Holiday Family Traditions
By doulaworks
@doulaworks (1079)
United States
November 20, 2008 11:46am CST
We have many holiday family traditions that have been passed down for many years. For Thanksgiving we all donate to families who are in need of a bit of extra help. (we donte food to a local food bank all year rond) We are very involved volunteering at food banks or homless shelters. We sponsor a whole family through a local socail service agency taht we volunteer at and provide them with extra food, cleaning products, school supplies etc for thanks giving, and the same for Christmas only adding gifts of new clothes and toys for the kids and a little soemthing for the parent. Now, each of my grown children "adopt" families and involve thier children and their friends. It is very rewarding to be able to help others and it teaches our own children and grandchildren to be giving and grateful too.
We decorate a real tree, with lots of hand made and store bought orniments and listen to chrismast music and enjoy cookies and egg nog and hot cocoa.
In our own home, We have a special Family Christmas Eve meal of perogies (potato and chees with onions dumplings) made from scratch, kilbasa and cabbage passed down from my welch / polish ancesters. Opening one gift Christmas Eve. On Christmas day we wait for everyone to get up (and now for my grown children and grand son to arrive by 8 am) before opening gifts. One person opeing one gift at a time anouncing who it is from. (so not to have chaios with thigs flying, gift getting lost confussed or stepped on and broken) We also call greatgrand parents and grandparents and other family to wish then a Merry Christmas and thank them for gifts. We of cousre take lots of photos to remember the joy of the family time together and to share with those who are far away. We have a festive dinner and of course lots of great cookies and fudge from old family recipies.
Share your family traditions!
3 people like this
3 responses
@mssnow (9484)
• United States
22 Nov 08
First of all let me say I commend you for helping needy families. That is a wonderful thing. if I could afford too I would also. I do give my change to the salvation army buckets because thats about all I have to give.
Thanksgiving is celbrated at my house. My boys are grown so they all come (when they can). I do the coooking. we have turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. deviled eggs, you know the tradiotnal Thanksgiving dinner. Then I do the cleaning. lol. I do ask them to help but they dont do much. The boys all sit around and watch football. and thats the whole Thanksgiving day.
Christmas is prtty much the same. (with dinner and watching tv)We do have ham instead of turkey though. When they boys were younger we would let them open one present on christmas eve. But since now the presents arent as many as they were. We wait. This year though i want to start a new traditon of having christmas after christmas. So I can get the best deals. With the 50 percent on things. My money is tight and evey penny will help.
@doulaworks (1079)
• United States
22 Nov 08
Oh wow that sounds like a great idea! sales after christmas, and hey why not save a bit, expecially when your kids are all grown! I forgot about the deviled eggs, thanks for the reminder! I dont think either dinner would be the same with out them! As for your comment about helping ours, it is a blessing we can do what we can. and by the way, every bit of change that goes in the bucket for salvation army helps too! but there are lots of ways to help others. taking a neighbor a plate of food, donating canned goods to food bacnk, who feed folks year round, if we all did a little something, things would be better for everyone!
This year will be a bit less for all of us, but we will still be rich as ever with love and family around. That is what means the most to me. Oh the football... I remember my mom timing thanksgiving dinner around half time.. not me.. It is 3 pm every year, and tv goes off. my kdis just got used to it and my hubby is more of a fisherman soI lucked out there.
be Well and enjoy youir holidaies!
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
20 Nov 08
Mmmmmm!
I am the only one in my family that loves/likes perogies.
The tater cheese are the best.
Our family always opens ouir gifts Christmas Eve.
Why or how this started is unknown, it just happens is all.
We set the tree up on Thanksgiving ever or day as well as a tradition.
Another tradition I guess is I decorate the house in and out while my wife and daughter do the tree for the most part. Baking is also a must tradition. Plus dinner has always been with a French Silk Pie from Bakers Square as long as we have had kids. Although they are now 30 and 28 these traditions still stick in my household.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
I am the only one in my family that loves/likes perogies.
The tater cheese are the best.
Our family always opens ouir gifts Christmas Eve.
Why or how this started is unknown, it just happens is all.
We set the tree up on Thanksgiving ever or day as well as a tradition.
Another tradition I guess is I decorate the house in and out while my wife and daughter do the tree for the most part. Baking is also a must tradition. Plus dinner has always been with a French Silk Pie from Bakers Square as long as we have had kids. Although they are now 30 and 28 these traditions still stick in my household.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~2 people like this
@doulaworks (1079)
• United States
22 Nov 08
ThanKs Bob, I have kids that are 28, 27, 24, 17, 16 and 14. we also have two grand sons 5 and 15 months, we all love perogies! they try and get me to make them other times but I refuse, now my daugthers are grown, they started making them too. (they all helped growing up) my 17 year old is my best chef! he can bake like no one I know, and is very creative. We all enjoy making buckeyes, fudge, snowballs, almond joy cookies, and many others. Happy Holidaies!
1 person likes this
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
23 Nov 08
Well that is great that you help the needy. Here is some good news. It has been a tradition with our family for years to go to the City Mission on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and serve out the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. So I called them the other day to confirm the time and all and guess what? They were over run with volunteers this year and have plenty to serve out! I thought this was great that people are doing this more. So we got the job of baking the desserts which I am glad because I always have to sample everything that I take! LOL
I found it quite th blessing to discover that even though everyone is having hard times right now they are still making time for those less fortunate.
1 person likes this
@doulaworks (1079)
• United States
23 Nov 08
We have done the thankgiving dinners too with a womens shelter. We have also done them with Salvation army and our church. It is such a rewarding expierence, cookin dessert sounds fun. They are alwasy a huge hit, even if everyone is stuffed. I love hearing peoples stories, every when times are hard, you never know how your presence and presents can really help make hard times a bit easier. I also take food to an elderly neighbor a few times a month. I invite him over, but he always refuses. during the hoilidaies I make up a basket with special trest I know he can use and will enjoy and have the one of the kids leave it at his door when he os out. I guess my old social work backgound and old time christen values play a great part. I remember my grandma saying that when every a neighbor brought over a dish of something she would NEVER return it empty. so I got into the habit of doing that too.
I was at our local food pantry the other and It is amazing just as you said how many people are helping those who need it. I think that I over heard some one say they gave out 1100 more thanksgiving baskets than last year.
I pray better times are ahead. It is so nice to know that even people who have so little them selves, still find ways to give to those who have even less.
Now that is a great holiday tradition for any family!
Enjoy your holidaies!
