If a Christmas tree falls in the forest in Ottawa, and I'm not there to hear it, will it still make a sound? Probably. My cubicle neighbour and I were talking about Christmas traditions today. Specifically, he asked me what mine were. I was quick to point out that I really don't have any traditions here in Nova Scotia, but if I were home, the whole holiday would be one big fat Greek...err...better make that Hungarian and Newfie fun-fest. Ever since I can remember, this is how my side rolls on JC's birthday:
Christmas Eve...ahhhh! Almost better than waking up on Christmas Day. It always seems to be sunny on the 24th of December. My Mom and I hook up at around lunchtime and we go to the mall and people watch/window shop. After a few hours, we go to my grandparents' place and chill out, and drink gross liqueurs that my Grandfather enthusiastically puts in front of us ("Nagyon yo, Sandyke!"). It must be ancient Hungarian lore that young children cannot be present when the gifts are being placed under the tree. I'm 32, and I know if I were there this Christmas, everyone would still make me go to the basement until the "special Christmas bell" rang, signaling that I could return. So, I do my disappearing act. We then all stand around the tree (which is only illuminated for the first time on Christmas Eve at dusk), pray, and share how thankful we are to have another Christmas all together. It's quite emotional, really. Once we're done hugging, it's time to get to the presents! Dinner follows, then my Mom drives me to my Dad's place where we say our tearful goodbyes (note to parents who are divorced and who share custody of their kiddies: it's extremely heart-wrenching for the kid(s) to say bye to the other parent at Christmastime. That NEVER goes away. EVER.), and then I join the madness at my father's. There's music, games, food, lots of people, and tons of laughing. And, everyone's family! Imagine that?! A family that has raucous fun together!! The night always winds down with 10 - 15 people camped out on the living room floor watching "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (we all recite our favourite lines...me and my little bro are particularly fond of the "Later Dudes!" scene...) followed by "A Christmas Carol"...the original one in black and white with Alastair Simms. Then it's off to bed. Christmas morning, I'm always the first one up, and I run into Little Bro's room where I do the annual "steam roller" until he wakes up. We all head downstairs, get our coffee/tea and pastries, turn on Burl Ives' Christmas album, and open gifts. By noon, we're all so exhausted that we crash until dinner. Dinner is madness...in a good way. Again, there's usually 10-15 people, tons of dinner convo, Christmas crackers, and more food than you can imagine. Family games follow the dinner, and that's pretty much it. My family Christmases are so rich with tradition, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
After going through my traditions, my cube neighbour said, "That sounds great! We have traditions, too. But I guess the difference is that I consider home wherever I'm at with my wife and kids."
Then it hit me. Isn't the purpose of tradition to "pass the torch"? To repeat a pattern of thought or action? If my childhood was so much richer for those traditions, why do I think traditions are only bonafide happenings if they're in Ottawa (where clearly, I'm not)? That was my 'aha!' moment. Now that I have a family of my own, it's time to bring forth those same traditions that I loved so much as a child - and still love to this day. I can only hope that in passing on these beloved traditions, and in creating some of our own, that our children's memories will be rich and colourful...and that even after 32 years, they'll want to keep coming back.
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