Day 9 - Traditions
It's hard for me to write about traditions right now. My Grandma Laura just passed away a month ago. Her passing is the end to a whole line of traditions. Not only with Christmas, but with other things too. Christmas on my Dad's side of the family has always been big. 6 brothers and sisters and 12 grandchildren and then spouses and great grand kids. As a child we'd dress up on Chrstmas and head out to the farm. There was a small tree in the corner with homemade ornaments on it. The blue 'davenport', also known as a loveseat, was pushed in the coner and the whole 2 front rooms opened up. At that time we got presents from every family. Everyone got something and there were loads of wrapping paper and boxes. The Christmas meal was a sit down meal of ham. The adults at one table and us kids at another. As years progresses and I got older th presents started lessening. Cousins exchanged names and I remember buying small jewelry for Julie and other things one year. More recently it's ended up that we go over to Grandma's house in town and spend an hour or so talking with the family that we see once a year. I don't know where next year will take us, without her.
Christmas at my mom's parents was very different. I remember as a kid, sitting on the stairs to the basement while my Grandma, Mom and Aunt went down to see if Santa came while we were eating. Yes, Santa came to my Grandma's house too. We 4 cousins would sit on the stairs and my Grandpa would keep us company. I miss that. I miss those times that he was tender and engaged with us cousins. My Grandma would come around the corner and take a picture of us and say that she was trying to find something, then yell from the other room that Santa had come! We'd run from the stairs into the other room and tear into the presents waiting under the tree. My uncle Scott always got each of us kids PJ's and slippers. Always. And we'd change into them after presents and out of our Christmas best. I think that my love of Bing Crosby and Sinatra and all those oldie Christmas songs from Grandma & Grandpa's house. They'd play it on the old stereo and have it piped in the basement where we were.
Christmas at home...it was rushed. i think that's what I'll always remember. As a family we'd have Sant come the morning of the 24th or sometimes the 23rd. Santa seemed to come when it worked for us. And as a child I never questioned it. We'd get a large gift from Santa along with smaller ones and presents from each other. Ultimately Kim and I got the same things - just different colors or models. It wasn't until Christmas night or the day after Christmas that we'd get to play with the new toys. After all the running from house to house.
Traditions - both good and bad.
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