If you live in the area, I highly recommend the Christkindlmarket in Chicago. The weather isn't the best, but the shops and food make up for it. I apologize for the inactivity on my blog. You see, I’m a procrastinator so I’m doing everything now to be ready by Christmas Eve and Christmas. I’ll be spending Christmas Eve at my brother’s house enjoying good food, yearly memories and traditions. On Christmas, I’ll be celebrating at my sister’s house. Christmas Eve and Christmas are my favorite holidays and I am looking forward to being with my family.
A recent tradition we started is letter writing. On Thanksgiving, we put all our names in a hat and everyone takes a piece of paper with a name without telling anyone who it is then writes them a letter. It’s a time to express what that person means to you. On Christmas Eve, we put our letters on a plate and on the way out the door take it home to read in private. Sometimes we forget to tell the ones we love the most how we feel and this gives us the opportunity to do so.
Does your family have any traditions?
I most likely will not be back until after Christmas, so I want to wish you a Merry Christmas. May God keep you safe in your travels and celebrations.
Merry Christmas to you too, Bea!
ReplyDeleteWriting those letters and telling someone why he or she is special to you is a wonderful Christmas tradition and I hope your family will keep it alive for a long time. It's a gift nobody can buy for money.
Have a wonderful Christmas Time with your family!
Jakie
P.S.: My answers to your quiz are coming up, I only have to watch the movie a couple of times to get then right ;)
Hi Bea!
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on your Blog posts. This one and the subsequent one. Glad to hear your Christmas went well and was fun. I did OK as well. I received three pair of size 44 waste jeans down one size as I succeeded in losing a little weight during the past year. I know there is a long way to go yet. :D I hope that the New Year brings me down to 42 or better. Oh the days when I was a 34. LOL!
As far as the family traditions in the old days when the upper generation of my side of the family was still with us. We shared very thin Christmas wafers before Christmas dinner started. The head of the family would break a small piece off of the wafer and distribute it to each member of the family giving them a kiss and wishing them a joyful feast and good health and happiness going forward. Then each family member would take a wafer and do the very same thing.
Currently there is the annual Christmas Eve dinner at my sister-in-laws house. It is a dinner comprising of seven different types of sea food and/or fish representing a traditional seven fish dinner. A great time with the festivities starting at about 6 PM and going onto 12 AM or so Christmas morning.
Your letter writing tradition that you mentioned is neat. I mentioned it to my daughter and she liked it. Maybe we’ll try it next year.
Wishing you the best of writing success and recognition in the New Year.
Hey Veejay!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear your Christmas was good. Yes, I remember the days when I was much, much smaller than I am today.
As for the Christmas wafers, it's a Lithuanian tradition too. The Polish call them opłatek and the Lithuanian's call it plotkelė. We use to break the Christmas wafers but somehow moved away from that tradition. I'll have to mention it to my mom for next year. True Lithuanians also practice the tradition of a 12 course Kūčios supper. I might not be following the courses normally offered with Kūčios supper, but I've never had a problem with 12 courses. LOL!
It's nice to hear your daughter liked our letter writing idea. Traditions are great to start, especially for each generation so they can remember those precious moments of childhood.
And Veejay, I appreciate your wishes for me. I wish you a wonderful New Year and may everyday bring you joy and new adventures.