I'm combining last week's and this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver into one post because I don't have a lot of memories to write about. Maybe my brother and sisters will remember more and add to this or correct me.
Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.
1. Today's challenge is to share memories of December holiday gatherings and celebrations with your families (as a child, a young adult, a parent, a grandparent, a great-grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a nibling, a cousin, an in-law)!
2. Pick two or three questions from the list in my blog post: Ask AI: "What questions can I write about concerning family gatherings and celebrations during the December holidays?"
3. Tell us about your memories of your holiday gatherings and celebrations in your own blog post, in a comment here, or on your Facebook page. Be sure to leave a link to your report in a comment on this post.
Except for the addition of having the questions created by AI this year, this is a traditional holiday post by Randy, and my problem every year is that I just don't remember that much. Let's see what I can come up with via the new questions prompting me. I'm sticking to Christmas memories from when I was a child living at home with my parents.
• Who traditionally hosted celebrations in your family, and why?
Growing up, I only remember celebrating Christmas at home with my parents. If we went anywhere else, I can't recall it. As for why, I don't know. We didn't have a lot of money, so we probably couldn't afford to travel anywhere.
• Did family members travel far to attend?
I don't remember any family members traveling to celebrate Christmas with us. I think my half-sister and her mother may have celebrated Christmas with us one year, but that would have been the year they were living with us, so they didn't have to travel.
• What did the space feel like during the holidays—sights, sounds, and smells?
We always had a Christmas tree, which my mother called the Chanukah bush. I only remember it being fake; I don't recall ever having a real tree. My mother displayed her menorah; I think she may have lit candles sometimes, but that was all she did to acknowledge Chanukah. The house had decorations, including one of those elves which is now called Elf on the Shelf (although it was just an elf way back then). And my mother displayed all the cards we received, including Chanukah cards from her side of the family.
• Were nonfamily members invited to join your celebrations?
The only nonfamily guests I remember at any of our Christmas Day meals are my "Aunt" Sam (my mother's best friend), and maybe her children Jeff and Cathy.
• Are there group photos or video from holiday gatherings that capture a story about your family?
It's very strange to me that I can't find any photos from Christmas when my siblings and I were young. My father took lots of photos, but apparently not on holidays.
• What dishes were a staple at your family's holiday celebrations? Who made them?
I remember that we always had turkey and ham, because Aunt Sam loved ham. I also remember we had the classics: candied yams (which were of course really sweet potatoes), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes. I believe my mother made everything.
I don't like sweet potatoes, and my mother tricked me one year. She told me the food was candy. I took one bite, glared at her, and exclaimed, "It's yams!" And she grinned and said, "Candied yams!" Talk about ruining your child's faith in you.
• Do you own or display any heirlooms, decorations, or items that belonged to your ancestors during the holidays?
I have my mother's menorah and usually display it during Chanukah, although I almost never light the candles. I used to have our old Elf on the Shelf, but I haven't been able to find him.
• Did your family have traditions for how gifts were given or opened?
We children were allowed to open one present, which we could choose, on Christmas Eve. Everything else was opened Christmas morning. My brother always opened his presents very carefully, cutting the tape, unfolding the paper, and then refolding it flat.
Even with that long list of AI questions Randy provided, that's it for what I remember. Let's see how my siblings do.
You do remember quite a lot. My girls didn't like candied yams but loved sweet potatoes plain.
ReplyDeleteCompared to everyone else, I feel like what I remember is just a few tiny details. I discovered I still don't like sweet potatoes, unless they're buried in sugar and butter, booze, or fat from frying.
DeleteI had forgotten about stringing the Christmas cards over the doorway or on a wall, even though I have some old photos showing them up during the holidays. My family rarely traveled either. My maternal grandparents lived 200 miles away, but Nana, my dad's mom lived upstairs.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't string our cards up. We had them standing on shelves and bookcases. I think part of the reason I remember that is because one of my chores was to dust the shelves. :)
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