The holidays have officially begun! I hope that as you decorate your homes for the upcoming holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas, you will enjoy the memories of the past as well as look forward to creating new holiday traditions.
I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family. I’ve always enjoyed spending time with my parents, brothers, and their families. Although I don’t get a chance to see them as often as I like as they now live in Florida and Kentucky, it makes the time we do get to spend together that much more precious.
I love it that even as adults, we revert to our childhood ways of relating to each other as siblings. There’ll be good-natured teasing and telling of stories along with the laughter of loved ones, and the bittersweet, silent acknowledgement that as we get older, these times will become fewer.
What are your favorite holiday traditions? As children, we enjoyed the reading of the poem “The Night Before Christmas” by my Dad, and enjoying eggnog on Christmas morning while opening our presents. Christmas Eve we spent at my Mom’s parents who lived nearby, and Christmas Day we bundled up and hiked off to Zion (which seemed a million miles away) to visit with my Dad’s parents, siblings, and their families. There was usually ice skating after dinner, songs around the piano, and candy canes on the tree. Not to mention the hilarity of 11 kids running around with new toys and the anticipation of more. Ah, those were the days.
These days, we enjoy Christmas Eve with our kids, their spouses and significant others, and this year our grandson who is just a year old. Sometimes our daughter-in-law’s family joins us as well. It makes for a lovely, lively evening enhanced by friends and their children and grandchildren who generally drop by later on to enjoy a celebratory beverage (or two).
I look forward to creating new holiday traditions as our grandson gets older and our families change yet again. For me, that’s the beauty of holidays. While they can’t help but change, we can preserve some of the things that link us to the memories of our past and share them with those who now celebrate with us.
A very happy Hannukkah and blessed Christmas to all!