My Holiday Traditions Growing Up
When I was growing up back in the ’60s and ’70s Santa Clause was a big part of Christmas, at least for me he was.
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I remember one Christmas, I was maybe 6 years old. My brother, sister, parents and I were watching a Christmas movie, probably Santa Clause is Coming to Town or Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. I went to the door and looked out. Santa was at the door! As I jumped up and down, I was excited and scared at the same time. I refused to open the door. I’m not sure who opened the door but Santa was in our house.
Santa sat in a chair and read us a story. I remember sitting on his lap while he read it. My fear subsided rather quickly I guess. At the time I didn’t think about him having to deliver presents to the rest of the people in the world. I think I was in shock that he, Santa, was actually in my house! To this day I have no idea who this Santa was.
My parents were the best at keeping Santa alive in our house
For years, as far back as I can remember, we would wake up Christmas morning to a decorated house and gifts under the tree. When we went to sleep Christmas Eve the house was normal, no decorations at all. Santa always decorated our house while we were sleeping.
We didn’t have just a few decorations either. There were lights inside and outside, candles in the windows, stockings hung, little Christmas knick-knack’s around the house. I think my Mom even baked the Christmas cookies that night.
The tree sat on a “Putz”. Do you know what a putz is? It is a decorative, miniature-scale village on a platform. My Dad had to set up every house, every vehicle, every tree, every little person on the putz. It also had a miniature train set that traveled around the village.
I don’t know how my parents did all of this decorating and clean up, and were still able to function on Christmas day. I found out later in life that they would finally get to bed around 6 am, just in time for my brother, sister, and I to wake up excited to see what Santa had brought us, and what he had done to the house.
When I was older, maybe 10 years old, Santa had delivered all of the decorations to our house while we were in school one day. The excitement of knowing Santa was in our house was one thing, but to be able to decorate was even more exciting! I think this is when my love for Christmas really started.
My Dad would play Christmas music on their record player and we would decorate the house all day long. He always had to fix the lights, testing each one to find out which one was blown out making the entire string of lights dark. I inherited that skill, and the patience, as I have taken on the task of figuring out which bulb is blown. You know the song, “The 12 things at Christmas that are such a pain to me”? Well that is what lights have become…”when 1 goes out, they all go out!!” and “why are they blinking?!!” LOL!
Nowadays we just buy new lights, it’s so much easier. BUT, I must say, in the Garrison home we have strings of lights that only one section of the string
The Garrison Traditions
December is a busy month for us in the Garrison home, well actually it starts with Thanksgiving. It seems every year there is less time to get everything done. We have Thanksgiving, our daughter’s birthday, our anniversary, picking a Christmas tree, decorating, cookie making, and holiday party’s.
When Myles and I got married we wanted to start a family tradition of our own for the holidays. Something that would be fun for the kids.
We had Myles’ brother and his family over for dinner Christmas Eve and needed a dessert. We decided to have ice cream sundaes.
We purchased all of the ingredients, chocolate, and vanilla ice cream, fudge topping, caramel topping, butterscotch topping, sprinkles, cherries, whipped cream, M&M’s, nuts, and Reese’s Pieces, just to name a few toppings.
We thought it would be a fun thing for the kids to make their own sundaes. Boy did they have fun! It was a bit messy, but well worth it. The joy on their faces was priceless. I wish I had pictures from back then. The messy, smiling faces is a memory that will never be forgotten.
Did I mention our nephew had an upset stomach that night? Poor kid! Apparently chocolate did not agree with him back then and of course, he chose chocolate ice cream and the fudge topping.
Their ride home that night was not pleasant I later found out.
This became our holiday family tradition, to have ice cream sundaes on Christmas Eve.
Years later, it has become another tradition that we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Our children, that are now grown and are building families of their own, are able to have their magical Christmas mornings at home and celebrate with their in-laws on Christmas Day. This year will be a challenge because most of us work Christmas Eve. We will still have our Christmas dinner, ice cream sundaes for dessert, gifts, and as always, enjoy our family time together.
The third tradition of ours is we do not decorate for the holidays until after our daughter’s birthday which is December 2. I never wanted to take away from her day, so we wait.
Our decorations involve A LOT of Santa’s. Everywhere you look, there is a Santa keeping watch over everyone. My daughter once painted a Santa on a canvas, it hangs on the wall all year long. How else can he determine who has been naughty or nice?
Our fourth tradition started when the kids were a little older. Baking Christmas cookies was always fun with the kids even though they got bored after one batch and I ended up doing the rest by myself. The last couple of years it’s only been a few of the girls baking with me.
I am excited for this years cookie baking day because we will have a full house of bakers. Our daughters, daughters in law, and granddaughters will all be involved. 11 or 12 females baking all kinds of cookies all day. We will be making dozens of cookies, and of course they will take some home with them.
Christmas is my favorite time of year. People, in general, are in better moods, there is joy in the air, and we are all a little more forgiving at this time of year. But most of all, I love being together and spending time with my family. So many memories are made throughout the year and it seems the best memories are made during Christmas.
Let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas either. The purpose of Jesus birth at Christmas was to enter into the world and become one of us, to deliver us from our sins.
I am not a very religious person, but I do believe in a higher power and have faith He will protect us and kept safe.
Do you have holiday traditions? Feel free to share them with me.
Wishing you all a very Happy and Safe Holiday Season!
