Holiday Traditions

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Those are beautiful traditions, Iris! I like that sort of blending of Christian and old world traditions (All Saints Day, and visiting the departed). A lot of people sort of villainize American Halloween traditions, but I honestly cannot imagine childhood without one day of the year where you can dress up as whatever you want, and get a bunch of free candy It's delicious fun for a little kid!!

Pics, MWY!! We will want pics of the food in the What's Cooking thread please

 

[KoPilot]

I have a few traditions... Halloween through Dia de Muertos is all one long celebration for me, each day with it's own symbols and rituals. The altar usually goes up the week before Halloween, and I've started baking pan de muerte on the 1st; a white candle gets put in the windowsill to burn all night too. When I move up to Canada and start having two Thanksgivings to contend with, S and I decided that the first one will serve as a 'dumb supper' (A neopagan tradition where one setting is set aside for the dead, and the entire meal is eaten in silence. Oh, and the courses are served backwards, so dessert first and appetizers last!) The USian Thanksgiving date will be much more of a late harvest feast utilizing purely local (or what we've grown ourselves) and seasonal foods.

Christmas doesn't have many traditions that we've kept since my childhood and teenage years since a lot of the family wound up moving about an hour away, but the one thing we DO happen to do every year is prepare a big pot of red pozole for breakfast on xmas morning and serve it with Bailey's and coffee. Oh, and tuning into the TBS marathon of A Christmas Story.

Oh right, I usually have two parties to go to too: one for family in a rented hall (because no one's house will fit all of us), complete with one of the cousins dressing up as Santa to hand presents out to the kids, and one with my old crew of friends the next county over, complete with secret santa gift exchange.

I'd like to do more seasonally-inspired rituals for xmas and the solstice and things, but I've just never found myself in a climate that gets really cold for those days. A number of pagans I know take part in Up All Night, in which they stay up all night on the solstice to see the sun rise, but I can barely stay up to watch the ball drop on NYE, so screw that lol.

 

[IrisAlthea]

Those are beautiful traditions, Iris! I like that sort of blending of Christian and old world traditions (All Saints Day, and visiting the departed). A lot of people sort of villainize American Halloween traditions, but I honestly cannot imagine childhood without one day of the year where you can dress up as whatever you want, and get a bunch of free candy It's delicious fun for a little kid!!

Pics, MWY!! We will want pics of the food in the What's Cooking thread please

We do blend a lot.
My parents come from different countries, so they took part of their families teaditions and made their own mix.
We have made the same with traditions from our childhood, looking at each one and deciding if it works for us in our mix.

 

[MeekMe]

Hooray bonfire! I'm a total fire bug... I love this tradition! And that you don't have to work the day after And Maxwell!! How the heck did you come up with a moose for your tree?! but I like it I will have to look up zeppola... And yes, of course, the traditional New Year's kiss...

It was our first year in our new place and we got a tree and some cheap decorations. We didn't want to spring for anything fancy, and we happened to have a stuffed moose toy. I think the hammer came from a daruma otoshi game. We gave him the hammer, named him Maxwell and tied him to the tree. It's tradition now.

 

[seela]

Those are beautiful traditions, Iris! I like that sort of blending of Christian and old world traditions (All Saints Day, and visiting the departed). A lot of people sort of villainize American Halloween traditions, but I honestly cannot imagine childhood without one day of the year where you can dress up as whatever you want, and get a bunch of free candy It's delicious fun for a little kid!!

Pics, MWY!! We will want pics of the food in the What's Cooking thread please

Here kids traditionally dress up and get a bunch of free candy at Easter. Another dress-up time for kids is the April 30th, no candy collecting involved though.

 

[BonBon1976]

I remember two traditions growing up...

One was my father and I going to the mall to pick out a present for a girl and a boy and taking it to the Santa's anonymous drop off. This was always a special day for me and my dad and I cherish those memories.

Two was from my young adult holidays. I used to run some stores that had a number of employees without families to spend holidays with. Each holiday (not just Christmas) we made our home a destination and had usually around 20 people over from around the world. It was always fun! I remember one year a couple young men from Australia were amazed at my light golden coloured gravy with the turkey. They were sure all gravy should be brown LOL.

BB

 

[midwestyankee]

<snip>

Pics, MWY!! We will want pics of the food in the What's Cooking thread please

They would be quite unappealing, I assure you. The one dish is all brown and the other is mostly gray. Why curse everyone's appetites with pics like that?

 

[BiBunny]

I don't think we really have that many traditions, TBH. There's turkey for Thanksgiving, obviously, and ham for Christmas because, ugh, turkey twice in a month? No, thank you.

My birthday nearly always falls during the week of Thanksgiving (or the Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday immediately after). It was actually on Thanksgiving last year (and will be on Black Friday this year--hooray ).

Everybody always wants my mother's red velvet cake for Thanksgiving and Christmas both because it is amazing, so I guess that counts as "tradition."

Oh, and we always start decorating for Christmas either on Thanksgiving (after the food, obviously) or the day after. It usually takes two or three days because my mother is insane. That's why I end up stuck at my parents' house for nearly a week every Thanksgiving.

That's...pretty much all I can think of. We're not the most exciting bunch that ever was.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

I have a few traditions... Halloween through Dia de Muertos is all one long celebration for me, each day with it's own symbols and rituals. The altar usually goes up the week before Halloween, and I've started baking pan de muerte on the 1st; a white candle gets put in the windowsill to burn all night too. When I move up to Canada and start having two Thanksgivings to contend with, S and I decided that the first one will serve as a 'dumb supper' (A neopagan tradition where one setting is set aside for the dead, and the entire meal is eaten in silence. Oh, and the courses are served backwards, so dessert first and appetizers last!) The USian Thanksgiving date will be much more of a late harvest feast utilizing purely local (or what we've grown ourselves) and seasonal foods.

Christmas doesn't have many traditions that we've kept since my childhood and teenage years since a lot of the family wound up moving about an hour away, but the one thing we DO happen to do every year is prepare a big pot of red pozole for breakfast on xmas morning and serve it with Bailey's and coffee. Oh, and tuning into the TBS marathon of A Christmas Story.

Oh right, I usually have two parties to go to too: one for family in a rented hall (because no one's house will fit all of us), complete with one of the cousins dressing up as Santa to hand presents out to the kids, and one with my old crew of friends the next county over, complete with secret santa gift exchange.

I'd like to do more seasonally-inspired rituals for xmas and the solstice and things, but I've just never found myself in a climate that gets really cold for those days. A number of pagans I know take part in Up All Night, in which they stay up all night on the solstice to see the sun rise, but I can barely stay up to watch the ball drop on NYE, so screw that lol.

Ok, I will definitely have to read up on some of this. I LOVE the idea of a dumb supper! I'm the type that would pretend some this or that passed relative was saying something ridiculous, or that Rodney Dangerfield came by or something. You know, like he got the wrong house and then just decided to stay because the food smelled so good Not to make light of your beliefs at all, certainly not meaning to be irreverent, I'm just saying that this is something I could totally embrace and enjoy!! And the reason I started this thread. Oh crap. I obviously skipped right over the part where I'm not supposed to talk... *sigh* I might just have to create my own tradition for this one... I would actually love to burn the candle as well, but with two kitties in the house I'm not sure how I could do that safely.

I actually do two Thanksgiving myself, because one is just not enough in the year I do a full Thanksgiving dinner each July. Traditional Thanksgiving dinner for me is turkey, sage cornbread dressing, green been casserole, a sweet potato dish, cranberry jelly, gravy, pecan pie, and a Champaign toast to kick it all off. And yes, they look at me very strangely at the market when I buy all the obvious ingredients for a Thanksgiving dinner in July...

For the equinoxes and solstices I participate in Kundalini yoga Sadhana. I actually do that monthly, but the equinox and solstice celebrations are special...

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

I remember two traditions growing up...

One was my father and I going to the mall to pick out a present for a girl and a boy and taking it to the Santa's anonymous drop off. This was always a special day for me and my dad and I cherish those memories.

Two was from my young adult holidays. I used to run some stores that had a number of employees without families to spend holidays with. Each holiday (not just Christmas) we made our home a destination and had usually around 20 people over from around the world. It was always fun! I remember one year a couple young men from Australia were amazed at my light golden coloured gravy with the turkey. They were sure all gravy should be brown LOL.

BB

I have done the anonymous gift thing a few different ways... I love it! One was volunteer work, and I would wrap the presents that were donated. That was fun. Another year I bought the presents, was given the info "girl, age 12". I was supposed to spend $30 and I think I ended up spending like twice that, but I was having so much fun shopping for a little girl that I just couldn't help myself

And I agree, it's always rewarding for strays to be included in the holiday celebrations when they are displaced! There is something special about it, and I have been on both sides of that fence

 

[FurryFury]

When we were first married we had to run from house to house, family to family and all of the dysfunction that implied. I longed for the day when all that was cut back a little.

Some years ago I cut gift giving down to mostly immediate family due to financial constraints in society at that time. I think our extended family and friends were relieved someone said it and let them off the hook too.

As a child I used to sell x'mas cards and stationary everywhere we moved. My father enjoyed x'mas cards as did my grandfather who was so into x'mas he once put up three trees at his house.

With the loss of my father and grandfather I stopped sending x'mas cards altogether. Only now, two decades later, am I starting to do so again and enjoy it. My card list, it's worth noting, is considerable reduced.

The stress of the holidays also lead me to cut back on many things we normally would do. So here are the things I kept.

Thanksgiving at our house. We are now in a position that we don't have to run everywhere. It's bittersweet but sweet nonetheless. Those few left can join us or not as they wish. We have a good meal and family time regardless. The holiday is not stressful.

That weekend we get our tree up because it's usually the only time the four of us are off work and can do so together.

During the holidays we do a low key cookie baking for fun and yums.

We always take a holiday lights tour at some point during the holiday.

X'mas morning those same few left are invited to our house. We lay out a buffet which no one touches much (other than the four of us) and enjoy the day.

That evening we go to my husband's uncle's house. This is where I get to see kids. Those beautiful kids are to me what the holiday is all about. Someday I hope it will be MY grand kids that I'll be seeing.

When the kids were little and the tiny house we live in was leaky (but I couldn't afford to fix it and when I did it didn't get fixed, LOL) and the plaster cracking, I used to put the kids pictures from school for each holiday all over the walls that were safe for pictures. It was homey.

I love the holidays but mostly I love that they no longer stress me out.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

I don't think we really have that many traditions, TBH. There's turkey for Thanksgiving, obviously, and ham for Christmas because, ugh, turkey twice in a month? No, thank you.

My birthday nearly always falls during the week of Thanksgiving (or the Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday immediately after). It was actually on Thanksgiving last year (and will be on Black Friday this year--hooray ).

Everybody always wants my mother's red velvet cake for Thanksgiving and Christmas both because it is amazing, so I guess that counts as "tradition."

Oh, and we always start decorating for Christmas either on Thanksgiving (after the food, obviously) or the day after. It usually takes two or three days because my mother is insane. That's why I end up stuck at my parents' house for nearly a week every Thanksgiving.

That's...pretty much all I can think of. We're not the most exciting bunch that ever was.

I always feel that people whose birthdays are that close to a holiday get rather cheated. I have a friend whose birthday is December 27th I started a tradition just for her, I celebrate a half birthday for her June 27th. Party, cake, presents, everything. Makes it special for her. She said she finally likes her birthday! Or, half birthday at least

Wow, two or three days to decorate impressive?!!

 

[midwestyankee]

I always feel that people whose birthdays are that close to a holiday get rather cheated. I have a friend whose birthday is December 27th I started a tradition just for her, I celebrate a half birthday for her June 27th. Party, cake, presents, everything. Makes it special for her. She said she finally likes her birthday! Or, half birthday at least

Wow, two or three days to decorate impressive?!!

FWIW, a woman who used to post here a number of years ago puts up a Christmas tree in every room in her house.Each one is decorated differently, too.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

FWIW, a woman who used to post here a number of years ago puts up a Christmas tree in every room in her house.Each one is decorated differently, too.

Now, there's a serious tradition!
Or problem

 

[Cumference]

Okay, well this is odd, but you did ask....

......

Oddly, Halloween is still my favorite holiday. Go figure.

Odd, yes.

But it is hard for me to imagine any traditions in my family that could beat those!

 

[BiBunny]

I always feel that people whose birthdays are that close to a holiday get rather cheated. I have a friend whose birthday is December 27th I started a tradition just for her, I celebrate a half birthday for her June 27th. Party, cake, presents, everything. Makes it special for her. She said she finally likes her birthday! Or, half birthday at least

Wow, two or three days to decorate impressive?!!

I bitch about mine, but my mother has it worse than me. Hers is *on* Christmas Day.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

When we were first married we had to run from house to house, family to family and all of the dysfunction that implied. I longed for the day when all that was cut back a little.

Some years ago I cut gift giving down to mostly immediate family due to financial constraints in society at that time. I think our extended family and friends were relieved someone said it and let them off the hook too.

As a child I used to sell x'mas cards and stationary everywhere we moved. My father enjoyed x'mas cards as did my grandfather who was so into x'mas he once put up three trees at his house.

With the loss of my father and grandfather I stopped sending x'mas cards altogether. Only now, two decades later, am I starting to do so again and enjoy it. My card list, it's worth noting, is considerable reduced.

The stress of the holidays also lead me to cut back on many things we normally would do. So here are the things I kept.

Thanksgiving at our house. We are now in a position that we don't have to run everywhere. It's bittersweet but sweet nonetheless. Those few left can join us or not as they wish. We have a good meal and family time regardless. The holiday is not stressful.

That weekend we get our tree up because it's usually the only time the four of us are off work and can do so together.

During the holidays we do a low key cookie baking for fun and yums.

We always take a holiday lights tour at some point during the holiday.

X'mas morning those same few left are invited to our house. We lay out a buffet which no one touches much (other than the four of us) and enjoy the day.

That evening we go to my husband's uncle's house. This is where I get to see kids. Those beautiful kids are to me what the holiday is all about. Someday I hope it will be MY grand kids that I'll be seeing.

When the kids were little and the tiny house we live in was leaky (but I couldn't afford to fix it and when I did it didn't get fixed, LOL) and the plaster cracking, I used to put the kids pictures from school for each holiday all over the walls that were safe for pictures. It was homey.

I love the holidays but mostly I love that they no longer stress me out.

No stress is an awesome holiday tradition!! Love that you scaled everything back and pared it down. Best one yet
I love your cookie baking tradition too. I bake them when the mood strikes, but having a tradition to do it has to feel better.. And taste better

 

[IrisAlthea]

I used to feel stressed out about Christmas to a point where I didn't enjoy it much at all actually.
I think it was because the traditions I had from home were very different from those of my husbands family. His mother and sister are total Christmas freaks and I was very young and felt overwhelmed by it all.
Once when I complained a bit about this to a friend of mine, he pointed out that it is optional to be a part of the whole thing and I felt like an idiot for not seeing that myself.

We have gotten rid of the giftgiving, except for the kids and presents from us as a family for those few and close who give the kids gifts.
Before Christmas, the kids sort out toys, books and clothes they don't want anymore and donate them to a charity.

We also stopped running around to visit everyone on Christmas Eve. People are invited to join us though, if they want to. Instead we have spread out the social holiday stuff during the end of november and december.

These days I mostly enjoy this time of year.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

I used to feel stressed out about Christmas to a point where I didn't enjoy it much at all actually.
I think it was because the traditions I had from home were very different from those of my husbands family. His mother and sister are total Christmas freaks and I was very young and felt overwhelmed by it all.
Once when I complained a bit about this to a friend of mine, he pointed out that it is optional to be a part of the whole thing and I felt like an idiot for not seeing that myself.

We have gotten rid of the giftgiving, except for the kids and presents from us as a family for those few and close who give the kids gifts.
Before Christmas, the kids sort out toys, books and clothes they don't want anymore and donate them to a charity.

We also stopped running around to visit everyone on Christmas Eve. People are invited to join us though, if they want to. Instead we have spread out the social holiday stuff during the end of november and december.

These days I mostly enjoy this time of year.

Very nice! More of less stress. We can all is more of less stress
I really like your tradition of going through possessions and giving to charity at this time of year, too. I need to take that one up myself!

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

And I keep forgetting to say, but...

KoPilot! I want your pozole recipe please!

 

[KoPilot]

Ok, I will definitely have to read up on some of this. I LOVE the idea of a dumb supper! I'm the type that would pretend some this or that passed relative was saying something ridiculous, or that Rodney Dangerfield came by or something. You know, like he got the wrong house and then just decided to stay because the food smelled so good Not to make light of your beliefs at all, certainly not meaning to be irreverent, I'm just saying that this is something I could totally embrace and enjoy!! And the reason I started this thread. Oh crap. I obviously skipped right over the part where I'm not supposed to talk... *sigh* I might just have to create my own tradition for this one... I would actually love to burn the candle as well, but with two kitties in the house I'm not sure how I could do that safely.

I actually do two Thanksgiving myself, because one is just not enough in the year I do a full Thanksgiving dinner each July. Traditional Thanksgiving dinner for me is turkey, sage cornbread dressing, green been casserole, a sweet potato dish, cranberry jelly, gravy, pecan pie, and a Champaign toast to kick it all off. And yes, they look at me very strangely at the market when I buy all the obvious ingredients for a Thanksgiving dinner in July...

For the equinoxes and solstices I participate in Kundalini yoga Sadhana. I actually do that monthly, but the equinox and solstice celebrations are special...

I'm -pretty sure- the dumb supper originated from the spiritualism movement, so bastardize away.

Maybe turn it into a game-- every time you want to say something, you have to do a shot afterward! Though that could go both ways as far as encouraging/discouraging talking, really hehe.

As far as the candle goes, I do jar candles, so they're pretty darn safe, and I have cats too. Though none of them are overtly curious and troublesome and know to more or less avoid fire.

And thanksgiving in july? Brilliant.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

I'm -pretty sure- the dumb supper originated from the spiritualism movement, so bastardize away.

Maybe turn it into a game-- every time you want to say something, you have to do a shot afterward! Though that could go both ways as far as encouraging/discouraging talking, really hehe.

As far as the candle goes, I do jar candles, so they're pretty darn safe, and I have cats too. Though none of them are overtly curious and troublesome and know to more or less avoid fire.

And thanksgiving in july? Brilliant.

Ooooohhh... I like the shots idea. I could turn it into idiots supper with a bottle of rum
I honestly think one of my kitties is autistic.. so I would probably just have to keep her out of the room. Jar candle is good advice though.
And I still want your pozole recipe please!

 

[FurryFury]

Sometimes the cookies are homemade and sometimes they are those refrigerated dough ones. We are all easy like that.

BUT I MUST get some white fudge covered oreos during the holiday.

Also for x'mas morning I make some cinnamon rolls and get some donuts.
There are always kumquats and pomegranate seeds and homemade chex mix among many other items. Sour, sweet, savory all together.

No stress is an awesome holiday tradition!! Love that you scaled everything back and pared it down. Best one yet
I love your cookie baking tradition too. I bake them when the mood strikes, but having a tradition to do it has to feel better.. And taste better

 

[herMaster1111]

Just thought of another tradition. Thanksgiving day after the meal was over, we would watch a Christmas movie or listen to Christmas music in the background. And black Friday we would put up the tree.

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

Sometimes the cookies are homemade and sometimes they are those refrigerated dough ones. We are all easy like that.

BUT I MUST get some white fudge covered oreos during the holiday.

Also for x'mas morning I make some cinnamon rolls and get some donuts.
There are always kumquats and pomegranate seeds and homemade chex mix among many other items. Sour, sweet, savory all together.

Ok, I'm normally not big on decadent sweets, but white fudge covered Oreos are tempting me