Weekend Assignment: Holiday Traditions
Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Friday, December 5, 2008
Some holiday traditions continue from generation to generation, some fall by the wayside, and some new ones arise as we strike out on our own, form new families and adapt to changes in culture and technology. How traditional are your holiday traditions, compared to decades past?
The only tradition we have is a real tree. That one fell by the wayside last year due to a death in the family. We had a small artificial tree up, but that was it. If prices aren't too outrageous, I'll get another real tree this year. We usually wait until around the 15th. One tradition we don't like is decorating for Christmas as early as possible. I tend to get holiday overload.
I used to make cookies every Christmas, and perhaps that's something I'll do again this year. I have a Pfefferneuse recipe from my grandma on my dad's side. I never could get it right until she showed me how to make it. She came from the old school of cooking. "Add the ingredients until the dough feels like this." Once she taught me how the dough was supposed to feel, I was able to make the cookies.
Oh, yes: We do have one other tradition here at the Manor. We always do Catmas cards. And as per tradition, I haven't even started on them yet. They'll get done.
There was no extra credit, but I'm going to add a story of the most unusual tree we had: We always had a live tree when I was growing up. One year my parents decided to not do a tree. Generally, we went up to Kansas (where our family is from) every year, and the tree kind of languished while we were away. My sister was crushed. She was the youngest, and no one realized how much that tree still meant to her. I cleared a spot on the living room wall and put an outline of a tree up in lights and tacked decorations to the wall. My sister was happy, we had a place to put gifts, and there was no mountain of tree needles to sweep up after we came back home.
I'm off to Friday coffee, where we'll brainstorm card ideas!
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Karen Funk Blocher said:
Pfefferneuse! That's a longstanding one here. Except - I don't think I've had a non-store-boughten one in my entire life!
Date: 12/5/2008 10:40:20 AM
Date: 12/5/2008 10:40:20 AM
Karen Funk Blocher said:
Pfefferneuse! That's a longstanding one here. Except - I don't think I've had a non-store-boughten one in my entire life!
Date: 12/5/2008 10:40:20 AM
Date: 12/5/2008 10:40:20 AM
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