I have to admit that I love Christmas. I love everything about it, especially all of the activities surrounding the preparation for the blessed event.
I am also a firm believer in tradition, and I think that these customs are burned into our brain as children and do not change all that much over the years. My father loved Christmas, and he passed that passion on to me.
The photo at the top right was taken when my father was a child, probably around 1933-1935. Notice that there are few lights on the tree, because they were relatively expensive then and consumed a lot of electricity. There is a simple village underneath the tree and a train that travels in a loop under it.
Yet my father recounted that it was a magical and exciting time, although there were only small trinkets and fruit offered as presents during the Great Depression. The reason the lack of presents didn't mean anything was because Christmas wasn't about the gifts. It was the event itself that brought joy and happiness to the family.
The second photo is our house in Riverdale Georgia, about 1988. Although a lot has changed in the last twenty years, we have developed our own Christmas traditions based on our combined traditions that essentially remain with us through this day!
So as we proceed into the holiday, let's keep in mind that we are not only connecting with our family and friends, we are linking ourselves to our heritage and history. And although many of our loved ones have departed, they are still there with us in spirit. And they will be, as long as we keep our traditions alive!
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Hi Rochard Merry Christmas, I so enjoyed your blog post it followed the lines of mine and I found it interesting to see how other traditions started. It gives us an inner glimpse of that special time of the year and all that was part of making it so.
Hi Richard. I love Christmas too and for too many years I let my discouragement at the amount of work it is ruin the feeling for me. This year, even though money is tight, I am finding a quiet enjoyment in it. Your dad's photo is priceless. Your photo is wonderful. Merry Christmas Richard.
I've always been fascinated to find out the originals of many traditions, especially Christmas.
I stumbled upon this YouTube video that puts together an explanation for the origin of Santa Claus that I had never heard of before. It has something to do with special mushrooms that can give you a spritual experience that could be very religious. It might actually be what the true spirit of Christmas was all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDh7W4oGxAs
Richard,
Great picture of your family Christmas Tree. For my parents generation it was a little easier carrying out traditions since they were mostly all born, lived and eventually died on the same block in NYC. Never strayed too far from the roots. It's up to each succeeding generation now to remember and carry out the traditions of the past. I can only hope that I'm as good a teacher with my children as my parents were with me.
Richard
Richard, I have noted with traditions each year is a little different with the mix of houses you visit and who is in your life at the time. It's really neat that you found that older photo.
June...
It's hard to get the spirit out of our brains, isn't it? Thanks for the comment!
Susan, Susan, Susan...
That's the italian mother in you. I am learning to celebrate Christmas more in my heart than in what is visible ... it's the spirit that makes it special, not the stuff. Except the food, of course. It wouldn't be Christmas without the food! Take it easy and ENJOY! I don't want you all stressed out. Buon Natale'
Richard, I love Christmas too and especially Christmas eve. We' ll have dinner at my Mom and Dad's house (they are 85 and 86) and after dinner we bless the house. My father lights a piece of wonder ful smelling incense and we walk into every room of the house with that, and a bottle of holy water to bless it and give thanks. We pray the rosary while walking through the house. After that we sing carols in Slovenian and English, open our gifts, have some of my Mom's homemade eggnog and then off to midnight Mass. A wonderful night
Tim...
I watched the video and that is some theory ... but many of our rituals are indeed based on secular practices in observance of the solstice! The ancient Christians selected late December to coincide with the Roman feast of Saturnalia, making it less conspicuous to engage in celebration!
Rich...
I am among the first generation to stray from Pittsburgh. Half of my siblings still live there, but as time moves on distance is less important! Merry Christmas!
Gary...
But you find yourself wanting to recapture the spirit of a child at some point, and that usually reins you in! Have a great Christmas!
I love Christmas. This year is tighter than the past twenty when it comes to buying gifts. It has forced me to be more creative. I will let you know how it goes...
Hi RW - I loved that old picture, so glad you still have it. Things are different and they have changed, my grandparents who used to come every year (and bring us each a sweater) no longer are alive but we have new additions with my nephews. It evolves into something new and different every year. The one constant is that my father makes his mother's recipe of spaghetti & pork chops right after church & we take a familyl photo. KM
Hi Richard, what a beautiful photo of your father's childhood tree! You are so lucky to have it and have a glimpse at how your family celebrated Christmas. I also enjoyed your own photo. It is great to see everyone's tradition. Thank you!
Merry Christmas!
That first picture is really great. I have two different friends that put out huge, elaborate manger scenes. One was all handmade, the other is a massive train layout. Good times!
Christmas traditions in our family have changed over the years...no more gathering for the 7 fish dinner on Christmas Eve, or visiting every aunt and uncle on Christmas morning. But it's still time for family and of course good food! Thanks for the reminder Richard!
Richard - Traditions are an interesting thing, especially as your children (or in my case, myself) grow up, adopt some and leave some behind. We were always allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve, usually from a distant relative. It was a way to get us to sleep and calm down a bit before we stayed up all night thinking about what was in those boxes. My wife and I still do it to this day. She's from England, so we have no shortage of packages from far away places. Because of her English roots, we have crafted some different traditions to add in to our enjoyment of the day as well. We take our time opening presents. We open a few, wait, make phone calls to relatives, open a few more, eat breakfast, open some more. We're usually not done opening things until at least noon. We always have Christmas Pudding, despite the fact that its not very common. This year a friend's mom sent us a homeade one. I don't love the stuff, but I need at least a spoonful to make it truly Christmas. I always drink a Boddingtons (beer) on Christmas. My father-in-law always have one (or two, or...you get the idea) when we head over to Wantage (a village near Oxford) for Christmas, so whether he's here or not, I have one in his honor. When I go home to my family's (Pittsburgh or Philadelphia), my dad always wraps up a pepperoni for me from the Strip (little Pittsburgh flavor for you). The best pepperoni on earth and it travels on planes nicely. And my dad always buys us one lottery ticket and one scratch off. We've been doing that since I can remember. I never win though.
Kristin - Spaghetti and pork chops? Oh please share.
Merry Christmas my friend and keep on building the family traditions.
Richard: The stark difference between these photos is really something. But I like how you tie it all together with having the same enthusiasm for the holiday itself. Christmas in our house is going to be almost non-existent when it comes to gifts, but we are certainly excited to have our traditions. Family dinners and brunches, trips out on Christmas Eve to view neighborhood Christmas lights and things like that. This really is a magical time of year, gifts or not.
I love old photographs. Christmas like no other time of the year is when our traditions really start to show. Hope you have a great one my friend.
Hi Richard -'loved the photographs! Family traditions are what Chritmas is really about. For the first time, our grandkids helped decorate our tree this year. They remembered the stories they knew about some of the ornaments they had asked about in years past.. they are only 6 and 4!! New traditions and old are the threads that bind! Thanks for the post! Merry Christmas, Richard.
Barb...
What wonderful and special holiday traditions! I hope that you are able to pass them on to your family! Have a wonderful Christmas!
Mel...
I am way beyond creative! Hmmm do you think they'll fall for I.O.U's?
Kristin...
I'm sorry, what did you say? I can't get my mind off of the spaghetti and pork chops ...Yummy!
Lourdes...
Somehow, I was entrusted with a lot of old photos and memorabilia! I have a special one for Christmas Eve! Thanks, and Merry Christmas!
Steve...
As you may have already guessed (why not, I do everything else) I was a scale model railroader for most of my young life. I'm supposed to set up a permanent one in the basement, but you know how that goes!
Laura...
Susan M and I had discussed the seven fishes, and they're getting harder and harder to find! lol and ho, ho, ho!
Richard ~ I love the photo of the 1930's Christmas Tree. And then the contrast of the bright colors and increased decorations of the 1988 Tree and Hearth. I too love Christmas, and still enjoy many of the traditions that I enjoyed as a child. And am enjoying passing them along to my daughter, as well as creating new ones with her. Merry Christmas!! ~A:)
Hi Richard - I love this time of year as well. There are so many wonderful memories of Christmas past and even though much of my family has passed on we continue traditions with our immediate family. We are making memories for our children and passing on the traditions we grew up with as kids.
Richard...love the old tree that your father had...reminds me that I need to put up my train set around the tree...nest year I guess!
I never even thought about I.O.U.'s. Now that is creative!
Matt...
OK now you're just deliberately trying to freak me out! When I got married in 1973, my grandfather gave me a hundred dollar bill and a pepperoni. One of those good, italian pepperonis. That marriage didn't fare so well and I still miss that pepperoni!
Don...
Thanks for the ornament and the best wishes!
Chris Ann...
The non-gift theme seems to be common theme year, but we will have a blast anyway!
Hi Richard, I love the photos, especially the older one that was taken when your father was a child.
I t is fun to go back in time we have video for several Christmas times when the kids were small. It does go by fast enjoy it.
I never had a Christmas tree in my house growing up, we never celebrated Christmas. The reasons were not religious based or finacialy based, we just never did. I still today do not celebrate Christmas with my immediate family.
As an adult though and with my family (Wife,Kids), we go all out. We may not be able to afford all the gifts the kids want, but they plenty. I put my tree up in October and the pumpkins have to share space with the Santas. Lights start going up, Christmas music playing, Its my time of year.
The neighbors think I am crazy, but thats OK. I have many years of no tree to make up for, so tend to over do it now. My kids love it when the tree goes up, thats all that matters.
JL...
They say that Christmas is for kids, but I think it's for the kid inside us!
Mary...
Isn't it great to be able to pass the tradition on to the grandkids? How wonderful!
Alisha...
It is a bridge from one generation to the next! I think it really binds families together!
I was thinking about family and tradition when I was trimming my tree. There's a story behind each trinket on the tree.
Some of my siblings still keep family traditions, but some do not even put up a tree. But, they do celebrate the birth of our savior. And, that is one tradition we all keep. Liked the tree photos.
Richard.... we do keep our family and friends close to us through traditions... I hope you and your family have a fantastic Christmas... keep on making and reliving those family traditions!
Richard - Wow that's really strange. Maybe we're distantly related somewhere. The pepperoni my dad gives is some of the best pepperoni I've ever had. Perfecly made, perfectly seasoned, not at all mushy (like most grocery store varieties), and absolutely delicious. We used to have pepperoni in spaghetti sauces as a kid, much like you would put Italian sausage in and cook it with the sauce, we did that with pepperoni. Talk about memories of childhood...I think I have to make some soon.
I recently wrote about one of my family traditions that I didn't realize changed my view on life and Christmas and now we are considering making it part of our families tradition.
I DO LOVE CHRISTMAS!