on sending these. I learned a hard lesson the first year I was separated from my ex. My card list at the time hovered around 100. That year I did not send any out; I was too blue. I received only about 15 cards. So now my list is more limited, but I find I enjoy writing the cards more.
6. Butternut squash galette. Is it tradition if I’m the only one who cares? As a vegetarian, holiday meals can be a little bland, unless the sides are spectacular. I make this recipe every year for my holiday feasting. I don’t always have it for the holiday meal, proper, but it is my go-to festive dinner.
7. Submitting grades. This may seem unrelated unless you, too, are in academia. I like to submit my fall semester grades as quickly as possible, and that last “send” is the real signal to me that holiday festivities may commence in full.
8. Christmas Eve gift opening. My siblings and I were allowed to open ONE gift on Christmas Eve. I still love to do this. It helps with all that anticipation!
9. Christmas Night gift opening. I like to save some gifts until after our family dinner. Christmas Night sometimes feels like a let down. Neal and I are usually home alone, no little ones to enjoy, no one to play games with us, and saving a few gifts keeps the festive atmosphere going just a little longer.
10. New Year’s Hike. The holidays extend to the New Year, right? This is a tradition that I started participating in around 1991 or 1992 in New York. After I moved away, it sort of fell apart, and last year, I finally said “enough”. I missed the noon-time hike and picnic, and I re-established it in Connecticut. It is the very best way for me to start a new year.
How about you? What are some of your holiday traditions?
I enjoyed reading your list. You’ve reminded me of my childhood! My grandma used to have one of those silver trees. She also used this light machine that sat on the floor that had different colors on it. When it spun around, the tree would show up with the different colors.
I love the idea of a New Year’s hike…may have to institute that here. what a great way to start the new year – with fresh air and exercise.
Merry Christmas!
I love your list! The squash gallete: Amazing.
I miss you!!
Great list Bev! And the New Years hike – I am so going to do that – thank-you very much!
Did you see the black tinsel tree at Target? I am tempted to get it for Halloween next year. Nice list.
Oh, yum. Thanks for that butternut squash recipe… I may need to make a tradition out of that, myself! Great list. These are fun to read.
Great list! And the holidays do run til the end of the year…
I work in academia as well, but on the support side. Once my faculty submit grades (and I chase those down who turn them in late) I know *my* holiday has started! Students think it’s just themselves who need a break, but faculty and staff look forward to it just as much!
Love it! Thanks for sharing. I am looking forward to starting some new traditions with my new husband (first one being to actually spend a Christmas together!)
When I was a kid my mom always had a big gathering on Christmas night. No one else was doing everything and that meant everyone could come so it was awesome.
Seeing the lists of traditions takes me back to when I was a child. My mother made each of us (4 girls) a new flannel nightgown. We loved opening them Christmas Eve so we were well dressed for Christmas Morning pictures.
What a lovely list! We have always had the open-one-gift-on-Christmas-Eve thing, too. Really does take the edge off! Hope your grading is nearing the end for this semester, and you’ll soon be welcoming the holiday season with SEND!
Enjoy!
I loved reading this list! We open presents on Christmas Eve and then we get presents from Santa on Christmas morning – a tradition I’ve definitely continued with my daughter. We’re still working on establishing traditions as our own little family – but we always have the rest of our big family over on Christmas Eve and party it up with good food and gift-giving. I’m also a sucker for good Christmas movies – Miracle on 34th Street and Charlie Brown Christmas are favorites, plus I love to see the Nutcracker since the main character’s name is Clara, like me! 🙂
(welcome back, I’ve missed you here!) now that our children are grown, we find our “christmas day” begins MUCH later, and ends much later. we open stockings in the afternoon, after a leisurely morning with bagels and champagne and presents after. it’s nearly dark before we finish and it seems like the day lasts a good long time. think it’s cool you and Neal enjoy something similar at the beginning of your time together!