My family had what I can only assume was a standard tree decorating day somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas. My folks and the four of us kids would gather around and we’d pull our ironicly fake tree out of the box and color match the branches to the holes. We’d help dad unravel the lights and run them down the hall from the living room to the end where my parents bedroom was, one by one trying to find the broken lamps to replace. We each had our favorite ornaments mom would hand us to hang, and the last step was my brother Brian’s little electric train - complete with engine, coal car, freight car, passenger car and caboose - that would round the bottom of the tree.
On Christmas eve, we were allowed to pick one present from under the tree to open, and I’m sure my parents hoped; to silence us enough to sleep.
Christmas morning the first act of the day was to “find” baby Jesus (he stayed in one of moms decorative woven Indian baskets until then) and carry him to his manger while we sung happy birthday. The nativity set is brown and ceramic, with my parents initials etched with the date in the bottom of Mary, Joseph, and the manger. They made the set when they were first married, before children, before relocation to Alaska and before the electric train.
The tradition ended as my family dissolved somewhere older than five and younger than thirteen. The gap solidifies that I will never be asked to recount our family history at a reunion.
I still have some of the ornaments, but I’ve long since stopped putting up a tree, this year I got more festive than I have in years past and bought a rope of garland with lights built in. I wrapped it around my banana plant/tree and piled gifts around.
It’s the first year in many that the nativity isn’t out - it’s somewhere in the back of one of our storage units - and that I won’t be carriying baby Jesus to his manger…but I will sing and I will close my eyes tight to remember those years of innocence and to reflect on what the holiday was intended for.
I’m thankful for what’s left of my family and for the new family I’ve formed with The Mc and my friends. I’m thankful for my health, my home, and most of all I’m thankful for Gods grace.
Tomorrow we’ll go to a movie, maybe have a beverage at Limerick Junction (as we did last year and the year before with friends), dinner at Atkins Park or a trek for Chinese. There may be lime sherbert and Creme de Minthe to sip out of fancy glasses in the afternoon, like my dad used to make (looking to my siblings to tell me if we got the Creme de Minthe too…?) and a lot of lounging about in pajamas. Tonight I’m going to roll around in the darkness and take snaps of Christmas lights.
What are the traditions you’ve hung on to? What are the new ones you’ve created?
24 Dec 08
2:29 pm
As for me, I’ve held onto few family traditions. Being single and alone for 15 out of the past 16 Christmases I’ve had little reason to decorate or celebrate.
In the past few years a few other “orphan” friends have gathered at a house for what can best be described as Drinkmas. We eat, drink, watch YouTube videos, drink, eat, sing to YouTube videos, and drink some more. It’s far from a long tradition, but it’s the best one I have now.
24 Dec 08
4:09 pm
It was lime sherbet and 7-up, in those Santa mugs that were so worn, most of the faces were gone…sometimes the Creme de Menthe went on top of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Mom and Dad either had a blenderful of Grasshoppers (with Creme de Menthe) or Brandy Alexanders to cope with our noise, energy and the early hour.
Funny, I just sent a piece like this to the newspaper when the editor called to ask about “unusual Christmas traditions.”
Happy birthday, baby J!
24 Dec 08
5:11 pm
Wow… we were ‘green’ before ‘green’ was hip and cool - with our fake tree and all. Crazy to think we grew up with a fake tree… In Alaska! Love you, K*
24 Dec 08
10:46 pm
This was the first year that I started “taking ownership” of the traditions of my family, and I was very excited to do so. My family prepares an Italian “seven fish” dinner on Christmas Eve - Mussels, clams, white fish, caviar, shrimp… You get the idea
For the first time, my wife and I hosted Christmas in Atlanta for several members of her family, and I decided to add some elements of my 7 fish tradition. I made steamed mussels and calamari stuffed with crab… Sure, only 3 of 7 fish, but I had to start somewhere, right?
The food turned out delicious and I’m excited about continuing this tradition of my family in the years to come.
Happy holidays!
-MJT
25 Dec 08
1:32 am
I grew up “in the country” (maybe 30 miles outside of dowtown ATL) but no streetlights or anything. Our Christmas morning rules: you had to CLEARLY see the trees outside; you had to wake the other sibling up (usually we were already in one bedroom or another saying “can we see trees yet?”); and then wake up Momma before we started our “oohs and ahhs.”
Santa didn’t wrap presents - so it was a sensory overload trying to take in all the stuff at once. Santa still doesn’t wrap in our house either. Toys on right side of the tree were mine, left was Tommy, and middle was games and stuff for both of us. Same now - Alex on right, Jessie on left, together stuff in middle.
We never sang Happy B-day to Baby Jesus, but we always made an apple cake as his b-day cake and Santa had a slice of that with his coffee. My kids try to give Santa something different every year. One year it was bbq potato chips and coke! This year it’s Snickerdoodle cookies and eggnog.
I never get tired of seeing that picture of you and your daddy!
26 Dec 08
11:15 am
you could go down to the living room to get your stockings anytime (but only if there was light in the sky). my brother and i always went down together and snuck a quick glance at the christmas tree, where the gifts underneath had amazingly multiplied at least tenfold it seemed, and then grabbed our stockings and ran back upstairs to open them - we alternated who’s bed we would sit on to do this, from year to year. i’m sure my parents lay in their beds, listening to us ooh and aah and giggle and groan about the silly things (like underwear and toothpaste) that santa thought we needed. then we would go down and get mom and dad’s stockings (and sometimes nooga nana - she lived in chattanooga) and climb into their big bed, and help them open theirs.
then we would all go downstairs where coffee would be made and the real present opening would ensue.
my favorite part has always been the stocking though - if i were all alone on christmas, i think i’d still stuff my own and open it in the morning.
as it is, this year i stuffed mom’s and the dogs. and we had a great time oohing and aahing and giggling and groaning all over again.
01 Jan 09
4:40 pm
what an awesome post, Maigh.
In answer to your question, I don’t think I’ve held on to any tradition….my family didn’t do anything besides the norm.
That being said though, we have started our own traditions now that we have the kids. We always put up our fake tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We let the kids open one present on Christmas Eve (which happen to be new “santa” pajamas - always). A family friend gave the kids a really nice christmas plate that we unpack every year and fill with cookies and hershey kisses for Santa. And Santa always leaves a letter…thanking the kids for the snack. It’s not much. But hopefully, one day, the kids will reflect with such love as you do….
01 Jan 09
4:40 pm
oh, and Happy 2009 to you & The Mc
01 Jan 09
10:22 pm
@Paulie - I feel ya, and I LOVE the idea of drinkmas!
@Jennifer - thank you! I’m so happy I have you to help me piece things together.
@kevin - HA! We were! Green year round in a box in the garage…
@MJT - sounds nomilous. congrats on grabbing the baton and not poisoning any of your guests!
@bear - ha! santa eventually stopped wrapping ours too…hmmm. I liked it that way.
@kayron - I like the stocking idea! next year, I’m at least going to do that. Help me remember!
@tab - I really like the note back from Santa…that’s awesome. HNY to you too!