My oldest sister made a comment on Facebook the other day that saddened me. She said she couldn’t get in the mood to decorate for the holidays. After reading her comment, I began thinking about all the wonderful holiday traditions I have been fortunate enough to experience during my almost 74 years on this planet.
My earliest recollection of Christmas was my third birthday on December 25, 1949. It was also the year that I actually realized that my birthday and Christmas fell on the same day. I had received a new baby doll and wooden doll’s high chair. However, I questioned my mother as to why everyone else was getting presents on MY birthday.
My 3rd birthday baby doll 
My doll highchair was like this but not painted
Some may say that I got cheated but I never looked at it that way. I got Christmas presents in the morning and we celebrated my birthday in the afternoon. That is a tradition that my husband has carried on for the 51 years we have been married. For at least the past ten years, since I really don’t need much, he started a new tradition and has purchased my favorite cologne for my birthday. I have been wearing it since our very first date in 1968.
Our new birthday tradition 
Celebrating birthday #73-2019
On my fourth Christmas, my mother started another tradition. After my father placed all the lights on the tree and made sure they were not touching any of the branches, we were allowed to decorate. My mother had a special blue ornament that I put on the tree before any others, because I had the Christmas birthday. For 70 years, it has been the first ornament on and the last off. I made sure when I married, and she gave me the ornament, to carry on that tradition.
Christmas was always a time for secrets and suspense. My parents seemed to speak in guarded whispers whenever one of us entered a room. Closets suddenly became off-limits to all five of us. “Wait until Christmas” became the standard reply to our many questions.
Christmas mornings were very special. We lived in an old farm house where all the rooms were separated by bedroom-size doors. They were always left open so that you didn’t feel closed in. Our dining room was just off of the living room. On Christmas morning, everyone in the family had to gather in the dining room before we were allowed to go see what Santa had brought us. Of course, we knew Santa had been there because there was a bowl of oranges on the dining room table along with a bowl of Christmas hard candy and the very special Christmas chocolates Santa always brought.
Once we were all there, we were allowed to look into the living room. The only lights on were the ones on our large Christmas tree and we would see it in all its beauty and splendor. Then the moment-of-moments: “Santa was here”, we’d shout, as we saw all the presents he had left us, under the tree. It was a magical moment and after all these years, I can still see it in my mind and treasure that memory.
My parents always displayed the Nativity at Christmas as well. I especially remember the one my mother had when I was growing up. It was made of cardboard and all the people stood on cardboard stands. She would lovingly unfold the stable and fit the pieces together. Then, she would assemble the people and place them where they belonged. I bought a nativity scene 51 years ago at Woolworths and still display it every year.
My parent’s Nativity-1950’s-1960’s 
Our Nativity-1969-Present
About the time I was nine or ten, Christmas Eve became very special and was always celebrated in a very special way. My father worked nights at a newspaper but got to come home early on Christmas Eve. After dinner and before we hung our stockings, we would all gather in the living room for a quiet candlelight service. My mother wanted to make sure that we all grew up with the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts and in our memories. My father would read “The Night Before Christmas” and the story of the first Christmas from chapter 2, verses 1-22 of the book of Luke in the Bible. Then, we would sing a few favorite Christmas carols, say our prayers and scurry off to bed with threats to hurry and go to sleep so Santa would come. A few years later, we added to this tradition. My mother had bought several issues of “Christmas Ideals” and one year there was a story there that I memorized and would recite as well.
When I married and moved two hours away from my parents, my husband and I started new traditions. We would spend Christmas Eve with his parents and younger siblings. We would exchange gifts, have a special Polish Christmas Eve meal and, before our children were born, attend Mid-night Mass. After we had children, we would still spend Christmas Eve with his side of the family. It was a tradition that our children loved. However, as everyone grew up, married and had families of their own, it became more difficult to do this and sadly, the tradition died.
On Christmas morning, we would get up with our children, open gifts and then have Christmas breakfast: fresh Polish kielbasa and pumpernickel bread and butter. Then, we would attend Christmas Mass. Christmas dinner was always ham and potato salad: of course, the afternoon included my birthday cake.
In 1997, my husband and I moved three+ hours away from our adult children so new traditions began. Most years we travel to our twin sons’ and spend Christmas Eve with them and have our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. On Christmas morning, we have our kielbasa and rye bread and then attend Mass and come home to open our gifts.
In the afternoon, we travel to our daughter’s for gift exchange and our Christmas dinner. Our oldest son and his family live farther south, so we usually visit them on the 26th. We break up our holiday travels over three or four days but still see everyone.
For the first fifty years of our marriage, we always had a fresh cut Christmas tree. When the children were little, we would all bundle up, drive to the local tree farm and wander among the trees until we found just the right one. Then my husband would cut it down and we would take it home. We would listen to Christmas songs (just like I did as a child) while we decorated the tree. Of course, the little blue ornament always went on first. Then, I would watch all of our children’s faces and listen to their happy chatter as they lovingly placed all the ornaments on the tree.
About 35 years ago, I started my own Christmas tradition. At that time, I was teaching in the Catholic school. Our priest would always tell the students that they should keep Christmas in their hearts all year long. He told them one way to do this was to leave one decoration out all year to remind you. That is when I started leaving my Christmas bell out.
Since we travel so much over the holidays, two years ago we decided to go to a small artificial tree. I turn on the Christmas music, string the lights on the tree, add the little blue ornament and then the others. Some traditions never die.
This year, whether we travel or not, we will have a traditional Polish meal for Christmas Eve. We will get up Christmas morning and have our Polish kielbasa and pumpernickel bread. We may or not be able to attend Mass in person. If not, we will live stream it instead. Whether we are able to travel or not, we will have ham and potato salad for our Christmas dinner and we will celebrate my 74th birthday in the afternoon.
At Christmas time, I always realize how wonderful life is and say a special prayer of thanks to God for making it all possible, especially this year. Regardless of the circumstances, family traditions don’t die unless you allow them to. Do you have special holiday traditions in your family? Don’t let Covid-19 take them away. Find ways to adapt so that your traditions can continue on.
As always, “Don’t Save Today for Tomorrow” and have a wonderful holiday season.
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Love your traditions and Christmas memories! I have many holiday traditions too and I’ve not let COVID affect my decorating or celebrating.
I love the older pics – reminded me of Christmases from my childhood.
What wonderful traditions and memories! This post certainly triggered a memory with me too, as my mom always wore Emeraude too when I was growing up!
Love to hear about others’ Christmas traditions! We have so many little traditions with the kids, that I hope they will carry on as well!
Thank you for sharing so many wonderful Christmas memories! This year, with the loss of so many traditions, I’ve found myself reflecting on what we’ve always done over the years. I’m glad you have so many heartfelt Christmas memories. I hope this year, although unconventional, brings more loving memories. Merry Christmas!
These are amazing family history stories you have shared. What a treasure for your family!
Lovely. Traditions are what make Christmas. I’m so sad I won’t be able to celebrate with one of my girls this year – flying seems to be out of the question.
Glad you have a lovely Christmas traditions and advance happy birthday. I enjoyed reading all your happy moments and so different than mine growing up. Not all children will be fortunate to experienced this and I hope we can all be a positive adults to others and especially to our young ones. I love this post!
We grew up poor until my father went to night school to get his high school diploma. Life definitely improved after that. We were the family that received the Christmas basket from charity.
I’m glad you have a wonderful christmas tradition with yourself, with your husband and your family growing up and the family you build. It sounds you have a great childhood to remember christmas this way. I don’t have the same experienced and most of the time Christmas means tears growing up and now that I have my own family the pain eases. Thanks for sharing this wonderful tradition and Happy Birthday to you in advance.
I hope this Christmas brings you and your family peace, love and happiness.
Beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing them!
Wow, what cool mementos and memories you have. Happy early birthday! <3
Your parents took great care in making Christmas special and emphasizing the true meaning and you have continued that. Merry Christmas!
What fond memories! Thank you for sharing them! Our Christmas Tradition is the tree always decorated the day after Thanksgiving. It can go up on Thanksgiving, but no ornaments or anything until the next day.
Love reading about your traditions, current and past! Our current tradition is spending the night at my moms, to wake up there Christmas morning. We open presents and have homemade cinnamon rolls!
Those are some pretty special traditions. My husband and I usually work on Christmas so we we are a lot more fluid on our holidays.
I loved reading your Christmas and Birthday traditions 🙂 especially the blue ornament.
What wonderful traditions over the years. I had a New Year’s baby so understand completely theneed to do something special for that birthday so it doesn’t get lost in the holiday shuffle. I love the blue ornament.
It’s so great to read that family has remained a constant in the importance of your holidays, despite any hardships you experienced. Thanks for sharing!
This was a beautiful post. Happy early birthday! We celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas and I couldn’t agree more. This year has forced us to do a lot of things differently, but different doesn’t always mean bad. We altered our Halloween this year to a backyard egg hunt and decorated our son’s playhouse into a haunted house. In some ways, it actually ended up being even more fun than trick or treating!
Our holiday decorations went up the day before Thanksgiving because this year I figured, why wait? Enjoy the holiday spirit now. The music, the lights, it always puts me in a joyful mood. Our son won’t be making his usual holiday crafts at school so I’m planning out fun activities to do it together at home. This year is the time to think outside the box and maybe even find some new traditions. As you so perfectly pointed out, traditions are always changing. People grow up, people move away. Some years someone just has to the flu and has to stay in bed. There’s no “perfect” way to celebrate, the most important thing is that we find a way to enjoy it, regardless of the circumstances.
Beautifully written.. traditions are so important but this Christmas hopefully more people will remember the meaning of Christmas and the hope and joy it has brought for centuries! Merry Christmas!
It was great to hear about your Christmas traditions! My father in-law was born on Christmas Eve but I don’t think he feels cheated either. I love how you always keep your traditions or slightly changed them for new ones as you get older. My family and my husbands family had some different ones traditions but we’ve taken traditions from both sides to make them our own!