It’s Christmas Time Again!: Part 2 – The Traditions

       Every Christmas do you find yourself celebrating the holidays in a similar way? Do you find you’re going through the same tasks and traditions each year? Are you starting to see patterns in the Twelve Days Of Christmas, similarities in the way you Deck The Halls, or do you find you’re always Rocking Around The Christmas Tree to the same old tunes? Well, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (and gentleladies) there’s nothing to dismay, you’re not alone! I have started noticing these customs in my own life around Christmas and…I love them! I mean, when you think about it a tradition should only stay a tradition as long as you like it…otherwise why keep doing it? The unfortunate thing is sometimes these traditions change because they may have to.

            When I was really young living on the East Coast we’d start celebrations early on in December. Generally these would begin the first week of Advent with the pancake breakfast and Christmas crafts for kids at my church. We’d make advent chains with notes on each ring that had something nice for you to do and whoever took off the ring that day would have to perform the task like…give someone a hug, or do something without being asked, etc. (I’m pretty sure my parents would love this tradition to have continued), Christmas wreaths (or clumps of branches with bows…depending on how much help we got from adults) and various little crafts and decorations for Christmas trees. As I got older I would help with the crafts and the children until I moved to Ottawa for school and wasn’t able to get back in time.

            I also used to attend the carol singing on the lawn of the local University; we would light a big tree in front of the building, hold glow-sticks and have cookies and hot chocolate. After the celebration once we’d warmed up my sister and I would roll down the hills and have snowball fights. Yet again, I’m not home in time for this anymore, but there normally isn’t as much snow on the ground as there used to be for this celebration …which would probably make snowball fights and sledding a little less magical…

            Later when I got a bit older we started the tradition of “cookie day”. Some of the women in my family would get together, play games and bake our favorite cookies and swap them so we’d all go home with a variety of sweets. This has grown now to include a lot of the smaller kids who’ve entered the family. I usually get home too late for this as well but always get to indulge in the cookies since my mom goes every year (thanks Mom!).      

            Now you might think a lot of my traditions have changed since moving away for school (oh the joys of being a student!) but I never miss everything, I hear about all of these celebrations even if I don’t go to them anymore and it makes all of the ones I still get to enjoy even more special. For instance: My parents wait until I get home to get the tree which I still get to decorate, we always watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” at least once, we still have the large meal on Christmas day, we have a Boxing Day celebration with family each year which has been going on for as long as I remember and I always adore, and we still go to the Church service every Christmas Eve and drive around looking at Christmas lights.

            I think that most people grow up with certain traditions, especially around Christmas time. When I think back I realize that slowly some of these things have faded away for various reasons and sometimes new traditions have even been added. Whatever it is, things have changed…but that’s not necessary bad and it most definitely doesn’t mean the things that have been altered or left behind will be forgotten or won’t come back. I think this is how every family has somewhat original traditions because the ones you like you hold onto and pass down to your family when you grow older. Anyways, I say all of this but I’ll be honest… I think all our practices were ‘da bomb’, but…then of course I might be a bit biased. Still, I hope that if I have kids a lot of the things I used to do will be passed on to them and hopefully they’ll appreciate them like I did.