By Refraction

NEUSTAETER: Top 10 – Traditions of Christmas

Dec 23, 2018 | 6:58 AM

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS about raising a family of my own has been the ability to build, discover and happen into our own traditions; this is never on full display more than at Christmas! Some of our traditions have roots in the families we grew up in, but others are of our own creation and have evolved over the years.

In case you’re looking to adopt some traditions of your own and want some ideas, here’s our Top 10:

1. Potato Bacon Soup and A Christmas Story:

Everyone has a favourite Christmas movie and my husband’s is A Christmas Story. Every year I make his granny’s Potato Bacon Soup recipe and we sit down as a family to watch the infamous tale of a boy, a major award, the quirkiness of every family and the dreaded words “you’ll shoot your eye out”. This began as an act of love for my spouse (the first time my husband made me watch it the feeling was less than love at first sight), but over the years my husband’s unfailing laughter at the Ralphie’s tale and the aroma of homemade soup has become one of my favourite nights of the season.

2. Cookies:

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To say that I’m a sugar hound would be an embarrassing understatement.

Every year I have a weekend bake-a-thon in December where I slam out hundreds of cookies while my family chips in here and there, eating more cookies than they ice.

Without fail you will find in our Christmas tins:

Mars Bar Cookies

Butter Tarts

Melt In Your Mouth Shortbread

Sugar Cookies with White Icing and Silver Balls

Easy Almond Roca

One random experimental cookie recipe that might (but most likely will not) be adopted into the annual repertoire

And, everyone’s favourite, my Grandpa’s Gingersnap Cookies.

These are pretty, delicious and never fail.

Enjoy! ¾ Cup Margarine ½ tsp Salt

1 Egg 1 tsp Ginger

1 Cup Brown Sugar 1+ tsp Cinnamon (I probably do 1.5 at least)

¼ Cup Molasses ½ tsp Cloves

2 Cups Flour

2 tsp Baking Soda

Cream the margarine, add the egg, blend in the sugar, add all other ingredients.

Chill in fridge.

Roll into 1inch balls, roll in a mixture of sugar and sprinkles, place on baking sheet and press with a fork.

Bake 350 for 8-10 mins (do not overbake)

3. Hot Chocolate and Christmas Lights

The truth is that only my daughter and I really enjoy driving around and looking at Christmas light displays. The men of our house could all take or leave this tradition, but in the end they’re always glad they came and we usually to stop and carol at 3-4 close friends and family’s homes along the way. I must admit that we haven’t done this yet this year because I’ve lacked some heart in the absence of snow (which I love and will not hear a word against!), but when it finally starts coming down, watch out – Katie will be out with bells on, viewing the lights and caroling her heart out.

4. Christmas Eve and Denny’s (our family’s most hotly contested tradition)

When I was little my mom got it in her British heart that eating figs on Christmas morning would be a new, disgusting tradition we would all celebrate collectively.

It didn’t last long; there was uproar and protest and she ended up eating a lot of figs solo.

Consequently, I swore I would never force a gross tradition on my family when I grew up, but here’s the problem: she didn’t think it was gross.

Fast forward a few decades and witness me wrestling my family into our Swagger Wagon and forcing them to eat at Denny’s every Christmas Eve. I can’t remember exactly how it began, but because we were really young and really poor when our kids were little, Denny’s was an extraordinary treat for our young family (a “sit down” restaurant with 3 little kids???!! Fancy!) and we ended up eating at Denny’s on Christmas Eve.

I love Denny’s with every fibre of my being, so it seemed like a delightful tradition to me, but after a few very questionable meals and unfortunate experiences my family began questioning the wisdom and purpose of this tradition while I played the Mom Card and held fast.

Every year my children mount their protest while my husband smiles knowingly in their corner, and every year I force a Grand Slam down their throats.

I expect this year will be no different.

5. Home Alone (as many times as possible)

Not only is Home Alone my favourite Christmas movie, it is also in my top 5 movies of all time. It’s pure genius, flawless in its story line and masterful in its execution. Macaulay Culkin sets the bar so high for child actors that I don’t know why anyone else even bothers. I know every line and can act out every scene. It is full of suspense, action, plot twists, laugh-out-loud moments and #allthefeels.

If I had to choose one movie to put in a time capsule so that future generations would understand how good movies are made it would be this one.

Home Alone 2, Lost In New York, is also a master stoke and is worthy of annual viewing. All other Home Alones are absolute travesties; I will not discuss them and believe all copies should be burned immediately.

(Elf is a close second on my list of holiday movies).

6. Making and Blowing a Christmas Presents Budget

*self explanatory*

7. Games on Christmas Eve

*also self explanatory*

8. Opening One Present on Christmas Eve

Rules:

1. Must be after our church’s Christmas Eve service (also a favourite tradition)

2. Must be pajamas (probably, but not necessarily, from Grandma)

3. Unlike Christmas morning presents, these can be opened simultaneously and with complete abandon for present decorum.

9. Christmas Morning:

Traditionally in our house every Christmas morning is different.

When the kids were babies I caught my husband actually going into their rooms to wake them up on Christmas morning because he was so excited, a few years later they were in our room at the crack of dawn, when they reached the age where they could tell time we told them “not before 6am” and then I changed all the clocks in the house so what they thought was 6am was actually 7am (still an ungodly hour), now the younger ones are harassing the teenager who would be fine sleeping until noon even on Christmas morning.

A few things never change though: no one touches a single gift until mom has coffee, cinnamon buns and eggs in a basket are always waiting for brunch after, someone immediately breaks a toy (tears included) and seeing their gleeful faces as they unwrap “something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read” (…and then whatever else we caved and bought for them despite our best intentions…).

10. Reading the story of Jesus’ birth:

Since it is His birthday we’re celebrating, we always stop to remember the reason for the season on Christmas Eve. We read the passages of scripture that tell the story of the very first Christmas and remember why the weary world began rejoicing on this day.

Nothing formal, nothing demanding and always at a different time, but we pause to acknowledge the light of the world, Emmanuel, born to a terrified teenage mother, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger; come to earth to deliver His people.

The chaos, stress, exhaustion and demands melt away, for just as moment, as we remember why we celebrate this holy night.

May the joy of this season permeate your hearts and homes as you gather with those you love, eat delicious food and celebrate your own fun, weird and comforting family traditions.

From my family to yours:

Richest blessings and brightest hopes for you and yours this season.

Love,

Katie

P.S. All traditions are subject to change according to the year, the circumstances, the challenges and the family’s needs. Traditions should not be stressful; they should be joy. If I find one of them burdensome I consider letting it go.