Tradition, as defined in my iPhone dictionary app, is a specific practice of long-standing and/or an inherited pattern of thought or action. Basically traditions are those rituals we perform over and over, through the years and pass down to our kids. We may tweak what our parents did or start new ones. Traditions are like mac and cheese, comfort food for our souls. They make us feel safe and secure. We know what will happen next. The traditions with which I was raised and even those I started fresh with my family make me feel like I am wrapped in a Boston Red Sox Snuggie while lying on the couch watching Jaws for the umpteenth time.
I asked various friends and family to share their favorite traditions with me.
Gigi from Atlanta, GA emailed and said,” What comes to mind for me is that my mom passed on her recipes to me and now I make and share them with my kids. Holidays were very special at my house and now my kids love the same foods and traditions. In so many ways I feel like my parents are with us celebrating.”
Natalie from Wakefield, MA responded to my Facebook request, “Here’s something I remember well…..my sister never helped clear the table on any holiday….NEVER .” (If you haven’t guessed, Nat is my sister.)
Camille from Peabody, MA, also via FB, tells us about her father’s nuts, “My favorite tradition is my father roasting his nuts every Thanksgiving. We get the biggest laugh when we have to call him to check his nuts. By the way, he’s 95 .”
Christine from Santa Fe, TN writes in on FB about her Italian Christmas Eve: “One of my favorite memories involved our traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner, known as The Feast of Seven Fishes. We always had family and friends around to share the food, love, and joy of being together. A family friend we called Uncle Walter, always told the same stories every year. We humored him every year as if it were the first time we had heard each one. One year, my brother Ross and I were standing at the kitchen sink clearing things for the next course while Uncle Walter started one of his repeats. We both, simultaneously were able to mouth the exact words he was saying. We could not stop laughing at the fact that we had both managed to memorize his story. For the rest of the evening, it became a private joke between the two of us, and we still laugh about it to this day.”
I also compiled a video of some of my traditions as well as my Atlanta friends. I hope you enjoy it.
[wpvideo 6NIWJuen]Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Make 2013 a year of self fulfillment. More on that in the early part of the year.
Tell me what’s going on in your life. I want to hear from you!
Wishing you love, balance and peace.
Amore & Baci,
Just Steph
Omg – love the video! Rich is hilarious 🙂
I know. So funny! Thanks. Stay tuned for resolutions.
Did he edit that video? It was great!!
Yes! I met him yesterday with Charlene. We talked future work. He’s going to buy a camera which would be good for me.