#52 Stories: Story # 11

Which of your childhood holiday traditions have you continued into adulthood?

This was a good question.  I don’t think that I had many family holiday traditions. But I guess we still make and eat blueberry muffins on christas day.  THat w as something I did as a child that always felt special for the holiday—though we also did that for General Confernece Sundays and we usually still do that too.

We still usually set up a Christmas tree.  The kids each have a set of personal ornaments that they chose each year—that they will be  able to take with them to their own homes when they are ready to have their own trees some day. I usually decorate with Christmas decorations and play Christmas music.

We exchange gifts.  I make treats that we only have at Christmas time. I suggest something to give our neighbors.  All that was done as I was a child too.

I remember my mom trying to give away the alcoholic gifts that their vendors at work, or even customers who didn’t know they were not drinker would give them—usually to the garbage man or the used oil guy that picked up their discarded oil.  I have tried to remember those that serve our family—like the mail man and the garbage collector—even though Genius Golfer thinks I am crazy to do it. I usually just given them a box of Christmas goodies that I made so something, rather than alcoholic gifts, but they always seem surprised that anyone would think of them and that they “are just doing their job”.

All of the traditions that I say we “usually” do, I say usually because as the kids have grown up and are away for college in other places, it is harder to do the traditional things because it is just us at home for most of the holiday season and sometimes it seems like too much work.  Maybe when the kids bring grandkids home to see us that might change, but for now we are the ‘less is more’ kind of holiday keepers.