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Happy Thanksgiving, Americans.
I hope it's a good day for y'all!
I'm one of those people for whom the term 'family' also means 'relatives'. I'd trust my relatives to look after me, to be there for me, to help me out of a hole - even one of my own making, and not to cheat me out of anything that's mine.
I'm not sure if that makes me 'lucky' or not. I'm not really sure it matters, except that I do have "family" - ie. people I can count on - which I firmly believe everyone should have and I know so many people don't.
Our traditions at this time of year are simply: a Christmas with the extended family (relatives and orphaned friends), plenty of food and drink and conversation and laughter, a chance to catch up with the relatives we've lost touch with in the last year.
Oh, and opening presents together on Christmas morning, before we go anywhere for lunch (which is the big meal for us). That's going to be tricky this year since stepbro 1 and his g/f are going to be in China on big travel journey over Christmas. We'll do something when they get back, but I think the stepdad will feel it on Christmas morning.
Otherwise, there's the traditions of Potato Salad (sour cream, boiled eggs, mayo), and Pavlova (there's never enough for seconds and never any leftover), Smoked Salmon, Prawns, Mum's Ohmygod Noodles, and Way Too Much Ham For Everyone To Finish. But that's just food.
There's no Putting Up Of The Tree for us (the tree's already up...my sister didn't take it down last Christmas), or carolling or, really, anything particularly specific.
My aunt on my father's side wants us to go around to her place for Christmas Eve Lunch with that side of the family, and I'm going to see if I can swing the time. We're not close the way we are with my mother's side of the family, but they're good people, even if my uncle is not exactly a thrilling conversationalist. And they're family.
I'm a little curious and I'm not sure I've ever asked this question before: what kind of traditions do you have for this time of year? Are they your own, carry-overs from your parents/family, or adopted from somewhere else? And do you enjoy this time of year, or do you look upon it with dread and loathing?
I hope it's a good day for y'all!
I'm one of those people for whom the term 'family' also means 'relatives'. I'd trust my relatives to look after me, to be there for me, to help me out of a hole - even one of my own making, and not to cheat me out of anything that's mine.
I'm not sure if that makes me 'lucky' or not. I'm not really sure it matters, except that I do have "family" - ie. people I can count on - which I firmly believe everyone should have and I know so many people don't.
Our traditions at this time of year are simply: a Christmas with the extended family (relatives and orphaned friends), plenty of food and drink and conversation and laughter, a chance to catch up with the relatives we've lost touch with in the last year.
Oh, and opening presents together on Christmas morning, before we go anywhere for lunch (which is the big meal for us). That's going to be tricky this year since stepbro 1 and his g/f are going to be in China on big travel journey over Christmas. We'll do something when they get back, but I think the stepdad will feel it on Christmas morning.
Otherwise, there's the traditions of Potato Salad (sour cream, boiled eggs, mayo), and Pavlova (there's never enough for seconds and never any leftover), Smoked Salmon, Prawns, Mum's Ohmygod Noodles, and Way Too Much Ham For Everyone To Finish. But that's just food.
There's no Putting Up Of The Tree for us (the tree's already up...my sister didn't take it down last Christmas), or carolling or, really, anything particularly specific.
My aunt on my father's side wants us to go around to her place for Christmas Eve Lunch with that side of the family, and I'm going to see if I can swing the time. We're not close the way we are with my mother's side of the family, but they're good people, even if my uncle is not exactly a thrilling conversationalist. And they're family.
I'm a little curious and I'm not sure I've ever asked this question before: what kind of traditions do you have for this time of year? Are they your own, carry-overs from your parents/family, or adopted from somewhere else? And do you enjoy this time of year, or do you look upon it with dread and loathing?
long comment is long. sorry!
Black Friday: All the women of the family (on my mother's side; we're not as close to my dad's side) get up at some extremely early hour (I think we're 3am this year) and go shopping. We shop all day until close to midnight. Many of us get the majority of our Christmas shopping done in one go. This is one of my favorite traditions b/c I like being one of a crowd and b/c it doesn't require cooking.
Cookie Day: Sometime between Tgiving and Christmas. We cook cookies of all kinds. Lots and lots. Then we divvy them up among the now four families (my eldest aunt rarely joins in, sadly) and that's about it.
Christmas Eve: BIG dinner at my maternal grandparents' house. All maternal family in attendance. HUGE potluck dinner (note: each holiday has its own set of dishes that are eaten that holiday. Christmas has ham, maybe a turkey, certain casseroles, veggies, a cheese ball, etc). Again, food is brought by the women of the family, save for my uncle who does this baked cheese thing. (One of the ways I marked my growing up over the years is bringing something for the holidays). Then we open presents from grandparents and from whoever got our name from the drawing on Tgiving.
Christmas Day: I stay over at my parents' house. Wake up and open stocking gifts on my own. Before my sister got married, we'd open morning gifts together, then head to my paternal grandparents' for Christmas brunch and presents from them (this is a huge gathering as well. My two paternal aunts and grandmother provide all the food). Then we go to my maternal grandmother's again and eat leftovers that evening. Now, though, I think my mother does Christmas morning breakfast, so I'm not entirely sure how everything goes.
New Year's Eve: We go to my aunt's house and eat a variety of finger foods. Sports play on the television until the ball drop, if anyone remembers. Best part of NYE is the board games. We play new games we got for Christmas, as well as old favorites. I love board games, so this is lots of fun.
New Year's Day: Maternal grandmother's house again. Lots of food again. This is the one time of the year my grandmother makes cabbage rolls. Every year she has to make more. There are also, of course, black eyed peas. Lunch, leftovers for dinner, and return home early-ish b/c kids of have school in the morning and some of the adults have work.
And that is my family's holiday season.
Re: long comment is long. sorry!
XEve: Maternal g.parents and drawing gift
Xmorn1: Parents and siblings
Xmorn2: Paternal grandmother
Attendants are family/relatives and significant others. My cousin is bringing a friend to Tgiving this year and there has been Talk (also b/c said friend is about five years younger than my cousin, also female, and they seem 'too close'). My mother's older sister hasn't been coming around b/c of differences in family values (aka, my mother didn't get sufficiently upset with my sister for getting pregnant). But, yeah, for the most part, like you said, family are relatives and people who I can rely upon in a pinch-- even if they make me angry sometimes and even if they don't understand my ambitions/etc at all.
Anyway, with the exception of my brother, my entire family lives within a half hour of each other. It makes staying connected really easy. It also means a very well-oiled gossip mill.
Re: long comment is long. sorry!
And that's a lot of eating in the space of a month! Although the food sounds fantastic. :)