OT: Holiday Traditions
I have been reading through some of the threads and it is sad to see all the negativity. I thought that maybe posting a topic about something other than football and a little bit more easy on the nerves might get some people off the ledge.
It is November and the holidays are fast approaching. What are some of your holiday traditions you enjoy every year?
I have a lot of the usual ones like feasting on Thanksgiving and drinking a few beers with the relatives while we sit and watch football. But Holloween with my daughter made me realize how much fun the upcoming and future holidays will be. This will be her first Thanksgiving and Christmas she will somewhat understand what is going on. She is only 18 months old and is really starting to interact with everyone and everthing around her.
I am really looking forward to starting our own traditons as a family so I was just wondering what some of yours where?
P.S. See, there are things more important than footbal! Not by much but more important none the less!
[EDIT] I saw the Holloween post and thought one about Thanksgiving and Christmas would be good too. Wasn't trying to steal his idea, just build on it.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:41 AM ^
Starting this link was a great idea!
I enjoy spending time with my family and watching the Lions play on Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, we haven't had much of an opportunity to celebrate the Lions' play over the last few...well, since Barry Sanders was around.
Again, great post.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:51 AM ^
Nothing like the holidays to get a smile on your face. The best is eating early, falling asleep while watching football and then getting up for seconds.
Its also nice to have the house to myself the next day while my wife does all the shopping.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:54 AM ^
There is nothing, NOTHING, quite like the smell of Thanksgiving dinner cooking. Especially when you're not the one actually making dinner and you get to sleep in.
And I know you said there are things more important than football, and this is very true. But the season is always merrier after having beaten the Buckeyes.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:59 AM ^
I'm working on breaking tradition this T-giving with a trip up to College Station to see the UT/TAMU game live.
Normally though, it's ribs, tamales, brisket, and turkey for Thanksgiving around my family. Emphasis on the brisket. After food is done, it's beer and avoiding certain sides of my family. No sugarcoat.
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 PM ^
A bunch of my relatives are Aggies and we usually make the TAMC vs. t.u. game an annual tradition (don't think I'll be able to fly back for it this year, though). Kyle Field is a really cool place to see a game, especially if you have a guide to point out all the goofy Aggie traditions/yells/etc. Try to hit Yell Practice and the Bonfire the night before and be sure to stop in at the Dixie Chicken, where they have a pet rattlesnake and you can watch somebody "dunk their ring" while you carve your name into the walls (trust me, someone will have a knife you can borrow).
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:29 PM ^
Oh, I'm not unfamiliar with the Dixie Chick. I also was around as a kid during bonfire construction before the whole thing went sour. I'm glad I didn't join the cult that is A&M. As an outsider looking in, some of their stuff is just way weird man.
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:33 PM ^
Yeah, that video is priceless. I forwarded it to my cousin (who played in the 12th Man program) and his palpable disgust (even through text and email messages) was pretty hilarious. It definitely caused some vomiting in Aggieland.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:09 AM ^
I have always loved Christmas as long as I can remember. It was more than the presents too. As a kid it was a lot to do with that, but the time off school to play with my other friends, hockey on the frozen ponds etc was my most favorite parts.
Now that I am 35 it is mostly about family. I have quadruplet 16 month olds and this will be their first Christmas where they can actually take part a bit. My brother and his family have just moved home and now my 4 siblings, their families and my parents all live within 3 minute drive from one another.
The traditions start with us watching our various favorite Christmas movies leading up to Christmas eve, culminating with Christams Vacation and It's a Wonderful Life late Christams eve.
My Father started a tradition with our family when I was about 6 and My wife and I decided we would carry it on when we got married 9 years ago.
We just find a family in our community that we know is needy and try and give them a good Christmas, one they otherwise wouldn't be able to have. There are a lot of famillies in our community that don't have a lot so we do a little research and try to find the ones in most need.
We just buy everything they would need for a good Christmas dinner and get some gifts that we think they would like. We don't spend much on the parents, usually just some gift certificates, but try to give the children in the family and good Christmas.
We write from Mom and Dad on the presents for the kids because we want them to think their parents did it for them, not some random person.
We go to their house late in the evening Christmas eve, unload the gifts and then knock on the door and run away. I wear a Santa Claus costume in case someone sees me so that no one will know who it is from. The last thing we want is for them to know who did it and feel some obligation to pay us back.
We live in a small community so we often hear how our gifts have been received by various means and it is always nice to hear how grateful the people are.
We often hear the people we gave the gifts to speculate as to who it was that left them. I heard one mother say that her children answered the door and were convinced it was Santa Claus. Another single mother said she was sure it was her ex-husband (who never disputed the fact) amd it lead them on a path to reconciliation. Lots of great memories.
As I said, this is something my Dad started and we have kept going since we got married. It is always one of the highlights of Christmas for me every year.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 AM ^
Are you in Yarmouth, ME Blue? If so, it probably explains why I enjoy reading your posts so much.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 AM ^
but no, just a ferry ride away though. Yarmouth Nova Scotia.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:11 AM ^
What a fantastic idea. Kudos to you and your family for doing that. I'd love to start that tradition once I have a family of my own!
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:17 AM ^
+1,000,000 to you and yours. That's an inspiring tradition. My wife and I do something similar. The local mall has what they call an angel tree that has angel cardboard ornaments on it which is actually families or individuals that are in need and it has their sizes and needs on the cards.
Speaking of movies. Who doesn't like the 24 hour marathon of " A Christmas Story" on TBS. No matter how long you get stuck at the in-laws you can always catch it on.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:05 AM ^
There is nothing better than a perfectly cooked brisket but I have to ask. How did the tomales and ribs get added in the mix. I mean I guess it makes sense because they are all full of awesomeness. That is what is cool about the holidays. Everybody has their own things they do and they are all unique in their own way.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 AM ^
T-giving is the wonderful blending of deep fried turkeys (at least 2 flavor injected styles) with pierogi, kielbasa, cheese blintzes, rye bread, and hearty beers (Tyskie, Warka, Okocim). Sports all day with noone complaining and then a delicious food coma to end it all. Now with the newborn, I'm planning one modification-- food coma will entail baby sleeping on my chest.
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:55 PM ^
a kid living in windsor i had 2 thanksgivings. we really never did anything for canadian thanksgiving and i would end up at my friends house eating dinner with his family. but american thanksgiving was the best. my mom would pull me out of school so we could head over to dearborn to go to my god mothers for dinner. my moms entire family would be there. sadly that came to an end once my god mother got to old to do that much work, then it moved to my grandparents house and is now being held at my aunts and it is just immediate family.
christmas is and will always be my favorite, partly because my birthday is the week before. on christmas eve we would go to my step dads moms house and it would suck other than the food. but on christmas day i would be up at 5am jumping on my mom and step dads bed telling them to get up. after we were done opening gifts we load up the car and head to my grandparents house for christmas dinner and to open presents. there was nothing better then walking into that house and seeing the whole living room filled with gifts. we would eat dinner then open gifts. this also came to an end when my grandparents had to be put into a home.
i also can't wait to start my own family tradtions once my wife and i have kids.
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:15 PM ^
We usually have a very traditional Thanksgiving layout: Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean cassarole, cranberry sauce, apple and pumpkin pie, cheese ball, lots of beer-for those who choose to partake...However, this year we are breaking tradition and having Beef Bourguignonne. (Beef, Mushrooms, and other veggies braised in a Burgandy wine all day...served over roasted garlic potatoes or rice) Since my brother is going to be out of town for the holiday, my Dad wanted to do something differant. I can't wait either, i'm going to get my Weis on, in a big way.