I've already mentioned a few things along this vein, but I want to mention just a few more. :) My family didn't have a lot of traditions growing up. And what we did have didn't last long, especially once we became teenagers. But now Paul and I are figuring out what WE want for ourselves, and we have more ideas for traditions than I can really count or remember most of the time. :) I'll have to make myself a calendar or something!
One tradition, which we get to celebrate next week, is our annual Thanksgiving Tacos. This tradition is especially handy since Paul's allergic to turkey! Also, my sister is a vegetarian, so it's more easily modified to her needs and tastebuds than the traditional dinner. This whole thing started right after my parents' divorce. Mom had just moved a few weeks before Thanksgiving into her own apartment, and no one had a lot of money or the spirit and energy to put all that work into a big feast for only a few people, anyway. So Mom decided to take us out to Taco Bell. It stuck! While we go all out and make our own EVERYTHING tacos each year now, it's still way cheaper and, in my opinion, way yummier than the traditional feast. Mom's meat is just incredibly moist, because she puts tomato sauce in with the mixture and lets it simmer for a long while. And no one's allergic, and no one has to stay up for DAYS cooking. And we still eat pie. I'm SO SO SO excited for tacos this year!!! You don't even know.
But while it's fun and yummy and very unique, I do still like the traditional concept of Thanksgiving, and I'll probably end up doing something along those lines when we have kids. But I'm thinking a hybrid. :) Maybe turkey tacos (and some regular beef for Paul) for the day-after-Thanksgiving? Or just a bunch of tacos alongside my favorite Turkey Day side dishes, like that green bean casserole and sweet potatoes. And, of course, PIES.
Other fun traditions I want to keep: 25 days of picture books for Christmas (we've got about 2/3 of the books now--we're getting there!), our "Happy Birthday, Moon" birthday eve tradition, a 12 days of Christmas service thing, handmade Christmas gifts within our nuclear family, eating only round foods on Columbus Day, and I don't remember what else. I'll have to look through my journals to remember the rest. :) I want us to celebrate Flag Day somehow, I'm thinking maybe by making our own individual flags for that year and then using them for special celebrations, etc. Also, I was searching for good floral cornucopia ideas (which I REALLY want to make, like, NOW) and I found this GREAT idea to fill up the crevices in the centerpiece with little things that symbolize what you're thankful for...like a family picture for the family, a coin for the money you have, some autumn leaves and acorns for nature's beauty, etc. I'd love to see what everyone else puts in there. :) I want to have a Thanksgiving Tree, too, like I've had almost every year since I started college.
What are some of YOUR favorite family traditions? I could use some more ideas! (Especially for the non-holiday-season ones...I guess that's just on my mind a lot right now since we're THERE!)
You'd probably love my Mom's idea for Christ's actual b-day (which we understand to be April 6, yes?). Anyway, we'd have some kind of meal that should have been rather like what they'd eat in Jesus' time . . . I think that often included fish, dates (do some research), etc. She'd set the table really fancy (she had china, I know not everyone has it) and formal. And she'd have a place set for Jesus. I'm pretty sure it's in view of the second coming; our home needs to be a place where Jesus would feel welcome and comfortable, so she'd have a place setting for Him. Obviously, He never has shown up yet. :D But maybe someday soon.
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