Traditions are funny things. Some are wonderful and should be kept. Others not so much and some get tweaked as we change and grow. I got to thinking about what Christmas traditions I have kept from my childhood and the new ones that I have introduced once I had a family of my own.
Living in Australia means we celebrate Christmas in summer and its usually stinking hot. My mother, never the most enthusiastic cook or
When I lived in Wisconsin, I visited Chicago at Christmas time. I was like a child in a magical kingdom as I gazed up at the skyscrapers, the lights, the glorious decorations, the golden trumpets outside Marshall Fields and there and then I decided that no matter where we lived, we were going to spend a weekend in a big city on a weekend before Christmas. Back in Australia, we take our boys to Melbourne. We visit Santa, we line up to see the animated Christmas windows at Myer…the Marshall Fields of Melbourne and we walk through all the Victorian arcades and ooh and ahh at the beautiful decorations.
The boys are now 17 and 13 and a bit big for Santa but they love their ‘big city’ weekend. This year we are going to Sydney.
Other traditions I have are turning up the Christmas music full blast when I bake, asking everyone in the house to stir the Christmas cake, wrapping up presents while watching, “While You Were Sleeping”, “The Holiday” and “Love Actually“.
Marc watched Matilda threading popcorn. “So we’ve cut you down your tree. What’s next on your childhood Christmas fantasy list?”
“What did you do as a kid?”
He searched his memories. “Dad had an old sleigh that he’d harness up if the weather was fine and on Christmas Eve we’d take the sugar cookies and gingerbread men Mom had made us bake and decorate, and give them to the neighbors.”
Her eyes lit up. “That sounds wonderful.”
“It was usually freezing cold.”
She poked him in the ribs. “Yeah but you loved it anyway.”
He captured her fingers with his hand and didn’t argue. He’d always enjoyed putting the snowbell harness on the horses and riding next to his father.
She pulled away and draped her popcorn garland over the tree before lying down beside him, her belly resting on the floor and her eyes gazing at the orange-red-and-blue flames.
“I like to imagine this old house was filled with family traditions like baking and Friday-night quiz night.”
He caught the dreamy look in her eyes, the one that always made his gut clench. “Life isn’t all happy families, Matilda.”
Good traditions anchor us in a positive way. They give us security, they give meaning and hope to our lives, but hanging onto them beyond their use by date isn’t helpful. In a few years, when my boys have left home, I think we will be faced with retweaking the traditions again but one thing that will never change is the plum pudding and the cake. I think there would be a riot if we messed with that!
What traditions in your family do you love?
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