Local Christmas traditions

[sgtmom52]

Does your town have any special Christmas Traditions?

In York, Pa, the town where I worked for 38 years, a factory "New York Wire Cloth" plays Christmas Carols every year at midnight on Christmas Eve on a factory steam whistle. This has been going on each Christmas Eve since 1925. The whistle can be heard for many miles and is amazing to hear live.

The concert is now in danger of being discontinued as the boiler that fuels the steam whistle is no longer functioning. The company brought in a portable boiler from across the state, in 2010 just for this concert, but is uncertain if they will be able to continue to do so each year.

This video footage is very old but the sounds is still the same.

Steam Whistle Concert

God Bless America

 

[michickenwrangler]

We're Polish so we do the Polish-American thing: kielbasa (2 kinds), ham, pierogi (4 kinds), rye bread, horseradish cheese, cream herring, pickled herring, kiszka, chrusciki, lots of potent potables, nary a vegetable to be seen!

It's also that magical time of year when the stores run out of kiszka.

Gotta love living in a state with a lot of Poles!

Our main celebration is on Christmas Eve.

 

[Spookwriter]

It's called the Candle Lighting Ceremony.

The cementery where my wifes parents are buried is pretty big.
On a hillside not far from her brothers home. It's a yearly event to
light candles on every grave. Something that has gone on as long
as I can remember.

We light these candles just before dark and they burn for hours.

To me, it's a beautiful sight as so many honor their loved ones at
this time. Some graves, perhaps a childs, there will be a gaily wrapped
gift laid.

Just something we do.

This Thursday, December 15 will mark 44 years ago that the Silver Bridge
fell here. 5:04 in the evening. 46 lives lost.

Most of those graves are in two lines in the town cementery. Seems forever
and only yesterday. So yes. There will be a public service this Thursday in
their memory.

I consider both of these services as a real honor to attend.

Spook



***For safety, each candle is placed in it's own white lunch-bag weighted with
sand. Help it to stay stable, lit and visible from a distance.

 

[Glenmar]

Quote:
Silver bridge. I was just up there buying a dog near Lecta Ohio.

 

[Spookwriter]

Lecta...You were right close to the house.

 

[Glenmar]

Quote:

My family is from Cleveland, and I have some family in Southern Ohio/ West Va too.

 

[desertdarlene]

In San Diego, there is the Parade of Lights, which is a parade of boats in the bay all lit up. We also have a big Christmas light and display show at the fairgrounds where you drive through and look. There are several streets with major displays where they have to control traffic. Also, many people celebrate Las Posadas which starts on the 16th and reenacts the travels of Mary and Joseph trying to find a place to stay before the birth of Jesus.

 

[WriterofWords]

We have luminaries lighting the road, each family will that takes part fills paper bags with dirt, puts a tea candle in it in it and lights them up and we line the road.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
OOh Chrusciki... hubby LOVES them..
Sadly his Babci is getting too old to make them anymore for him...

 

[Rosaleen]

On Christmas eve, the local churches (all different faiths are on a main street in one section of town. All these churches have coordinated coordinated the start of their Christmas Eve services at the same time. A litle less than a quarter mile down the road, most of the church goers meet at a little park. Then with lit candles and paper bag luminaries along the road everyone walks together to church. As we stop at the first church, everyone starts singing a Christmas carol as the first group enters their church. Then the procession continues one more block to. the next church. And the chorus begins again....continuing for the remaining three churches. It's wonderful to see such a wonderful gathering of friends and neighbors. One year we had a light snowfall as we walked along .... Seemed to sugar-coat the occasion.