Holiday Customs - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

1916 Christmas Dinner

eladendorf1 — 5 Oct 2003 4:02:23 GMT

Hi Folks,

I have a Christmas Dinner menu from 1916 from Fort Ethan Allen, in Vermont. My father was a cook, and there is a troop roster in the menu, as well as the menu itself. I'm posting a pic of the cover. If anyone is interested in the rest, there are three more images. Just let me know, and I'll post them. I do have two questions. Does anyone know for sure what troop it is appearing on the cover? Next question -- what does the H. S. stand for in Second H. S. Cavalry?

Ed

Christmas Poem

B Thompson — 1 Dec 2002 8:13:27 GMT

I am looking for the words to a poem - First line of poem is, "In Winnipeg at Christmas, there's lots and lots of snow". Further on in the poem it mentions Queen Victoria in her chair with lots of snow upon her hair. I think it was in an old school reader. Don't know author's name. Can anyone please send it to me. Thanks.

Christmas traditions

Curtis Morley — 22 Dec 1999 11:32:58 GMT

In our home it is a tradition to wake up between 3:00-4:00 A.M. and try to sneak past my parents bedroom and down the stairs to where Santa had dumped all the loot. Unfortunately we were never successful and my father would send us back to bed until 6:00. One Christmas we all got up at the appointed 6:00 A.M. and started to unwrap our presents. I was very excited because I got the dump truck Ihad asked for and the gun that sparked when the trigger was pulled. My father looked especially tired this year and kept commenting on how he felt like he had just gone to bed. I was getting ready to unwrap my next present when my mother called into the living room to have my father come look at the clock on the stove. Immediately after seeing the clock, which read 2:00 my dad realized that he and the rest of us had been tricked. My oldest brother had waited just a litle under an hour after my parents had gone to bed and pulled off the greatest feat of all. He had successfully crept through te house and changed all the clocks in the house ahead 4 hours including the clock radio that was on the night stand next to my sleeping father. He would have gotten away with it except for the clock on the stove. As it was we all got sent back to bed for another 4 hours except my brother who had to wrap all of the presnts over again. We all had a good laugh that morning and every other since then about how my brother pulled off the impossible.

Genealogist Christmas

Liz Pearce — 14 Dec 2003 7:18:13 GMT

Boxing Day

rosesgarden — 19 Feb 2007 3:32:34 GMT

I travel to the USA frequently and have been asked where the Canadian tradition of boxing day started.
Can anyone give me a good answer? I have a few, but I'm not sure if they are true answers.

I have heard that it started when the rich gave boxed presents to their servants. I also heard that it evolved into a day when neighbours would gather bringing food for pot luck suppers in boxes.

Well???

Christmas tradition/decoration of the Irish???

JanetLWood — 7 Nov 2005 4:01:40 GMT

Hello all, through my genealogy research I have found 3 major roots of my heritage (German, Swedish and Irish - the Irish left for Newfoundland in the 1700's).

This Christmas I would like to collect an heirloom quality item representing these regions to decorate with at Christmas time and hopefully pass down the generations.

This is where I need your help...do you have any suggestions for traditional Irish Christmas items that would have been used by the Irish people?

Thanks for any suggestions.

-Janet Wood

Winnipeg at Christmas

blackie — 5 Dec 2006 5:43:59 GMT

is loreen Pindra or anyone else still interesred in the background of the poem 'In Winnipeg at Christmas?

many nationality Christmas'

Linda — 23 Nov 2006 5:23:57 GMT

My Family is made of many nationality- Germany, Scotch, English, Irish, French, Polish, Welsh and Cherokee. We decided years ago that it would be neat to take a different nationality for each Christmas. It was so neat to concentrate one nationality on a Christmas holiday. We learn so many ways each one celebrated. The Scotch, English, and Welsh was very similiar. The foods, decorations, and traditions were so interesting to learn about. We ended up after all the nationality were done to take the favorite parts of each and make them our traditions. Try taking a nationality of yours and find out how much fun it can be.

Christmas Traditions/Decorations of the British???

JanetLWood — 7 Nov 2005 3:58:05 GMT

Hello all, through my geneology research I have discovered 4 major roots of my family (German, Swedish, Newfoundland/Irish and British). My husband has the British (thus my children's heritage).

His British ancestors were amoung the first to settle the area of Hempstead Long Island in the 1600's.

This Christmas I would like to collect an heirloom quality item that represents each geographical area to decorate my house with and pass onto generations.

This is where I need your help....do you have any suggestions for a traditional item that British folks use/used to decorate with at Christmas time?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks, Janet Wood

7 fishes stew called baccala

Tracey Coleman Pikos — 13 Mar 2006 5:56:37 GMT

What are the traditional 7 fishes in the Italian New Year/holiday stew? Is this a Northern or Southern Italian tradition or one widespread throughout the country? Why 7 fish?

Lutefisk Lament

@@DavidLJoh@aol.com — 16 Jun 2005 2:36:24 GMT

Xmas in July......

sundance67581 — 18 Jul 2005 1:49:16 GMT

I have sat here for the last hour reading & laughing at this wonderful Christmas traditions.....And now I will add my family's. This Christmas Eve tradition began in the Depression Era with my Grandmother, passed on thru my childhood (I'm 47) and is still being practiced with my children (ages 17/18)....On Xmas Eve each family member is allowed to open only one gift. This one gift symbolizes the hardships of the depression w/o losing the spirit of Christmas & the excitement of the night! LOL Everyone knows EXACTLY what they will get.....Curious as to what i am speaking of? As the yrs have progessed (approx. 75) & in keeping with my Grandmother's original belief that gifts should be practical, useful & affordable......The one gift everyone gets to open is (you got it)...PAJAMAS! The more outrageous, the funnier, the better! Ever seen a 18 y/o young woman run around a christmas tree in Lime-green Garfield the Cat PJ's with feet-in-them????? HA! It has become a time-honored tradition to find glow-in-the-dark dinosaur boxer shorts?? Everyone is required to put on said PJ's, model them & wake up Xmas morning to gather around the tree.......I Love & miss you, Grandma....I will guarantee that your Depression Era PJ Exchange will go on for many lifetimes.........

Julie, Jessi, Dean & David (& all the rest of your Grand Kids!)

New Years Eve Traditions

castella1 — 23 Mar 2005 8:07:36 GMT

My family always has held New Years Eve in high reguards because of the traditions that we have shared. This is a time that all of my family gets together. We eat... a lot, play games, and visit and share stories. This is also a time for us to catch up in case we were unable to meet at Christmas. The most important New years eve custom has been singing and dancing. We get out the kareoke, and sing and dance all night. It is a lot of fun and a time that I look forward to every year!

Belgium Christmas Tree Decorations

Sandy — 15 Dec 2004 2:20:35 GMT

I am tring to do a Heritage Christmas tree for my grandchildren and children toenjoy but need help on what was the Traditional decorations used. My familys come from Belgium, Prussia and Germany I have learned that the German tree had Apples and I Stars on it but not sure on the Belgium and Prussian trees can anyone help me with this request PLEASE>>>>
sandy in Missouri
sandyhere@microcore.net
incase no one else wants to read what others have to say you can email them information to me

A Sicilian Christmas

Suzanne Russo — 22 Dec 1999 7:51:17 GMT

My father's side of the family is originally from a little fishing village on the isle of Sicily.

One holiday custom includes the food prepared for family festivities.

In many Sicilian homesit is traditional to eat fish on Christmas Eve. Any kind of fish you can imagine! Fresh fruit, warm bread, and Italian cookies stuffed with figs, nuts, and other dried fruits are also traditional.

The family sits around the table laughing and telling stories.

On Christmas day we have fresh homemade ravioli with my Nana's (grandmother in Sicilian) homemade sauce that cooks for no less than 6 to 8 hours.

Sretan Uskrs (Happy Easter in Croatian).

RJ Samp — 10 Apr 2004 2:54:19 GMT

Sretan Uskrs (Happy Easter in Croatian). I can’t wish you a Happy Easter in Slovenian since I never learned the language that my Skube grandparents in Pueblo Colorado spoke.

I guess I was about 10 years old when my aunt Rachael Skube & I each carried a huge, heavy basket of food down to the Grove on Holy Saturday to have them blessed. It was a long walk from 1715 E. Routt Ave. in Pueblo, Colorado through empty lots and across streets over the Railway bridge that spanned the Arkansas river. Carefully we slid down the embankment to Saint Mary’s. The food carrying people wound around the inside of the church like a holiday confessional line waiting for their turn to have the food blessed.

Inside our heavy baskets were: kifli (nut & sugar encrusted rolls filled with courant jelly), potica, kielbasa, ham, fresh horseradish, boiled eggs, and spring onions. Symbolically the kifli were twisted as the ropes that bound Jesus as were the strings of kielbasa – The encrusted nuts were the thorns – the lumped sugar crust served as the bitter sweet of his passion - the courant jelly, the blood of Christ.

On the tiring way back from the church we felt like eating some of the contents but decided not to, lest we incur Grandma Matilda’s (Mihelich maiden name) displeasure!

After Easter Mass it was a double joy to eat the blessed food by hand.

Then on to 1729 E. Abriendo to Grandma Mary Simonich’s where we finished the day with more food and cordiality.

At evening tide we headed back out to the farm to milk the cows, slop the hogs, and feed the horses and chickens.

I sure miss the Easters of old . . . Happy Easter!

EAS

Bilaj, Croatia
Novoselo, Croatia
Draga Fara, Podpreska, Ljublana, Slovenia

Posted by a brother in law who married into the Bojon's of East Abriendo Avenue association.

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS - ROSETANI?

Lynda Matthews — 30 Sep 2005 2:08:46 GMT

In our family Christmas Eve was always just as big a celebration as Christmas Day. It started with my grandmother who was born in Roseto Valfortore and came to Canada in her early 20's - so I wonder if this was a Rosetani tradition - or more so - just an Italian tradition.

Years ago, when my cousins and I were all young - the entire family spent it together - but of course that changed as the kids grew and formed their own individual families. However, one thing that remained, at least in my own family was the traditional food - that being mainly seafood.

The star of the menu was always the pasta with red sauce - except that on this evening it had lots of seafood added to it: shrimp, tuna, squid (calamari) etc. And platters of different varities of breaded fish. I think as the years went on the next generation added different things. For instance - Christmas in my mother's house ususally starts with Shrimp Cocktail; then we have the pasta with the seafood sauce; then comes platters of breaded shrimp, scallops, oysters, white fish - you name it. Along with that she does a stuffed calamari in the oven (not my favorite by a long shot). And of course to tame all of this down a little there are some vegetables and a salad - and all the baked goods that come afterwards.

This year my sister and I wrestled Christmas Eve away from my mother (she is now 80 - and did "not" want to give it up) but we are going to do our own variation of the seafood - so it should be interesting. Each generation changes a little I think.

Of course Christmas day brings in the Turkey and all of the trimmings - but I would be curious what - if anything - other Rostani families do for Christmas Eve.

I'll take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy and wonderful Christmas season filled with family and friends.
Lynda

Christmas day 1863

don_coatney — 26 Jan 2006 10:05:15 GMT

It is only fitting to post this letter today. My Great Grandfather William Curtis Morgan wrote this letter to his wife Mary Eveline Townsend. Happy holidays to all.
Don Coatney

"CHRISTMAS GIFT--gotcha

nathansnana — 30 Apr 2004 8:06:32 GMT

On Christmas day we spend time visiting and eating and unwrapping and.............
we play this game..whenever the phone rings or someone comes to the door..you have to be the first one to say "CHRISTMAS GIFT". The little ones love to 'catch' you.
We have played this game for years and no one could figure out where it started. My father in law said he always did it when he was a boy.
In researching our family history, I discovered that this game was played back in 1870..documented in a personal journal. They said that the family had adopted this tradition from the slaves.
"CHRISTMAS GIFT"

Christmas pageant

eileen martinson — 5 Oct 2003 4:07:57 GMT

Our Christmas begins in early November with rehearsals for the Rickreall Christmas Pageant. It is a community-based, all volunteer presentation which began in 1938 and has many third and fourth generation participants.
There is no charge but tickets allow us to evenly distribute the audience over several nights. If you plan to be in Oregon during the holidays, please join us. We are in the heart of the Willamette Valley, 10 miles west of Salem. Mail your ticket request to Rickreall Christmas Pageant, PO Box 43, Rickreall, OR 97371. Include the number of tickets desired, your home phone number and a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Christmas Customs & RECIPES of various ethnic backgrounds

RogerFarsdale — 5 Oct 2003 4:04:59 GMT

I realize that this is early, however, I am looking for various recipies from different countries. Recipies need to be a Christmas favorite. Please email me direct if you have a recipe or know of an additon place where I may search. We are preparing for our Christmas Concert and will be serving foods from various countrys. Thanks, Roger Farsdale

Looking forward to the Holidays!

Joanne Foy — 5 Oct 2003 4:06:27 GMT

A few years ago when we lived in Montreal my children then 8 and 10 years of age started celebrating Hanukah with their friends they would go over and light the menorah and listen to them chant their prayers and then get to eat all the goodies,their friends would then come over a few days before christmas and help decorate the tree and then eat christmas goodies,one of my son's friends would always spend christmas day with us and looked forward to having his christmas turkey.I recently found out that I am a Jewish american and will definately continue the tradition of celebrating Hanukah and yes Christmas the birth of God's son as both hilodays follow each other and its a beautiful gift to be able to do both.

Ukrainian Christmas

pubteam — 12 Sep 2001 9:24:51 GMT

My family has always celebrated Ukrainian Christmas according to the old calendar which makes it fall on Jan 6/7. Ever since I was a child we went to my Baba's(Grandma's) house For Christmas Eve on the 6th for a traditional dinner of borscht, babka, pyrohy, kielbasa, kutia, etc. Dinner lasted for HOURA! By the end we were begging to open our gifts as the grown ups drank coffee and tea after the meal. During dinner the men from our Ukrainian parish would come sing carols in Ukrainian. It was awesome. On the 7th(Christmas Day), we'd always get to stay home from school since we had been up so late the night before and usually we got to sleep over at Baba's. This Christmas celebration has always felt more like Christmas to me than the regular Christmas celebrations.

12 books of Christmas

larynb — 17 Feb 2004 2:39:59 GMT

In our family we have recently started a tradition of giving away a book a day to the children to be read that day. Some of the books are Christmas books, others are not. The children love the "elf" that is bringing them new reading material for those days before Christmas that can take so long to pass.

Christmas Tradition

Jonathan Fischer — 27 Dec 1999 9:47:08 GMT

Prior to Christmas each family member randomly picks another family member through a drawing. The family member they pick is their "secret pal" and they are to buy a nicer-than-normal present for this person. On Christmas Eve at midnight, we all exchange our secret pal gifts. It has been a fun tradition in my family for years.

Christmas Traditions

july — 13 Aug 2001 12:08:35 GMT

On Christmas Eve we will have oyster stew for supper and then settle in the living to get ready to open presents. My husband used to always light the fire place just before we open gifts. My son looks foward to this fire. As it started when he was 3 years old and is now 13. Well my husband has passed away a bit ago so I will have to carry on the fire place tradition. So it will be my son and I opening presents and watching the fire this year. Then we go to my sisters home on Christmas Day and have festivities with their family.

Christmas Traditions

cssteafkensims — 25 Jun 2001 10:54:58 GMT

When I was at home, it was always the tradition to put the tree up on my birthday, December 20th. Then on Christmas morning, we would all wake up and open our gifts and spend time with the family. Later, we would usually go to my grandmother's house for dinner. That was up until my grandmother passed away.

Now that I am married, we usually try to put the tree up around December 1st. The two children that we have can appreciate the lights and glitter of the tree. On Christmas eve, I read them the story of the real reason we celebrate Christmas, Jesus and his birthday. Then we let our children open one present of our choice. After that they go to bed and wait for Santa to come.

Then Christmas morning, once everyone is awake, we open presents and later in the day we have dinner. In the evening we sit down and watch the movie, "Miracle in the Wilderness". I believe this explains the real meaning of Christmas.

To everyone reading this:

Have a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!!

God Bless and Happy Birthday, Jesus!!

Carrie S. Sims

Christmas Traditions

20woollies — 21 Aug 2003 5:38:32 GMT

My family started off the holiday with putting up the tree about 2 weeks before Christmas. The week before Christmas we went to the church Christmas pagent. When I was a child, there were no presents under the tree until we got up Christmas morning and by the magic of Santa they were there. My mother always made us eat a healthy breakfast before opening the presents. When company was expected early we had to wait till they arrived.
In later years, after moving away from home,it became tradition to get up early Christmas morning, open the presents then dress in nice clothing and go to my parents house where we opened more presents and spent the day enjoying family and an enormous amount of food.
Now it has become tradition to bake a Birthday cake for Jesus Christ and put a single candle on it.Then on Christmas Eve we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and have cake. Now we open 1 present on Christmas Eve, from someone in the family, then the children go to bed and Santa comes.
At my Aunt's house, the tree was not put up until Christmas eve after the children had gone to bed. Then Santa would visit bringing everything.
Merry Christmas to All

Christmas Traditions

Marion — 22 Dec 1999 9:34:03 GMT

In our family we have the tradition of beginning our Christmas Eve dinner by lighting a candle for each of our children as they have come into the family and then we all have a candlelight dinner together, which simply gets them so wound up that they can't sleep at all.

Decorations

Mary Ann Harmon — 22 Dec 1999 9:14:24 GMT

My mom is Martha Stewart. Well, not really, but you can imagine what our house might look like around Christmas time. We have an entire storage room dedicated almost entirely to Christmas decorations. I think that decorations really add to the spirit of the holiday. They make it a magical time for children and adults. One special tradition that my mom has is to make the ornaments for our tree. This year she made elaborate snowflakes from white frosting and gold decor. It is beautiful!

12 Books

Brady Whittingham — 22 Dec 1999 8:55:26 GMT

I have two girls, ages 2 and 3. Our family has some traditions for a variety of events, and it's fun to see that our girls already look forward to them. One of our Christmas traditions is to wrap up 12 Christmas books for each child. Every night before bed, they open one book each and we read them together as a family. If nothing else, it makes bedtime much more easy to deal with for 12 days! Hey, maybe we should wrap up 365 books each!

Traditions

jphansen — 26 Mar 2003 2:58:34 GMT

Christmas Traditions in a Large Family

Sarah Lunt — 22 Dec 1999 7:58:54 GMT

Growing up one of 11 kids makes for some great Christmas memories. On Christmas Eve we would gather in the family room and read the story of the birth of Jesus from the Bible. We would then discuss what it meant to us and sing some Christmas carols. To end the evening we would go around the room from youngest to oldest (I really didn't like being one of the oldest this time of year!) and would open our gifts. You can imagine what the room looked like when we were finished--nothing but Christmas paper and bows!
The best part of the night would always be the smiles and excitement over the holiday.

Merry Christmas,
Sarah Lunt

Christmas Eve

kel — 27 Dec 2005 6:07:36 GMT

our christmas eve...
before leaving for my parent's house for dinner, my two children sprinkle "magic reindeer food" on our front lawn so santa can easily find us and to give the reindeer a treat (oatmeal and glitter kept in special bags all year). once at my parent's, we settle at the table and sing "jingle bells" while using our silverware to bang on our plates, glasses and table - then we eat tacos.
after dinner, we go downstairs and get comfortable - the christmas tree lights are turned on and we read or re-enact the birth of christ found in luke, then we go around the room and everyone chooses a carol for everyone to sing (there's 29 of us!). after singing, we open gifts from each other, one person or couple at a time. then we all eat homemade christmas cookies (there are a dozen different cookies that our family makes for christmas each year - we divide them up to make and have a cookie exchange so everyone gets all the cookie without having to make all the cookies) :)
happy holidays!
kel

Post Hollyday Cheer

John Tolman — 22 Dec 1999 7:43:21 GMT

Well the night before christmas we all open one gift and it is usually pajamas. Then we get up in the morning and open gifts and then the rest of the day we eat. That probably explains why I look the way I do. jt

Holiday Customs

Cali — 21 Dec 1999 4:19:57 GMT

Holidays at my family (as they probably are with most other families) are very special, as it is really the only time the whole family is together. With college and developing careers, my siblings and I have moved to both sides of the Coasts and even overseas! So when the Holiday comes around, we all just want to spend time together. And something that has started quite recently was the practice of heading to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant Christmas morning and having a bowl of hot noodle soup while we share stories and memories of our lives. It's always so much fun!

Christmas Tradition

Scott Nelson — 21 Dec 1999 4:15:12 GMT

When I was young we use to always renact "Twas the Night Before Christmas." This was always fun because I always played the role of Santa Claus. One year, I took my dog, mounted some dear horns on his head, put some bells around his neck, tied a rope to his collar so he could pull me on his bike. He became my Ruldolph. It was absolutely a riot. Thank goodness for traditions and this great time of year.

Christmas with the Family

Teresa — 5 Dec 1999 5:41:30 GMT

Not sure if this is what this is for, but I would think that "tradition" is very important in every family. Our Christmas tradition has always been (for as long as I can remember) spending lots of time with family and friends during the holidays.

On Christmas eve our family would prepare for "Santa" to visit, by making cookies and just spending time together with games and preparations for the next day. We would discuss Jesus' birthday and what it meant to each of us. Then, on Christmas morning - we'd all wake up, join each other in the living room. Dad would hand out the gifts and we would all sit and open them. After all that was done, Mom and us girls would gather in the kitchen to make our traditional "hot chocolate," along with breakfast. After breakfast we would all go back to enjoying our gifts, etc. Christmas night we'd either go visiting relatives or spend it at home and play games. Usually, the next day we would all go to our grandparents' home for dinner and celebrate.

Those are very fond memories - family, cooking, games, and just celebrating a very important day - Jesus' birthday. I remember the warmth and the unity of that time - nothing else seemed as important as being with family and enjoying the time we have together.

Happy Holidays to all!