Tuesday 29 November 2011

Traditions...

Good day everyone! Sorry I've been away for so long, but I've had a bit of a 'bumpy' week. Seems my fibro 'super senses' are on high alert this past week making it a little hard to function. The best I can sort of describe it is it like human 'Spidey Senses', just a lot less fun. (Thats what my doctor calls it! Ha!!) Your body's senses go on 'high alert'...like for me my hearing gets very very sensitive, touch gets very sensitive and tingly. It also makes me very tired. Hence the reason for my absence. But I'm back and have my tea and ready to join my friends for some fun!

Well, if you haven't had a chance to look outside or enter a mall lately I will be the first to inform you that Christmas is less then a month a way! I KNOW!!!! When did that happen???? I think I still have patio furniture outside that needs to be cleaned up and I know I still have a pumpkin sitting in my kitchen that still needs to be cooked. Okay...I also know I am in the minority of people who procrastinate like this, but wow...is it just me or is Christmas coming really fast this year??

We have several traditions we do as a family that we started when we moved to Edmonton when the kids were little. Some were things I brought from my family, some we brought from my husband's family, and some we 'borrowed' from new friends we made when we came out here. When we moved here, we had no family close by, so it was our first Christmas on our 'own'. One tradition we started and still do to this day is while we are at church Christmas eve the 'elves' come and leave pj's on the kids beds. Once we would get home the boys would race to their beds to check and see if the elves had stopped by and if they had it meant that Santa was on his way!

Of course there are other traditions as well, we leave eggnog and treats out for Santa, we make Christmas cookies, send out cards. I love to hear other families stories and traditions. Different cultures and and different histories make the holidays so interesting, especially this time of year. Each  decoration tells a story. Foods have special memories. Lets share these traditions and stories! I have several readers around the world. I would love to hear how the holidays are celebrated in  your countries!


Happy memory sharing everyone!!


2 comments:

  1. I love traditions and we have many here at our home. And yes, I so agree...Christmas seems to have flown in right behind Halloween this year :-) And yes, we did celebrate Thanksgiving here but wow...it is all happening super fast this year. Raising the eggnog to your blog!

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  2. Hi there Michelle, I only today caught up with the last 2 months worth of your entries - finally!

    Happy New Year and may 2012 be a year where the good days and moments outweigh the bad ones!

    I thought I share a few of the traditions I grew up with, both family and cultural background (German) - beware, it's going to be a long comment!

    Usually around mid to late November, mum and I would busy ourselves with baking Christmas cookies, and lots of them!
    As I'm living in Australia since the last 7 1/2 years now (it's been my 8th Christmas away from home), I'm not part of this tradition anymore. But my mum has evermore perfected her cookies baking skills (and expanded her repertoire) over the years and her fantastic creations are being eagerly awaited throughout the year by a growing fanbase in Oz - the last shipment was approx. 7 kg of cookies! Imagine that!!!

    Traditionally, a decorated Advent Wreath with 4 candles will be set up 4 Sundays before Christmas Eve - every Sunday leading up to Christmas, one more candle will be lit up, until all 4 candles burn on the last Sunday before Christmas Eve. The family gathered around the wreath each Sunday to devour the home-made Christmas cookies and sing a variety of Advent & Christmas carols. It's a very special time, as the kids exitement grows over this period.

    An Advent Calendar (either pre-filled with chocolates or the variety you can fill with little pressies) is given to the kids, who open a little window / drawer for each day of December until the 24th (Christmas Eve).

    On the night of the 5th December, kids will place their boots outside their door in anticipation for Saint Nicolaus to fill the boots with little somethings during the night.

    Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve and the tree will not be decorated until that day. We don't have Santa, we do have the Christchild (= Christkind) and that's who kids in Germany believe in to bring all the presents and make the tree look so pretty. I still remember that I tried so hard year after year to say good-day to the Christchild and thank for the presents. My dad always told me to be hush-hush quiet, when knocking the living room door, since the Christchild didn't like noise and was very shy. Needless to say that I never managed to meet the Christchild, as it disappeared every single year in the nick of time, there was only the window open and maybe a silver lock or a little piece of glimmery fabric caught in the window frame....

    There is an afternoon Christmas mass for the kids on Christmas Eve, which whiles away the time and there is the native play. After Christmas Eve dinner and presents, it's time for the midnight mass - a most beautiful event, when Christmas Eve coincides with being a white Christmas.

    As said earlier, I'm now living in Oz and everything has been turned upside down (no pun intended) - Santa & Rudolph, not Christchild; Christmas Day, not Christmas Eve; summer, not winter; cozzies, not scarf & gloves... the list goes on. After years of stubborn insistence in not putting the tree up / decorating until Christmas Eve and associated 'discussions' with my other half though, I have finally succumbed last year and the house & tree were decorated at the beginning of Christmas in 2011 for the first time - I had a very happy hubby as a result, which nicely balanced the wee bit of sadness at having to let go of Christmas as I've known and loved it.

    Take care,
    Sonja

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