Ditching Old Traditions...
@Masihi (4413)
Canada
December 25, 2011 2:52pm CST
I know I may sound silly, but this year I finally got rid of old traditions that brought back memeories of my foster families growing up. Stuff like waking up in the wee hours in the morning on Christmas Day, overspending on gifts, and doing the ginger bread house. Maybe it's psychological, I don't know.
But here's a new tradition that I started shortly after I got married, and now my kids really got into it, and I'm so proud of them. Every year I purchase this big bag of mini-candy canes and I give them out during the holiday season. It gives me this warm fuzzy feeling inside. and this morning in church, my kids took handfuls of candy canes (right after the service) zipped in and out where the people milled around talking and gave them out like that.
Another thing we do is I purchase probably about ten boxes of big candy canes and put them on the tree. Every time we had a guest come over, be it a social worker or a party-goer, I always take them to the tree and tell them to pick a candy cane off for themselves. I've seen many years and the candy canes gunked up after time due to warm lights or just sitting there long periods of time, us foster kids not allowed to have any, those canes HAD to stay on because it looked pretty, etc. What a waste! This is why I get everyone to pick a cane for themselves. After Christmas Day I let the kids eat some as well.
Anyone give out candy canes during the holiday season?
2 people like this
4 responses
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
25 Dec 11
What a wonderful idea..I bought two boxes of the big candy canes, but it was for some chocolate mint cookies I wanted to try, but lost the recipe soon after.. So I have a bunch here and perhaps I should start giving them out to whoever I come across this season.
A new Hanukkah tradition I think I will make is a game where everyone wins something. I give everyone paper and pencil and I give them ten minutes to find anything Jesus, whether a picture or symbol and words about Him in my house. For each correct answer I give out a dime, (may not sound like much, but if they get everything about Jesus in my house, it adds up) then for the one that connect Him with Hanukkah, for example the shamash, they get a dollar. The one who has the most gets a 25.00 gift certificate. The reason I like this is because I know that I am still a believe in G♥d's Son, but my family may be a little confused, especially when they go out into the world. Plus if their friends ask if I have turned my back on Jesus, (I have been accused of that, believe it or not) then all my family has to do is remember, if I really turned my back on Him, would I have so many teachings and things to remind me of who He is???
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
25 Dec 11
Happy 6th day of Hanukkah to you too...
1 person likes this
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
26 Dec 11
I’m glad that you found a tradition to start in your own family, after your own liking. Each family has its own styles and preferences…maybe your foster family just liked the canes to stay that way whereas you love to hand them out so that people can be children for once and enjoy the candy canes…it is indeed a lovely idea. What I liked most was the way your kids handed them out to everybody once the service ended. It’s a wonderful way of spreading the festive cheer and teaching kids the value of unconditional giving.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
26 Dec 11
The nice thing about it, is that they took the initiative to take handfuls out of my can and passed them out without me telling them too! :-) I was so pleased that I didn't chastise them at all.
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
25 Dec 11
Oh what a lovely tradition, I might do something the same next year, its funny because just yeaterday I took a friend to a house to fix a ladies computer, I just sat in the car and when he came out he gave me a candy cane so I think this is a signal maybe to do something like this next year.. I am glad you have new traditions to help get rid of the old ...peace to you and yours.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
26 Dec 11
It's so beautiful, seeing the smile on another person's face when they get a cane, you know? I know I always loved getting a random candy cane from someone from time to time growing up.
@GardenGerty (157598)
• United States
26 Dec 11
No, I do not do that, but I know what you mean about establishing new traditions. I love that you have your children greet people at church and give them out. I think it is great to get rid of the stress of the holiday so that you can focus on the meaning of the holiday. I know it is not really the birth of Christ, but it is still a day that we can focus on God's love for us. Love says "yes" the candy canes are to eat, not just to look at. Love says to be purposeful in what we do. I thought you were working on the gingerbread house, though. I kept it really simple this year and that was just alright by me.
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
26 Dec 11
Ah yes, the roof collapsed TWICE! LOL I think I made a discussion on it too :-p Anyway, I thought myself "frig this" so I carefully took it down, let the chocolate harden, then put into into a big container for the kids to nibble on. But when I was tryin to make the house all these memories came flooding back to me about my 2nd foster mother and the stress, and how picky she was, blahblahblah, it really made me depressed. I think that was Providence telling me to let go of that tradition, and so I let it go.
