FAMILY TRADITIONS

FAMILY TRADITIONS

I give my parents a lot of credit for the traditions I was taught growing up.  Some of them have become part of the traditions my children and I have incorporated in our family.

My most favorite Christmas tradition is going out on Christmas Eve and looking at all the beautiful Christmas lights.  I have done this every year since I was 4 ½.  My mother was big and pregnant with my younger sister that year.  In fact, she arrived just 2 days after Christmas.  Mama was just miserable so my daddy piled us all in the car and we took off looking at the lights and decorations.  I was in awe!  There was one house that had every song and theme represented on their yard.  The house and lawn were covered in lights but the most lights were on the roof!  It just thrilled me to see all those lights on one house!

My children are in their 20’s and still look forward to going out on Christmas Eve and looking at the beautiful yards and houses all lit up for Santa’s arrival!  We have found our own house that just drips with all the stories of Christmas plus lights everywhere in the yard, on the house and on the roof. 

That one tradition has carried over to other parts of Christmas.  Every year my kids get a new stocking.  And every year that stocking is filled with goodies and presents.  No looking in the stocking until all the presents are opened!  Every year we buy all new lights and ornaments.  Now, we do have our special ornaments that we have collected through the years, but each year, we use different colors.  Even for the outside!  And most every year my daughter convinces me to buy a real tree. 

Along with that, we have certain things we cook and bake at Christmas.  We normally have lasagna or Ham for Christmas dinner.  I know lasagna sounds weird for Christmas but their dad was Sicilian.  What can I say?  We make strawberry candy out of jello mix.  We make cookies out of Ritz crackers and peanut butter.  We make a batch of Texas trash.  And usually we throw in a new recipe just for fun.  And of course, you have to have that Christmas music going everywhere.  I admit when they start playing it the day after Thanksgiving on the radio, I am pretty tired of it by Christmas but those first 3 weeks or so are just heaven!

Now, it’s only October so I haven’t started planning everything for Christmas yet.  But Thanksgiving?  Yep, I’ve already started collecting my food items in anticipation! 

We have our family traditions for all the major holidays.  And don’t forget about Halloween!  We still decorate the house for the little ones.  Ok, it’s for us too!  Lol

I think family traditions are so important.  It’s the glue that holds the family together for those special times of the year.  You know you are part of a family when you have traditions that are special just to your members.  If you don’t have any family traditions, start one this Christmas.  Your kids will thank you for it. 

copyrighted 2014

caryn cannatella

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