Christmas Nostalgia

Our challenge this week is all about..

Christmas nostalgia!
Let's share this week the traditions and routines you have in your family.
Are they carried on from your parents or have you started them since you were married or had children?  Is there anything you do which you really wish you could change!
A few prompts for the week if you don't know where to begin:

•  Decorations & trees
•  Shopping!!
•  Food and cooking
•  Songs and carols.. best and worst!
•  Children's nativities and school events
•  Present stories.. best and worst?!

Our family has always celebrated the holiday on Christmas Day, December 25. We would go to bed at night all excited and anxious to see what Santa Claus had brought us. The gifts from the jolly man in the red suit were not wrapped but displayed under and around the Christmas tree. Only presents you knew were from your family got wrapped up in the pretty paper. My parents never had a lot of money so we would be filled with joy if we got the "one big" present we wanted the most. Sometimes that happened, sometimes it didn't (like the year I wanted a horse), but we were always thankful for anything we did get. I never did get that horse though! LOL

It wasn't until after I married for the first time that I learned that not everyone celebrated Christmas like we did. My in-laws had their large celebration and dinner on Christmas Eve. Santa still came for the kiddies the next morning, but the majority of the celebration took place that night. My former father-in-law was an "old fashioned, missionary Baptist minister (aka a 'hellfire and brimstone' type preacher) and for the most part they spent Christmas Day at the church praying and celebrating the birth of Christ.

This schedule worked out well for us because we could spend Christmas Eve with them and Christmas Day with my family. We still stick to this plan as my kids go to their Dads for Christmas Eve and spend Christmas Day with my family. We have "Santa Claus", then breakfast. While the children are playing with their new goodies, the adults get busy starting on the big dinner we will have. When we get to a point where we can stop, we exchange our gifts. What we have for dinner varies. Sometimes it is ham with all of the fixins' or like this year, we will have Boliche (a Cuban roast of beef stuffed with Chorizo and ham) along with the fixins' which sometimes are traditional and sometimes more Cuban.

When my daughter was young I used to take her to see the Nutcracker every Christmas. She was fascinated with the story and the way it was told via ballet. I enjoyed it as well and it was a nice mother/daughter bonding time. After we moved to Orlando I learned of a 'black box' theatre that puts on A Christmas Carol every year. This became our new tradition which included having a nice lunch before heading to the play. Over the years we added other family members and husbands. Unfortunately since the passing of my mom, illnesses around the holidays and the grandbabies, no one seems to have time to go anymore. Last Christmas was the first one I have had in several years where I wasn't flat on my back sick with something. I am hoping that was the start of a new tradition for me. LOL!

As we grow older and change, and our children and grandchildren grow older and change, I am sure there will be new traditions every few years. I am always reminded of "Fiddler on the Roof" and the song Topol sings about 'traditions' and how we do have to change with the times and situations we find ourselves in. We most likely will be spending our Christmas next year in Belize!

If I can, I will go around our neighborhood and take some pictures of the Christmas lights and post them tomorrow or Saturday. All of my family pictures are packed away and I cannot get to them. BTW, I have three favorite carols. They are Ave Maria, Little Drummer Boy, and Oh Holy Night. Here is Little Drummer Boy by the group Pentatonix. They sing all of their songs a capella and are amazing.

I think the worst song I have ever heard is Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer. I cringe every time I hear it!

I wish every one a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  xxxxxxxx