Do you follow any specific rituals during holidays, such as Christmas? I realize not everyone celebrates Christmas, but for those of us who do, it amazes me how important traditions are in shaping holiday activities. Take, for example, the lights we string around our home outdoors and those we place on the artificial Christmas tree. They are bright and colourful, and we delight in their splendour.
My practical side thinks about the rising costs of hydro – but I give in, simply because it’s Christmas, and that’s a part of the tradition.
The sharing of festive food is a traditional driving force that brings people together over the holidays. Meal plans and family recipes are passed down from generation to generation. “This is how we do it” is a common phrase.
The forming of my own family traditions was interrupted; everything changed when my mother died during my childhood. I learned instead to be flexible and enjoy the traditions of other families. Luckily for me, in my late teens, I began working and living on a horse farm. The owners quickly became my new family base. Lynne became my ‘other mother’ who taught me a lot about a lot of things. We have shared over 30 Christmases together.
However, over the last ten years, I’ve taken on the traditions of my partner, who hails from the UK. Considering that she does an amazing amount of planning and preparation, this is anything but a hardship.
Here’s a taste of what we’ll be doing.
We have a homemade Christmas Cake, which I had no idea required weeks of brandy feedings alongside steamed Christmas puddings, Scottish shortbread, and English Traditional Trifle …and those are just the desserts!
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we enjoy the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. When something is so good, reruns are a must-do!
Christmas breakfast is sherry-soaked grapefruit followed by boiled eggs and homemade bread.
All of these delights are “how we do it”.
A few years ago, we moved to a warmer area of Ontario, so our Christmas is green more often than white. I miss seeing some of my friends and relatives – but life is always a series of changes, and I am always willing to adapt.
I believe my adaptability is my secret sauce to staying happy. It sees me through changing circumstances or changing states of health.
Whatever your traditions or however you spend the holidays, I’d like to wish you health, safety, and love.
I look forward to connecting with you again in the New Year, and in the meantime, I’m off to put on my stretchy pants before I head to the dinner table.
