Christmas Traditions

Could I have picked a better day to write this story? No, no I could not.

I usually try to write something at Christmas, even if it's just a Facebook post. This year I've had some things on my mind and was concocting this whole story about Christmas wishes, Peace on Earth, Martin Luther King, dreamers and the things going on in the world around us this 24th day of December, year 2014.

Actually started it. And then one more incident of the world around us being completely screwed up and I'm just not in the mood. Because anything hopeful at this point seems like, as Dr. Evil recently said so eloquently; "two bald guy's fighting over a comb. What's the point?" World peace isn't going to happen while we're on the verge a new age race war, perhaps even civil war.

Sure that's maybe a little far fetched at this point, but looks possible on paper.

And that's not anything that I want to write about on Christmas Eve.

So, because I still need to pick up chocolate covered cherries for my Mom, which is a tradition I keep, I got to thinking about how Christmas Traditions have changed for me and my family over the years. And then I wondered how many families have gone through how many tradition changes, evolving to where they are, and how many haven't had many changes.

I think weird things once in awhile. If I didn't you wouldn't have this website to look at.

So I decided I'd write about Christmas Traditions in my family and how they've evolved over the years.

When I was a child we had three sets of grandparents because my Dad's parents had divorced and remarried.

All three had different traditions.

And we, as in my immediate family, had a tradition of attending all three of those traditions.

Christmas Eve was at my Mom's parents. Grandma ran a deli for her day job but that did not stop her from insisting on homemade food at home. So Grandma would always make a big dinner Christmas Eve, we'd be there all day, open presents at night. Cheese, sausage,& crackers before , during and after presents. Including a variety of Kaukauna Cheese spreads. Yum. Maybe some Lawrence Welk or other Christmas Special that was actually on ON Christmas. Unlike these days.

When we'd get home, Randy & I and Toni when she was there would get to open one present from our parents.

Christmas morning Santa had stopped by, us kids lost our minds, Mom made breakfast while Dad tormented us about getting to open our presents.

Christmas Day we would head over to Mauston to my Dad's father & step-mothers. Big Christmas dinner, open presents, stay over night, next day head to Berlin to my Dad's mother & her husbands. We'd stay there all day open presents later in the evening. Grandma Jo ALWAYS had pickled herring and every year I would cautiously try just a little bit. I haven't had it since childhood and to be honest, I can no longer remember whether I liked it or not.

Grandma Jo also always had a flashy, silver, fake Christmas tree that was brighter than the Vegas strip. In her trailer house. It could blind the uninitiated. She also had a breakfast bar with cabinets that was always lit up too, but somehow the counter under the cabinets remained dark as hell when you were reaching for a snack.

From there it'd be the trip back to Appleton. Now, (long, long pause), I'm going to tell you about the trip home and some may curse me for this but screw it, my family, my story, I'll tell it if I want.

So every year on the way home us kids would be in the back seat of whatever vehicle we were driving in at the time. Dad driving. Staring off into space and nodding from time to time.

Mom kind of complaining up & down about Grandma Jo or Grandpa Cliff. Grandma Jo was a cheap you know what "B" word, and Grandpa Cliff was a mean, curmudgeonly letch. Bear in mind that Grandma Jo and Grandpa Cliff are my Dads parents. My Mom got along FINE with his step parent's on each side, Grandma Lee & Grandpa Vern. (By the way, my Moms parents names were Cliff and Marion, but they were ONLY Grandma & Grandpa to us- seriously, they were so rock star they only had one name, like Elvis & Cher).

Mom was opinionated in some things. And about some people. She was a sweet woman most of the time and when Grandma Jo passed she never said anything bad about her again, and eventually she even started to get along with Grandpa Cliff until she passed.

The first big change came when my Grandma died. My Grandpa had died two years before and even though he was gone, Christmas Eve and Christmas itself didn't change much other than that.

When Grandma died, my Mom became the matriarch of the family and Christmas Eve moved to our house out on Sandra Drive.

Mom's approach was different than Grandma's. Grandma would always make the big dinner, while Mom's thing was snacks. Cheese, sausage & crackers remained, but added were fried foods, mushrooms, cheese curds et al, pizza and whatever else she thought looked good, quick and easy.

When my Mom died my Aunt Donna became the matriarch but didn't necessarily host Christmas Eve. Donna was more of a free spirit adventurer than my Mom & she always had us go from house to house in no particular order, a different one each year. Hers, mine or Randy's.

Meanwhile in my own home I carried on my Mom's snack tradition. The cheese, sausage & crackers are a staple. However while I mix it up yearly like Mom, there are some constants. My liver sausage & cream cheese spread for one, which is right now distributing it's goodness throughout while I write. The other thing is I also mix whatever looks good, quick & easy with good, not so quick homemade stuff too.

This year I started a new tradition. Scotty's Grandma used to make him dried beef dip and he loved it. It's been a couple years so I got the stuff. Then I had him find a recipe & make it.

Over the years developed the Christmas morning breakfast. Scotty & I both get stuffed. We get frozen bread dough, hard salami, Swiss cheese & boiled eggs. Mmm. Do not spare the butter. No. This one breakfast of the year, slather it nice & thick on that hot bread.

This will be the first year for Kris. She shall become initiated tomorrow morning.

However I'm changing the eggs from boiled to poached or baked. I haven't decided which yet. I'm liking the idea of yolk running over the whole works.

And tonight the three of us will enjoy an array of snacks, both homemade and good quick & easy. We'll watch Christmas cartoons and a Christmas movie. Perhaps A Christmas Story. Home Alone? We'll decide. Tomorrow at some point a It's A Wonderful Life will make an appearance.

And in all of the decisions we've created our own Christmas Traditions.

Just like you.

If you look at your Christmas Traditions, look back over the years and see how many of yours have been incorporated from your past.

Now wasn't that better than writing about wishing the world would just quit hating each other & get on with the business of living?

When this story is done, close your browser and go spend time with your family. Don't watch the news. Watch Rudolph.

All those things going on will still be going on tomorrow and the next day, and the next. If we can't have world peace, let us all have this one evening of peace without the world's troubles in front of us.

Merry Christmas & may the fat guy be good to you!

Now where are those chocolate covered cherries?