Tradition

Tis the season for tradition, well more noticeable traditions.

Traditions are created by the passing down of beliefs and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to the next.

I live in New York and every year the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting is a tradition. I actually went one year, had a really great spot and enjoyed all the festivities before the tree was lit. I remember it was a nice evening, not too cold. When they're getting ready to light the tree, at least the year I was there, we were looking up for a few minutes, waiting...I guess they were building up to the moment and I actually missed it because I looked down for a second. I could not believe it! It was still beautiful. At least I did one of the traditional sightseeing events in NYC. I've never been to the Statue of Liberty or the top of the Empire State Building. Maybe that's sticking to New York tradition. I wonder if there are more New Yorkers that haven't been to both of those places than less? I'd bet more.

But daily we hold true to traditions that have been passed down in our family, from what you do when you get out of bed until you lay down to sleep at night. And I'm not talking about habits. I'm talking about things that just were one way growing up for you and you continue to do the same. I think we follow most traditions in our daily life because they're comforting.

When I got my first apartment by myself I had to play the same news radio station that my parents had on in the mornings when I grew up. I really wasn't interested in listening to it at all, just had to hear the same sound. It took years to break that tradition and feel comfortable doing something else. My day just didn't feel right without hearing that radio station.

A silly tradition, but it's just what we did at home, was putting wet shoes in the oven, not with the oven on. Just the warmth of the oven dried them faster. I don't do that anymore. First, I'm a girl, I have tons of shoes, and can let the ones that are wet sit for a few days and second, years ago my sister Debbie (little sister Debbie) was staying overnight at my brother Michael's and sister-in-law Debbie (big sister Debbie's) house. I guess little sister Debbie's shoes got wet and she put them in the oven to dry just like she had seen my mom do so many times. Well, the next morning, my big sister Debbie put the oven on low to heat the kitchen, her morning tradition, maybe something started in the apartment she and Michael had, or something her family did, I don't know. But big sister Debbie put the oven on and after a short time started smelling something burning and said so. My little sister jumped up. "My shoes!" They were kinda shoe boots, ankle length, and now were curled around the oven rack. Little sister has much bigger feet than big sister, so there was no sharing shoes that day between Debbies. They also worked together at the same company, along with my sister Linda who would bring shoes for little sister Debbie to wear but she had to wear the boots that were baked to work and it was painful, but really funny, and I doubt she puts shoes in the oven anymore!

There was a popular television show years ago called All In The Family, which by the way, was quite controversial when it first aired since the main character was extremely prejudiced in so many ways. It was 1971 and I was 12 and my father refused to let any of us watch. My brother Bob got hooked on it when it played in reruns years later and he got the rest of us watching as well, I think my father even laughed a few times. Now pretty much everything that was so unacceptable then is no big deal these days, even for kids.

But I remember one episode, Archie, the main character was arguing with his son-in-law Mike (meathead), because when Mike was putting on his shoes and socks he put one sock on, then the shoe instead of what I've seen most people do, put on your socks and then your shoes. I wonder if anyone does like "the meathead" but in any case my point is, people do different things just because of tradition.

My mom always made us soup and soldiers when we were kids and it's something that my brothers, sisters and cousins who are parents have passed down to their children. The soldiers are just pieces of bread and butter, cut into thin long strips to dunk in our soup. My mom used to just butter bread and cut it in slices while I sometimes will toast my soldiers!
Changing tradition a bit, but it's still soup and soldiers. I didn't know why my mom called bread and butter soldiers, just accepted it as a tradition when we had soup, especially when we were sick, you had to have your soup and soldiers. But a few years ago I was watching The View and Sarah Ferguson (Fergie) was a guest. She was talking about her children I think, but she mentioned soup and soldiers and one of the hosts stopped her and asked what she meant by soup and soldiers. Fergie gave the same description as I just did, bread and butter, only she gave the reason why the bread was called soldiers. She said it was a tradition passed down since WWI, that it had something to do with honoring the soldiers. Then I knew why it's part of our family tradition. My mom's grandparents were from England, Stockton-on-Tees, and I'm pretty sure that soup and soldiers must have been a family tradition that followed my family "across the pond".

Tradition. You can't say you're creating a tradition. It just happens. It becomes part of you, your family, your community.

My sister-in-law Janet, brother Bob's wife, tried to start a tradition with my young nieces and nephews during Christmastime a couple of years ago with baking cookies. From the start she just called it "tradition" and unfortunately the kids weren't into it as much as she was and it was over before it had a chance to become a tradition. At least she tried. She's so good with them, she's very crafty and always has some fun project in mind for them and brings them all kinds of supplies and sits and plays with them. The boys join in sometimes but it's really the girls and they are really into it right along with my sister-in-law who is Aunt Bubbles to all of them.

Tomorrow I think Aunt Bubbles is going to get her "tradition" wish with Bella.

There's a church in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, St. Anslems, and every year they have a Christmas tradition that is so much fun. Probably about 20 years ago or so, Janet invited me and my aunt, sisters, cousins and then I invited my friends, who invited their friends, and so on, and so on... and it was our tradition, but people move, have kids, etc., life just gets in the way of things, we all know how that goes, and a lot of us stopped going. But Janet's been going again these last few years and Tomorrow she is bringing Bella. She did invite Gracie who also lives by us, but she couldn't make this one, hopefully she can next year.

You have to sign up for it about a month in advance and let them know what you will be making so they will have the supplies you need. You have a choice of making a wreath, a centerpiece or a small Christmas tree. They have tons and tons of branches of trees piled in the front of the school auditorium and the smell is just heavenly. You get your supplies and then go to work at the long lunch tables the kids use, either in the auditorium or downstairs in the cafeteria where of course you can get yourself a cup of hot chocolate! Christmas music is playing in the background and when I did go, another part of the day I enjoyed tremendously was running into people I probably hadn't seen since the last year. Friends I grew up with when I did live in the neighborhood. And I especially loved running into one of my mom's really good friends, Ann, just felt a little more of mom around when I said my annual hello to Ann.

I always made a little Christmas tree, about 2 feet high. They gave me a wired, cylinder shaped tree base and then I had to cut the branches and build the tree, after which I could decorate with supplies they give you or ones you bring yourself. I remember the first year I went I used what they supplied and then looked at the amazing work the other people did with supplies they brought from home. My tree was really nice but the others were way better. After that we all started bring our own supplies. A lot of my friends made wreaths which are a little more difficult to make but they all did great jobs. It's just a fun day.

I hope Aunt Bubbles gets her wish and she and Bella can share the St. Anselms Christmas craft day for years to come, I hope it becomes their tradition.

Below is the song Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof. A great song and though he may be talking about Jewish traditions from a different time, it's fitting! Enjoy.