old and new family traditions

[SueC]

We're starting a new tradition of breakfast in bed for special occasions. I got breakfast in bed for Mother's Day, we did it for Father's Day, and Sydney is looking forward to it on Sunday when she turns 4.

Off the top of my head I can't think of any old traditions that we are following.

We always get (or assemble, depending on my stamina) our Christmas tree on dh's birthday (12/10). It's a nice kick off to the holiday, and allows us to pull back from Thanksgiving for a few days.

I'm looking to establish some kind of tradition for T-Day since this will be our first away from home. My in-laws are Indian, so no turkey there. In Cleveland I used to invite "strays" (friends w/o family in the area) to join our family for T-Day, the way my mom did. We're the strays here, and the way it works out timing-wise, we'll be going to Cleveland for Christmas but not T-Day.

Oh - we don't do T-Day with them (they'll actually be in India this year anyway). I was just saying that's why I don't count them in for the holiday. The one year they did come I still made turkey (and other stuff). My FIL is terribly picky and will pretty much only eat Indian food made by my MIL even though he's lived in the states for 31 years. That day all he ate (and a lot of it) was mashed potatoes MIXED with cranberry sauce (not how I served them). Eeeew.

[DCJenn]

Let's see- we have a lot of traditions around the holidays that we've incorporated here. Of course since we're with family while we're here in DC, we just do them at my parent's house.

Thanksgiving Day cannot be beat at my parent's so when we were in San Antonio, we didn't even try. We went to Biga on the Banks and had a fabulous Turkey buffet that included turkey tamales and turkey mole. Yum. At home it's all about the traditional spread which included two kinds of stuffing (and it's stuffing, not dressing and not a crumb of corn bread is anywhere NEAR. We're Yankees through and through) sausage stuffing and oyster stuffing. We'll have something green, usually peas because the younger people like them. Mashed potatoes and my famous yam/apple layered thing (you will find it in the recipes section). Two kinds of pies.

The Day after Thanksgiving, we watch the Grinch that stole Christmas and my parents hang the cells they have from the original cartoon plus they have a painting of Cindy Lou Hoo, (who was no more than two) from the Chuck Jones museum.

Christmas Eve they make a steak fondue with a humongous salad, fresh French Bread, and my dad pours a steaday stream of red wine. At midnight we all file to the living room where we listen to Dylan Thomas' "A Childs Christmas in Wales" and every year I hear something different and hilarious. (One of the funniest parts to the Dylan Thomas recording is that he was apparently drunk out of his mind when he recorded it- and it was recorded by two interns at a NYC radio station, I believe.)

On Christmas Day, we open the gifts with Bloody Marys and coffee and then retire to the dining room where we will have steak and eggs (steak left over from the fondue) and about 3 different kinds of pastries. (including my mother's World Famous Brenda's Better Buttered Buns)

Pretty much we all just hang out and relax for the rest of the time.

New Years Eve we try to spend with our friends from San Antonio but with everyone's residencies and fellowships (ER, Neonatology and child neuro) it's been a wee bit difficult.

The new traditions? Haven't really had any except when we're not home, we don't bother trying to do what they do, we do something completely different. Now that we have the littlest Hussey, we'll do a Christmas tree, but normally, I don't even bother.

Maybe we'll do something annually to celebrate the day we met him. Some people celebrate the adoption day but I don't want him growing up thinking that it's an ongoing event- it's how he entered our family but I don't want it to turn into it's own Entity. Does that make sense? To me, it's a one time deal, not a way to identify him. (our son, vs. our adopted son)

Jenn

I think family traditions can be really fun. Neither of our families had many traditions (having the same conversation for Christmas every year doesn't count, either). We've been trying to start some.

With limited success, we have tried to have a "big" dinner once a week that is a little more involved (in a fun way) and a more relaxed evening. I gave DH the new Muppets season 1 DVD for his birthday with the hope that we will combine this dinner with watching an episode of the Muppets.

For the last few years, we have honored his Norwegian roots by making lefse around Christmas time. We skip some of the other parts of his family's traditions, like lutefisk. We also make a crazy amount of Christmas cookies. Last year was a meager year because of our kitchen but we plan to make up for it in the coming season.

Before we moved and even before we had kids, we always spent Christmas eve at our house (rather than having to choose between families and drive all over the place).

DH lets DD paint his toes before he has a triathlon or running race. (long story)

I like the birthday breakfast in bed idea!

I'll have to see if I can think of more....

Here's a good one from a friends who just celebrated a wedding anniverary -- every year on their anniversary they read their vows to each other. Gets me a little choked up.

[Sheherezade]

The only holiday tradition that I've taken from my family would be opening presents at Christmas in a round robin fashion after the children have divided them up into piles after breakfast. (Torture, I know. Why I feel the need to pass this on to my own family, heaven knows! But you do get to open the things in your stocking when you wake up!!) My husband claims that his family has no traditions. Hopefully, he'll remember something to share with the kids. We always cut down our Christmas tree. At Easter and Valentines, I leave a trail of candies from the kids' rooms downstairs or out to the main area. I don't know how that got started - but now it is expected.

We have some regular family traditions. We always have spaghetti and meatballs on Sunday. Every night we play a game with the kids. This particular tradition is so engrained that my kids don't understand that other families don't have "Last Game" - our version of last call before bedtime. We have had a load of trouble lately deciding who picks what we play, but I would like to hold on to this tradition as long a possible. We have the world's largest selection of board and card games. We also play a game called "Three Stories" . Everyone tells three stories from their day. Two are true and one is false. Everyone has to guess the made up story. It is a great way to get info out of kids about their day when they are away from you. It is also interesting to see what the kids guess about Daddy's day! He always makes up something totally bizarre, but sometimes they buy it. (And sometimes, something totally bizarre has actually happened. ) My son and I read the sports page together every morning, now. We have an occassional tea party - with tea and snacks - and I read a l-o-n-g book to both kids. Usually the first snow or on a very stormy day. We had pizza and movie night going for awhile (very easy) but it didn't stick. Too hard to pick movies for a 9 YO boy and a 6 YO girl. :argue:

Traditions are fun. I'm with Dr. Phil, though. It doesn't have to be complicated, just consistent. I think he says his family had a standing Taco night (something like that?). The simple traditions will probably stick around the longest, but it is nice if they are unique to your family.

Jenn (jloriene) - what time should I be at your parents house on T-Day and Christmas Eve .... that sounds AWESOME!

Angie -

I love the "last game". How old were your kids when you started it?

[DCJenn]

Jenn-

You should know that the time to show up at any of my parent's functions is "cocktail time". Seriously, "mom, what time should we come over?" "Well, cocktail time will be at 4." My grandmother PAGED me on the day before the 4th of July one year as I was sitting in Butt Ugly DC traffic. I called home in a panic just to have her ask me when I was going to be home, because she didn't want me to miss cocktail hour. I told her to pour me a glass of wine and have it ready for me. (another wierd thing is if you remember those dark brown ceramic jars that spreadable cheese used to come in- she'd use them for beer, and it's now a family tradition to ask for "a cheese glass of beer" which is about half a beer.)

Jenn

[Meenah]

I had the same thought Angie. I'm heading for DC!!!!
Luanne

[Sheherezade]

Jenn's family rocks! I'd like a cheese glass of beer so I can have a martini later.....

You're going to miss them when you get stationed elsewhere. Any chance you'll be able to stay in the DC area? Maybe something nearby?

I remembered another one. We always watch National Lampoon's Christmas vacation to kick off the season -- usually Thanksgiving evening.

[DCJenn]

Oh, Nellie- that sounds like one to add. We usually end up watching "A Christmas Story" at some point too.

As for staying here, let's just say that my husband is "ready for a change". We find out in December but things are already in the works.

Jenn