Traditions

I have been thinking a lot about holiday traditions.As a child you enter into the traditions that your family has established. I have fond memories of various traditions that my family had. The happy birthday Jesus party. Reading the Christmas story and.. my favorite... getting to place the nativity piece, that I was holding, wherever I wanted to in the display! The year we finally got to have a tree. How we would a lot of times have people join us who needed family. I LOVE all the different people I got to know!

I highly value that my mom sought to create traditions with my brothers and I after my dad left. Divorce can greatly change traditions.

As my brothers and I grew older our family traditions changed too.

The one thing that remained the same all the years? My youngest brother Michael had the distinctive honor of handing out our gifts. Then we would open one gift at a time.. one after another. It always felt like that was a nice quiet time of really valuing each other.
My brother Matthew is married now and his wife Monique did not know of this tradition. Ah... a cultural experience. :-)

But then again... Matt being married changes traditions again.

I am thinking that when you are single, and near your family, you stay in those traditions. When you are married, you incorporate both your traditions and create new traditions. And when you have children you incorporate new traditions for them.

Me? I am single, away from my family of origin, away from the friends I grew up with.. so what are my traditions? I love tradition! Someday, if God blesses me to have a husband and children, I want to read the Christmas story, go together to get a tree, celebrate the season of Advent, make gingerbread people, watch Elf and It's a Wonderful Life, visit people we love and invite them over too!
But for now... I find friends to go to the Christmas Markets with me, we freeze and then get hot beverages and hot bratwurst. :-) I eagerly hope for surprise packages from those I love who are not with me. And I try to send packages and cards, to call and email these whom I love and miss.

For some reason, finding and hauling a tree by myself does not sound fun... but... I put out the nativity set that I purchased in Austria a couple years ago. That was a delightful find.. a nativity set that I loved found in the town that I lived in 12 years ago. I plan to always put that out...


So.. .traditions. I feel like there are traditions I am missing (with those back in the States), traditions on hold (for a future family) and transitional traditions that are here now.

I am looking forward to spending this Christmas eve with a family in town. I enjoy them. We will have Raclette... a swiss specialty and common in this area... stinky but delicious cheese with lots of other stuff.. the perfect hang out and chat meal. :-)

And Christmas day with a couple who have been a blessing here to me already! Thad and Jana are a delight!