Growing up the anticipation of the family traditions during the holiday seasons brought about excitement and warm feelings. Krienert Christmas at the senior citizen center where a grand buffet of soups, vegetables and sugar cookies were the precursor to many loud games of spoons. The anticipation throughout Christmas Eve day was just too much, I could hardly wait for the church choir songs of the season prior to midnight mass. It was even harder to wait for my brother to make his 10-course snack meal after midnight mass before we could settle into our spots in the living room to open Christmas presents. However, just like time, traditions change.
During my first Christmas home as a college freshman my mom and I had a long talk about our family traditions. At the time, she said the family expectation would be to continue the same family traditions until my sister graduated from high school. She did not believe it was okay for her to not have all of the traditions I grew up with. Yet, she also encouraged me to help decide a new family tradition as our family began to move to the next stages of life, with the kids moving out of the house and eventually getting married.
Now, here we are at the crossroads where our family traditions are beginning to change. Calyn just finished her first semester of college. And our expectations of the family Christmas Eve meal of Chinese will continue on until Zephyr graduates high school, yet, I decided it was a great time to start a new tradition: building gingerbread houses. We hardly took the time to sit down and build when our kids where little, but I thought if I made it a big production and a big deal about the evening, it would be good start to something new. I had fun creating the evening by decorating the table, laying out many different candy decorations, and I even making the homemade the frosting or “paste” as I called it. I did not think the kids were too excited at first for the idea, however, in the midst of the building it became apparent how much fun they were actually having. I enjoyed listening to the kids talk back and forth, watching Addi secretly tiptoe about so no one would see her creation, watching the kids sneak candy to eat, and watching Zephyr’s creation implode on itself (we do not need to mention who helped him).
Now, here we are at the crossroads where our family traditions are beginning to change. Calyn just finished her first semester of college. And our expectations of the family Christmas Eve meal of Chinese will continue on until Zephyr graduates high school, yet, I decided it was a great time to start a new tradition: building gingerbread houses. We hardly took the time to sit down and build when our kids where little, but I thought if I made it a big production and a big deal about the evening, it would be good start to something new. I had fun creating the evening by decorating the table, laying out many different candy decorations, and I even making the homemade the frosting or “paste” as I called it. I did not think the kids were too excited at first for the idea, however, in the midst of the building it became apparent how much fun they were actually having. I enjoyed listening to the kids talk back and forth, watching Addi secretly tiptoe about so no one would see her creation, watching the kids sneak candy to eat, and watching Zephyr’s creation implode on itself (we do not need to mention who helped him).
My heart was bursting with love as I looked around and watched my kids tap into their inner child to decorate the best little gingerbread house. I smiled as I reminisced about my conversation with my mom. This new tradition is just what my heart needed. The evening was filled with so much laughter and joy.
We all anticipate our family traditions whether they are around the holidays or just any random day in the spring or summer yet at some point some traditions will change. Life changes, our kids are growing up, but no matter how much we change, I know the anticipation, the curiosity, and magic of this season will always remain.
We all anticipate our family traditions whether they are around the holidays or just any random day in the spring or summer yet at some point some traditions will change. Life changes, our kids are growing up, but no matter how much we change, I know the anticipation, the curiosity, and magic of this season will always remain.