Traditions

Recently I had a conversation with my brother-in-law and sisters-in-law about traditions. I love traditions. I love how they make me feel. I love how they make my family feel. I love to think that what traditions I share with my children may be passed on to their children and even down more generations.

As Thanksgiving approaches I remember some old traditions from when I was a little girl, and some new traditions that I have started with my kids. One of these traditions that I would like to keep is a memory of my grandmother. Every year we would go to her house for Thanksgiving Dinner. I remember her house would smell like roasting turkey and spearmint gum as we would enter, and my Aunt Jackie and Uncle Jerry would already be there with a glass of wine and the appetizers that they brought. There would always be assorted nuts and M&Ms to snack on before the big feast.

After dinner the pies would come out. Apple, pumpkin, and pecan were the choices. Always made by my mom, and ALWAYS made from scratch (which she so graciously taught me how to make). We'd already be stuffed from dinner, but we'd still always try to have as much pie as we could...because it was JUST THAT GOOD! Dessert would be followed by a craft with the kids hosted by Aunt Jackie (who was an elementary school teacher), and she always had THE BEST crafts for us! We always loved that part! After dessert, we would try and get my dad and Uncle Jerry to turn off the football game and get them to set up the screen projector so we could watch old slides from when mom was a little girl. We would laugh at how excited Grandpa would get about his reminiscing on old family vacations to New Hampshire and Maine, and we would giggle every time he said, "Oh I remember that spot on the Kangamangus Highway!"
KANGAMANGUS...I still laugh every time I hear it.

Just as the slides were coming to an end, Grandma would come into the living room with a tray with glasses on it filled with eggnog and a pinch of nutmeg on top. My favorite part! When we drank our eggnog with family all around, it always said to me, "We now officially welcome the Christmas holiday".

I LOVED that part. That is the part that I like to pass on to my kids. Every Thanksgiving as the day comes to an end, I like to bring out the old traditions of my childhood with eggnog and watch as my children take part in them too. One NEW tradition we have added to that is our "Secret Santa" picks. As we drink our special "Christmas Drink", my children each put their names in a hat, and then pick one out to see who they get to buy a Christmas present for this year. They get to buy for each other, and always love to give each other gifts.

I love traditions. I love how they make my children smile. I love to think of how they are going to pass them on even when I am not here anyore. Traditions. What are some of yours?