What is your favorite non-holiday tradition?

michelle_phxaz

12 years ago

What is something you do with your family that has become a tradition? Do you ever change it up?

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Comments (5)

rosepetal2
12 years ago
when I am home over the summer (I live in England, my family is in Nebraska) my 2 sisters and I go to a citywide garage sale in July and a large neighborhood one in Aug. Both are usually on the hottest days of the year but we enjoy finding bargains for each other and our extended family and crashing somewhere that is air conditioned for lunch then we're off again for more bargains. It has become "our special time" together. We share laughs, old time memories and just being with each other. I always look forward to those weekends.
Diane
jel48
12 years ago
Camping get together with my sisters (and any of our kids, grandkids, etc, that can make it) in Iowa every July. We missed this year because of the flooding on the Missouri River (park was flooded) but I wouldn't have been able to make it anyway since I had a grandbaby due that same time in Minnesota. I love our camping trip! We started it as a way of making sure we would all still get together, on some sort of regular basis, after my mom passed away.
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This is a good thread, very enjoyable. There are so many favorites, but two that are special to me are: 1. I'll Be Home for Christmas. My father would tell us every time that the song came on about how this was the song they played on the ship on his way to Germany during the Korean War. It became such a funny thing that when I was older, I would end up calling him when I would hear it and say "Dad, did I ever tell you about the time you were on a ship in the army and they played "I'll Be Home for Christmas?...well it's on the radio right now". What a great guy he was, miss him a lot. 2. "Oh Holy Night" a memory created only about 6 years ago--we were on a cruise for Christmas, and we were leaving St. Lucia on Christmas Eve, so standing at the aft of shift watching the island disappear, this was the song that was softly playing on the ship's PA system. Oh, the goosebumps I get. I still don't know if it was Celine Dion or Gloria Estefan singing it. So of course, I have both versions on my iTouch.
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We have some variations from year to year, but my dad (twice widowed) comes for Christmas from about two hours away. He's here now and will stay til Monday. I don't have siblings and extended family lives very far away. I am grateful that he is a very youthful 76 and has no problems making the drive! This afternoon, as always, we let the kids open their present from us -- always 2 or 3 books for each. Then they open gifts from each other, which is a tradition they started on their own and I find it very sweet. Tonight we will go to a "fancy" restaurant like terriks, and then to our neighbor's house across the street for a couple of hours. Even though my kids are 10, 16, and 19, even the older ones like to go to bed early on Christmas Eve so they can get to Christmas morning! Ssnta always leaves the kids' stockings outside their bedroom doors. I'm considering stopping that tradition this year, because DS, age 19, has some kind of interior alarm that wakes him at something like 4 am every Christmas and I can hear him grabbing the stocking and dumping it on his floor. He is like a little kid every Christmas. Santa puts the rest of the presents in the basement playroom (the tree is upstairs in the family room) -- a great idea Santa came up with many years ago because that's where the toys belong, after all. We'll have a huge breakfast (egg/hash brown casserole, fruit salad, chocolate croissants, cinnamon rolls) and then snack-ish food throughout the day -- cheeses and crackers, fruit, pigs in blankets, etc. My SIL and BIL will stop by in the afternoon, and family friends will stop by for dessert. And I will probably be in bed by 9 pm!
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We have ONLY apps for Christmas Day because family visits at random times throuhgout the day and it's impossible to coordinate a sit-down dinner. So it's very casual. Mtn, please tell me about the ham and cheese thumbprint cookies? We always have a few types of cheese and crackers. DH is really into cheese, so I let him do the choosing there. Also, a big veggie/crudite type platter. A big favorite that couldn't be easier -- a log of goat cheese with a little bowl of fig preserves next to it, with a tiny spoon, and some fancy crackers (I like Raincoast Crisps salty date and almond crackers). Spread cheese on cracker, add a little dollop of fig jam, so yummy. You can also heat up the jam a bit in the microwave and drizzle it over the goat cheese instead. I have also made my favorite app in the world, which I got from my neighbor, which involves wontons, chicken, and ranch dip. Sounds weird but it is amazing. I'll try to find the recipe...
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bulldinkie
12 years ago
Our family gets together, all of us every Thursday nite for dinner.11 of us
satine_gw
12 years ago
Bulldinkie, what a wonderful tradition! My sister hosts a girls weekend at her lake cottage every year. The number of ladies attending varies according to work, vacations, etc but we have had as many as 15. This year we had to cancel because my sister's husband is quite ill. I think when we resume it will be a smaller group as some of the younger girls are now into teendom and sports etc. of course, there are also new little ones to take their place. Traditions are good. Satine
Adella Bedella
12 years ago
During the summer, I take my kids out at least one place every week. It might be out to eat or to the zoo or some special event going on. I make sure I do something with them every week that is fun so we don't just let the time pass us by.

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What is your favorite non-holiday tradition?

Comments (5)

rosepetal2

jel48

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bulldinkie

satine_gw

Adella Bedella

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