Traditions
Sophie - November 20, 2008
I've been thinking a lot this week about Melanie's post from Monday - wondering what my little guy will remember from his childhood, thinking about all the great stuff I remember from mine.
And I guess it's only natural for holidays to make us nostalgic - especially when it feels like the little ones in our family are growing up way too fast. I PROMISE that my nephews were just born last year, but somehow they've turned into nine and ten year-old football players. Blows my mind.
But one thing that alleviates the bittersweetness of time flying by is thinking about Thanksgiving traditions in our family that stand strong year after year after year: Mama's cornbread dressing and sweet potato casserole (with pecans, not marshmallows). Circling up and holding hands while my daddy prays. Watching college football all day long. Planning a fun day-after-Thanksgiving activity with my sister (this year we're driving down to the very small town where my grandparents lived). Wandering into the kitchen around five o'clock in the afternoon for a "light snack" of turkey and congealed salad. Listening to my aunt, my mama and my cousins tell story after story about the good ole days. Laughing until my whole body hurts.
Makes me smile just thinking about it.
So what about you? What are some your favorite family traditions at Thanksgiving? And if you could only pass down one of those traditions to your kids, which one would you choose?
I'll be waiting on y'all in the comments. And I may even have some of Mama's homemade chocolate pie with me.
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Pam
Pam
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris
Comments (6)
My girls are 13 and 16 now. They tell ME the traditions of Thanksgiving and Christmas. While they love the Thanksgiving meal, they love the breakfast even more. I get up early and make “monkey bread” (cinnamon pull-apart bread). They will nibble all morning on that in anticipation of Thanksgiving. Our other tradition is the day after Thanksgiving, my girls and I go to the craft fair at the State Fairgrounds. Hard to pick which one but this year, we are going camping for Thanksgiving but will still slip away for a few hours at the craft fair!
Posted on November 20, 2008 12:18 PM
I think I will always remember the “family nap”. It was never advertised as tradition, but somehow we all ended up in front of the t.v. for football. Everyone slept, and then we ate again.
One year my dad invited a college student that couldn’t go home to come and spend the day with us. I will never forget my dad’s face when he went into our family room for “THE NAP” and this TALL kid was in his recliner with his big old sock feet kicked up…snoring like there was no tomorrow.
That was one year we didn’t nap for too long…(Mom was scared if she went to sleep that kid would take the silver..no I am not kdding. After we washed it, she decided we would polish it all. Every piece of stinkin’ silver got polished on Thanksgiving.)
One thing we have started doing with our girls, is an evening drive. So many people are decorating for Christmas at Thanksgiving, that we have enjoyed welcoming the Christmas season on Thanksgiving evening. Sometimes we put them in their P.J.’s and fix Hot Choc. for the ride.
Posted on November 20, 2008 5:18 PM
My sweet tradition is now sharing each and every Thankgiving with my husband’s family. My parents are w/ Jesus now, but God blessed me with WONDERFUL inlaws who treat and love me just like I am one of them.
For thirteen years we have driven 12 hours one way to fellowship w/ them and I look forward to a huge meal with lots of homemade desserts cooked by a wonderful GranGran (79) who WANTS to cook for us, lots of great desserts and LAUGHTER o the LAUGHTER. Did I mention the food? From scratch? :)
Thankgiving is bittersweet for me because I lost my mom and dad during Thanksgiving and my daughter was due at Thanksgiving but died during the pregnancy, and this year my husband’s uncle died last week, BUT the deaths have caused us to reflect on God’s love, wisdom, presence, and bountiful blessings and the family is even more close than ever before.
Posted on November 20, 2008 11:22 PM
The girls retire to the sunroom to play games…Rumikub, Phase 10, Chicken Foot…while the men finish washing the dishes. Love it! They say they don’t mind. :)
Posted on November 21, 2008 8:54 AM
I don’t have kids but here are my Thanksgiving memories…
…going to Church as a family Thanksgiving morning to give thanks to God for His many blessings. … putting black olives on my fingers when mom was making the relish tray …Grandma’s stuffing. …blueberry pie (an odd tradition in our family). …being together with loved ones, friends, relatives - who become “family” when family isn’t close by …spending the weekend with my favoritest cousins.
Posted on November 21, 2008 2:32 PM
Oh Sophie, it has to be Granny’s Baked Pineapple. Divine with crunchy marshmallows on top. It is simply not Thanksgiving or Christmas without it.
Posted on November 23, 2008 4:31 PM