Holiday Traditions~Do U Have Any?

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mom'sfolly :

Yum, Byerly's Wild Rice Soup.

Yes, it's the best. But my mom didn't much appreciate it when I used to call it Maggot Soup. That's what the curled up, popped wild rice looked like to me...​
 
Growing up with my Dad in the AF, we were usually not with extended family but I was the 7th of 7 so just our immediate family was 9! It was tradition in my Dad's family to do the following on Christmas Eve.

We would use crackers and sometimes large hosts sent to us by my dad's sister ( she got them from her church I think) and it would start with my dad going to my mom first, she would break off a piece of the cracker , eat it and he would wish her things for the coming year for example : good health, lots of time to yourself, kids that behave
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, time and money for her hobbies, etc. Then he would go to the next oldest which was my sister. He would wish her things that were special to her. He would go through all of the kids, then it was my Mom's turn to wish things for us. We would go through the whole family that way. Of course as we got older the wishes would change to things like , " I hope you get accepted to such and such college" or " I wish you a happy healthy baby ( pregnancies) ... whatever was happening at the time for that person. Sometimes it gets very heart wrenching depending on what that person has going on in their life. It is nice though because you have the chance to really connect with that person and let them know how you feel which in our busy lifes doesnt happen as much as it should. As much as we all dreaded it when we were young because it was before dinner, took a long time and we usually did some presents after so we were anxious to get it done, it is a really cool part of our holiday.
Now that we all have our own families, some of us do it if we happen to be together on Christmas Eve, or some do it just within their family but it's something most of us continue. It is a Polish tradition, I'm sure it has a name but I don't know what that is.

The other tradition me and my Mom have is that on Christmas Day we look over the sale ads in the paper and plan our attack for the next day. Dec 26th is my favorite shopping day.... the professional shoppers are out there swooping up the deals. I never shop the day after Thanksgiving.. too many wannabe's, it's a nightmare.
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When I saw this thread the one beneath it was about migraines.

Coincidence? Probably not!

HA HA HA! Too true!

chocolate covered cherries! YAY!
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Thanksgiving morning my youngest brother and I go deer hunting.
Christmas eve morning.....I go deer hunting.
The day after Christmas...I go deer hunting.
New Years Day....that morning, I go deer hunting, that evening I go to my mothers because it is her birthday.
 
Hi all! We have Thanksgiving earlier than you down south chickens - I have my kids- two grown men, one daughter-in-law and three grandchildren plus my two step-children, 13, 15 and sometimes my mother-in-law or my sister or my partner's sister and always a few others. I love Thanksgiving - we have a great big old dinner and the only rule is that when all the food is on the table we all hold hands around it for a moment and I say a few words of gratitude.

Halloween - I get dressed like a witch and decorate the front in jack-o-lanterns and candles and my skull named Henry and freak out the neighbours' kids...

Children's Day (I'm a Buddhist) usually falls on my birthday (Dec. 21) so I "make" all my family go to the Buddhist church where everyone gets to put a lit candle on the shrine and there is a performance telling about the King and Queen of Shambhala with lots of kids and adults dressed like animals and royalty and it is VERY fun. All the kids brings a small wrapped gift that goes to charity on behalf of the church.

For the Christian and Druid elements of our family we put up a tree and decorate it and I make a wondrous dolly shrine with a few hundred dolls I've collected since I was a child.

This year we are only getting gifts for the kids and grandkids - no adults and we aren't accepting any either UNLESS it is a perishable like tutti fruiti or other goodies! I am REALLY excited that after years of swearing to do this we are really doing it! Yay! I don't need one more thingy! For my birthday my sweetie is inclined to give me experiences (painting lessons etc.) and that is what I like.

I share the upkeep on a young girl in Nepal with my gal pals and I usually pick one more charity and send dough to it in my Dad and step-moms name. We all like that. Last year I bought a goat for a family. That was great to imagine.

So the main thing is feeling gratitude and eating well and locally as possible!

Happy Holiday planning to all you chicken folks! Here are a couple of dolly shrine pics (only a few of the gang):
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My parents always gave my siblings and I a set of pajamas on Christmas Eve. I have continued this tradition with my kids.... and they actually look forward to it!

I also give a candle to my mother and Grandmother on Christmas Eve.

Also, on New Years Eve, the kids and I play the game LIFE. Well, one moved out, so it will be just Celeste and I playing it.
 
Thanks Susan. It seems like its hitting harder now than it did all this year. Holidays and all I guess.
 

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