Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Traditions of the Season



This past weekend began the Winter Holiday Season.  Thanksgiving leftovers are slowly getting cleaned up, lights are going on the houses, trees are getting tied to car roofs.  While we focus so much on the traditions of specific days – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years – I suspect we all have numerous rituals of the season that we celebrate during the next month.  

In my family we start the day after Thanksgiving with Christmas music in the morning.  Over the weekend we put up lights, set out lawn chairs after dark, crank up some Christmas music, grab some hot chocolate and make a show of flipping the lights on for the first time. Throughout the next month there are nights of Home Alone, The Santa Clause, Rankin/Bass shows, A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Grinch That Stole Christmas.  There will be an evening of Mexican hot chocolate and candy canes while we read the story of Jesus’ birth.  Typically we go get a Christmas tree with some other families, forming a four-car convoy into the mountains, but not until we have shared an amazing breakfast.  One morning some pancakes will get green and red sprinkles.  Candy canes will miraculously appear on the tree every few nights, placed there by Santa’s elves doing his lead-work.  We do what we can to build the fantasy of the Christmas season.  

This season I will be looking forward to a Polar Express ride in Sacramento, a visit with my family and our German Christmas Eve meal, and constructing some new traditions with the kids.  What are you looking forward to?  What meals and foods mark the season?  How do you create some fantasy for the holidays?

Talk to you all soon…the lights and decorations beckon.   

1 comment:

Andre Netto said...

Well, as you already know, Brazil has completely different traditions at this time of the year. Sure, we decorate our xmas tree and give presents like everybody else. But there are a few things that are different.

Let's start with the xmas carols. There aren't any. Or at least they're really hard to find down here.

Xmas food is also really different here. We have turkey, but it's dressed differently. There is no stuffing. Instead, we use "farofa" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farofa). Also, we serve it with pineapple and peach slices. Let's remember that it's summer in Brazil at Xmas time.

At the end of the day, what really matters is the Xmas spirit. And that is the same all over the world. This year will be special for us, since it's going to be the first in our new home.

Talk to you soon. Dinner awaits.