Nothing shines a light on our family traditions much like Everything Christmas. When you stop to think about it some of them are pretty strange, and yet we hold onto all of them because that’s what everyone who gathers expects year after year.
For instance, a bowl of cottage cheese presented with a sprinkle of pepper lines up with the rest of the Christmas dinner offerings at my friend’s house. I always thought it was a bit strange, given that all around it was much more traditional fare, like cranberries and brussels sprouts. It just didn’t seem to belong. One year I finally asked her why she set out the cottage cheese. “I’m not sure why – Mom always did it.”
Mom always did it is a common response to such queries. Dear Neighbour Friend’s mom added a handful of chopped chestnuts to the stuffing at Christmas, causing everyone to set about scrutinizing their plates for the things and shuffling them off to the side – even her!
There are many cultural traditions surrounding the festive season, of course. Leaving a plate of cookies and some carrots for a convoy of flying reindeer is a huge one. In some online searches, Elf on a Shelf appears on this list of strange holiday activities – right up there with hiding your brooms or making sure the first person through your door in the new year has dark hair.
One of my friends, like many people, leaves an empty chair at an empty plate at the corner of the dinner table for those no longer present. But hers also has a full silver vat of a particular beer alongside because Mom always did it. One great tradition that has been repeated among dinner planners throughout the generations is to ensure someone is at the gathering who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. Now that’s a tradition that’s completely understood!
We’re in the midst of this season now, where we are pulling all the loose and random threads together to weave our own nostalgia for the next year and the next generation. Because Mom always did it.
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