Holiday Tradition: SCIS--Santa Came Investigation Services

Hello everyone!  I'm popping in today to share a Holiday Tradition from Pat, one of our Merry Maidens! This time around Pat is sharing another special family tradition that she and her husband started with their children--something that will speak to the child in all of us!  This is such a fabulous idea and maybe one that you can pass on and share with your own families with small children!  I hope that you enjoy reading about Pat's special tradition as much as I did!

SCIS: Santa Came Investigation Services

While Santa is much too experienced to leave evidence of his home invasions, my children were starting to doubt at an early age. The half-eaten cookies routine was getting old, so I had to form the SCIS (like the TV show NCIS), which stands for Santa Came Investigation Services. The kids were thrilled to be detectives the morning after Christmas, and gave mom and dad a chance to actually drink their morning coffee before the wrapping paper went flying.

The first year we set a “trap” by making reindeer food. The recipe is simple: mix a ¼ cup of oats with a teaspoon of glitter. On Christmas Eve, spread the “feed” over the lawn. Whether there’s snow or not matters not, the glitter sparkles in the light from lamp posts and Christmas lights. The kids were positive the reindeer would stay in front of the house long enough for them to catch Santa at his game. Unfortunately, the kids were just too sleepy to stay awake, and mom’s camera needed charging, so we talked about plans for next year as we enjoyed Christmas morning. Overnight a light snow fell and the oats and glitter weren’t visible any more.

The second year the kids forgot all about SCIS until they woke Christmas morning to discover that Santa had left “magical” footprints on the carpet, magical because the snow hadn’t melted (made by shaking talcum or baking powder around a pair of boots, then returning said boots to closet). That morning we all talked about what we loved about the holidays as we opened our presents. The kids said that Santa must be slipping since they found his footprints.

The next year, Santa really slipped up. When the kids woke up Christmas morning, we heard shouts from the sliding glass door near our kitchen. Santa left so quickly, his pants got stuck in the door and he didn’t have time to rescue them! We all laughed as we imagined what he did after our house. The kids’ answers were funny and creative, ranging from his having extra pairs of pants in his sleigh to a pair being parachuted in from the North Pole by Mrs. Claus.

Throughout the years of belief and doubts and disbelief, the kids continued to look for clues at Santa’s “crime scenes” just for the fun of it. A family tradition had been born. So when my son married and had his own children, he and his wife took the tradition into the 21^st century, re-creating their own SCIS every Christmas morning for their kids. To this day, Santa continues the legend as he leaves little bits of evidence for the grandchildren to discover, even at Grandma’s house. And to this day, Santa has never been caught, but his clues lead us all on a merry chase of wonder and belief.

Holiday Tradition: A Christmas Collection

Hello everyone!  I'm popping in today to share a Holiday Tradition from Pat, one of our Merry Maidens! This time around Pat is sharing something more intimate--a special tradition she shares with her husband.  I'm sure that many of us have special traditions we share with our loved ones.  I hope that you enjoy reading about Pat's special tradition as much as I did!

A Christmas Collection

For our first Christmas together as a married couple, my husband and I were dirt-poor broke. That year we bought each other our first record together (vinyl, kiddies), a Goodyear promotion full of traditional Christmas songs from classic artists (kind of like “Now That’s What I Call Christmas”). We listened to it non-stop throughout Christmas until the New Year started.

So began our first Christmas tradition. Every year since then (and we’ve been married almost 40 years now) we have added to our growing collection of Christmas music. Cassettes replaced vinyl for a short time, and now we have a stack of CD’s to play as well. We have the original Chipmunk’s Christmas album mixed in with the Rod Stewart Christmas CD. My favorite? The Carpenter’s Christmas Album. This year we got A Jolly Christmas with Frank Sinatra. The cassettes? Well, they’re old school, but unlike 8-track tapes, I can still play them on an old but still-functioning tape player.

Who knows what the future will hold? Maybe next year we’ll get an iTunes gift card and pick and choose our fave singles. One thing I know for sure—we will never run out of Christmas music for the holidays!! And it is one tradition we are happy to have started so long ago.

Holiday Time Tradition & Recipe

Hello everyone!  I'm popping in today to share a combined Holiday Tradition and link to a recipe from Pat, one of our Merry Maidens!  I always love learning something new about the many unique traditions related to the Christmas season celebrated by different cultures.  I hope you will as well!

Three Kings Day

Most of us have heard about the three “kings” who came to the Christ child bearing gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh. The original trio were called Magi, meaning “learned scholars.” They came from the East following a star that outshone all others in the night sky after interpreting its meaning to be that a great king was to be born. This day celebrated around the world, is called Epiphany, Three Kings Day, Little Christmas, and more.

Lots of traditions have sprung from this celebration. Families of Mexican heritage celebrate the day serving up La Rosca de Reyes, or Three Kings bread. Good luck is supposed to be bestowed on the person who finds the tiny figure of the baby Jesus baked into his or her slice. The bread goes very well with Mexican hot Chocolate (very chocolatey with a touch of cinnamon). Once you try the bread and hot chocolate you’ll be speaking Spanish. “Que delicioso!”

There are countless recipes on the internet, but I like the one from Mely Matinez best. Here is her link: http://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2011/01/rosca-de-reyesthree-kings-bread-recipe.html

Enjoy!

Holiday Traditions: Eggnog

Well, it is a few days before Christmas and my last traditions post of the year. I hope that you have enjoyed some of the posts I have shared and perhaps learned along the way where some of our holiday traditions have come from.

Next year I will continue with a monthly post, but I thought it might be fun to share some holiday recipes, instead of traditions. So as a segway into that, I thought it might be fun for my last post to talk about the tradition of a drink that is associated with holiday celebrations... Eggnog!

While I enjoy the sweets of Christmas, one of the things that I look forward to every holiday is Eggnog. It is a frothy holiday drink made out of eggs, sugar, cream and typically sprinkled with some nutmeg.

Now some of you may be thinking...umm I think you forgot one of the main ingredients, but while many do spike their eggnog with Rum, it is not a required ingredient.

Eggnog came to the U.S colonies in the 18th century and originated as a wintertime drink. It is said that expensive liquors such as brandy and sherry were added to the drink to keep it from spoiling. This drink was not for the ordinary folk, but was shared among the British aristocracy before making it to the colonies.

When the drink made it to the colonies, the colonist substituted rum instead of the heavily taxed brandy or wine. The drink was first known as egg-n-grog as rum was referred to as grog and the bartenders served the drink in small wooden mugs called noggins.

So as you enjoy your holiday cheer this year, perhaps be light on the eggnog, not just for the alcoholic content, but for the added calories it packs as well. Some of these drinks are known to pack in upwards of 400 calories a glass.

To get you started on next years holiday recipes, I have found a fun recipe for eggnog courtesy of Allrecipes! Enjoy and happy holidays.

Amazingly Good Eggnog

• 4 Cups of Milk
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 2 1/2 cups light rum
• 4 cups light cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.
3. Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

References:
Elizabeth Diaz. (2011). a brief history of eggnog. Available: http://time.com/3957265/history-of-eggnog/. Last accessed 12/22/2015.
Jolie Lee. (2014). Christmas traditions explained: The Eggnog.Available: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/12/22/christmas-traditions-explained-eggnog/19796657/. Last accessed 12/22/2015.


Image courtesy of:   https://pixabay.com/en/eggnog-cocktail-christmas-beverage-221043/

Holiday Traditions: Fruitcake

There are some traditions I am sure we would like to forget about. The ones that we keep doing even though if we stopped, no one would miss. This is for me, the dreaded fruitcake. I have never made a fruitcake, and while it is not my favorite, it became a family tradition that my mother in law had continued through the years.

Before we open presents on Christmas morning, my mother in law and I would get the coffee going and set out some sweets. These sweets typically consisted of some breads, banana, pumpkin and of course fruitcake.

During the 16th century, it was discovered that fruit could be preserved by soaking it in great concentrations of sugar. Because fruit now was able to be preserved, unavailable fruits were soon being imported in candied form from other parts of the world. This increased the supply of these fruit and the need to dispose of them, thus came the invention of fruitcake.

We don't see the younger generation baking up these fruitcakes. These usually come from Grandmother's as gifts to their children or Grandchildren.  I have personally never baked a fruitcake or bought one. But this year may be my first.

Last Christmas was my mother in laws last Christmas, as she passed away this year. She had been fighting cancer for the last four years and lost the battle this year. We celebrated Christmas last year at her house and while we all had no idea this would be the last one with her, I am so glad that we spent her last one there. Her son Marc made it in form England, and the entire family was together.

This year I will be hosting Christmas at my house. Christmas was a special time for her and I as we would get together in December and work on Christmas Cards as well as bake holiday goods.  This year, I will be making the holiday cookies by myself and I will be preparing the holiday meal on my own.  There will be many traditions that I will not be able to continue until I have a daughter in law of my own, (but I am in no rush for that.) But one thing I can continue, is to set out the fruitcake. It won't be homemade, but it will remind us of Grandma.

So this year when your your Grandmother brings over her famous fruitcake, remember, this may be the last one. Take time to sit and chat with her over a cup of coffee and some fruitcake, and embrace these family traditions remembering it is not about the fruitcake, it is about the memories you are creating.

References:

Robert Sietsema. (2002). A short history of fruitcake. Available: http://www.villagevoice.com/restaurants/a-short-history-of-fruitcake-6429393. Last accessed 11/23/2015.

Image:
Reprinted with permission from

• Image URI: http://mrg.bz/5kNoz3

Holiday Tradition - Handmade Gifts

I'm pretty sure that a year is still as long as it used to be, so why does the season seem to be arriving earlier and earlier each year?  When I was a kid, holiday decorations and merchandise didn't appear until after Thanksgiving. Nowadays, it is common for retailers to start pushing their wares well before Halloween, and many people have already finished shopping by Thanksgiving night, thanks to Black Friday. While I can't control the commerciality of the holidays, there is at least one tradition that I refuse to relinquish, and that is the tradition of sharing handmade gifts with my family and friends.

As a child, I would give handmade gifts. Back then it had to do more with money, or lack of I should say. But as the years went on, and my skills improved, I continued this tradition with family and close friends. While everyone doesn't appreciate the handmade gift, there are a few of us out there that look forward to them!

Through the years I have given detailed cross stitched pictures, banner flags, hand sewn items and occasionally food.  These days most of my crafting is centered around my card making, but I think family and friends would be unpleasantly surprised if they opened up a Christmas card from me these days and found a store bought one. They have grown to expect my handmade cards and these days occasional handmade gifts.

As a practitioner of handmade arts, I fully support the community of my fellow artists and purchase from them regularly. I get that many people these days are looking for items I cannot create, the new Iphone or perhaps that gift card from the local electronic store. But I still manage to slip in those handmade candles and soaps to a few people. To me, buying handmade is not the cheap way to go, in fact, sometimes it is more expensive, but I believe it is well worth the time and money, and helps build a stronger community for us all.

Holiday Traditions: The Ugly Christmas Sweater

 

Christmas is a time for putting up pretty decorations, so why do we insist on wearing ugly Christmas sweaters? I have often wondered how this all started and that is typically how my ideas come for the tradition posts.

It used to be that our grandparents and older relatives were the ones sporting these loud, overly embellished tacky garments, but now the tradition of wearing these sweaters has picked up steam and we see more and more of the younger generations participating in this fun or should I say funny tradition.

These hideous holiday versions started to show up over the last several decades starting around 2001. It use to be that many of these sweaters were found at Vintage stores and Goodwill, but they are now popping up at major department stores in the States such as H&M and Nordstrom.

These sweaters have been themes for many holiday parties and I have even seen them as theme's on many of the on line challenges that we all participate in. It has even reached the entertainment industry where we have seen late night talk show hosts with segments around Ugly Christmas Sweaters.

The enthusiasm and tradition of these sweaters is not limited to the U.S. Christmas Jumpers, which is another word for sweaters in the U.K. are traditionally worn there as well.

So whether you participate in this tradition accidentally by just wearing one of those "festive" holiday sweaters to keep warm and join the holiday spirit, or wear them only on a special occasion, like a theme party, these Christmas sweaters are undeniably a tradition, albeit a new one, that adds to the warm and fuzzy feelings of not only childhood memories, but fun festivities as well.

References:
Allison Berry. (2011). A Brief history of the Ugly Christmas Sweater.Available: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/12/22/a-brief-history-of-the-ugly-christmas-sweater/. Last accessed 09/22/2015.

Image courtesy of:   http://www.myuglychristmassweater.com

Holiday Traditions: The Poinsettia Flower

Have you ever wondered how the Poinsettia became the Christmas flower? I have, so I thought that would be a good subject for my Traditions post this month.

There is an old Mexican legend about how the Poinsettia plant got associated with Christmas. A poor Mexican girl named Pepita had no present to give to the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Service.  Her cousin trying to cheer her up said that any gift, even a small one given with love will make Jesus happy.

She picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a small bouquet.  She placed the small bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene and suddenly the weeds burst into bright flowers. From that moment on, the red flowers were known as the "Flores de Noche Buena", or "Flowers of the Holy Night."

The Poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought of as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem due to their shape.  The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ, while the white leaves represent his purity.

Each month as I write these Traditions, I am amazed at the stories I find. I figured that the color RED had something to do with the Christmas Holiday, but never realized the religious connection this beautiful flower has to Christmas.

I hope you are equally amazed and enjoyed the story.

References:
Unknown. (Unknown). Poinsettias at Christmas. Available: http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/poinsettia.shtml. Last accessed 08/21/2015.

Image:
Reprinted with permission from

http://morguefile.com/archive/#/?q=poinsettia

Holiday Tradition - Christmas Eve Celebrations

Hi everyone. While I was thinking about what holiday tradition I would write about this month, I started thinking about some of my own family traditions. Growing up, my family would go to midnight mass. After mass, we would come home and open one Christmas present. Usually our parents would pick out which present we could open. I guess they didn't want us choosing the biggest one.

This is probably a tradition held by many families, so I thought I would try to find more information on how or why that started.

Tradition holds that Jesus was actually born at night. Midnight Mass is held on Christmas Eve in commemoration of his birth. Christmas Eve is referred to as Heilige Hacht (Holy Night) in German, Nochebuena (the Good Night) in Spanish and recognized also in such the song "Silent Night."

Some people actually view Christmas Eve as a full or partial holiday in anticipation to Christmas Day. They invite family and friends to share in a Christmas Eve dinner, sing Christmas Carols and visit decorated houses to enjoy all the holiday lights and decorations.

Now, the age old question, should presents be open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Growing up, my parents would wake us up in the middle of the night (after Santa's arrival) and we would open gifts. We have photos of our happy, sleepy faces and I remember it being such a treat. But it certainly made for a long day the next day.  As we got a bit older, we started opening gifts in the morning. I remember that my parents said we could not start until the coffee was made and that seemed to take forever. I don't think there is any right or wrong answer to this question. Each family has their own traditions as to when presents get opened. So I will leave you with this question. When does your family open up gifts? Would love to hear what everyone's traditions are in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by!

References:
Unknown. (Unknown). Christmas Eve. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Eve. Last accessed 07/15/15.
Unknown. (Unknown). Christmas Gift Opening . Available: http://community.cookinglight.com/archive/index.php/t-98284.html. Last accessed 07/15/15.
Image:
Reprinted with permission from
http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=103837&picture=illuminated-christmas-presents&large=1

Holiday Traditions: Singing Christmas Carols

One of my favorite holiday traditions is singing Christmas Carols. Now I have to admit, I have never gone Christmas Caroling, but I certainly love hearing all the Christmas songs. I think that is why I love visiting Disneyland during the Christmas holidays. They have old type carolers and they are so fun to listen to.  So how did this tradition get started?

Caroling started in Europe thousands of years ago, but at that time the songs were not of Christmas. These were songs the Pagans sang at Winter Solstice celebrations.  The word "Carol" means dance or song of praise and joy.  They were written and sung back then during all four seasons, but the only tradition that has survived is the singing of the Christmas Carols.

In AD 129 a Roman Bishop said that the song "Angel's Hymn" should be sung at a Christmas Service. With this idea, many composers started writing Christmas Carols for the church services. These songs were mainly written and sung in Latin and were not popular amongst the people as they could not understand them.

In 1223 St. Francis of Assisi started Nativity plays in Italy where the people in the plays sang songs that told a story.  They were sung in all languages so that the people watching the play could understand and join in.

Before carol singing in public became popular, there were official carol singers called "Waits." These were a band of important  people within the towns and villages who sang on Christmas.  Many orchestras and choirs also started to be formed at this time in England so that Christmas songs could be sung.  Carol services were created as well as the custom of singing carols in the streets.

Today the tradition still holds strong. Many churches hold candle and carol singing services every year at Christmas time. These services have become some of the favorites. While we may not see many carolers on the streets anymore, it is still a fun tradition shared amongst family and friends.

References:
Kristi Oloffson. (2009). Christmas Caroling. Available: http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1949049,00.html. Last accessed 06/22/15.

Unknown. (Unknown). The history of Christmas Carols. Available: http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/carols_history.shtml. Last accessed 06/22/15.

Connie Ruth Christiansen. (Unknown). Christmas Carols, the History and Origin. Available: http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/holiday-songs/christmas-carols-the-history-and-origin.html. Last accessed 06/22/15.

Image:
Reprinted with permission from

http://www.morguefile.com/archive/#/?q=christmas%20carols