Traditions Remembered - There were wonderful Christmas traditions my family observed when I was growing up. Our first tradition started before Thanksgiving. My mother, sister, and I would spend many hours each night in the kitchen chopping nuts, and cutting dried fruit to make fruitcake for the troops in Korea (and some for us and Christmas presents for family). The troops would receive their fruitcake that was made in bread loaf pans. Mother also made several fruitcakes in an angel food cake “pan” for us and close family gifts.

There were always plays and musicals. One that I remember was staged in Santa’s toy shop and then one day I played Mary for my Grandmother’s Literary Guilde. Then, during the 2-3 weeks before Christmas, packages arrived from our out-of-town relatives. It was always hard to see them under the dining room table and not peek!

Christmas Eve, my dad, sister, and I would go to a Christmas tree lot to get a tree!! It was always very cold and dark. After we found “just the right tree”, we returned home to Mom in a warm kitchen filled with yummy aromas and hot chocolate to defrost us!!

Putting the tree up was mostly up to my dad and mom, then everyone helped decorate it. This was my dad’s least favorite thing to do and it was the only time in the year I ever saw my dad get to the point of being angry. Mom brought out her very old family heirloom balls which only Mom could hang on the tree – high up!!

After supper on Christmas Eve, we always went to Christmas Eve services. When I was older, I sang with my mother in a Christmas Eve service. It was such an awe-inspiring “magical night”. I remember we sang “O Holy Night” and I’ve loved that song ever since.

After Christmas Eve service, my grandparents (who lived across the street from us!!!), and my aunt, uncle, and cousins came to our house. We would sit around the lighted Christmas Tree (all other lights off), sing Christmas carols, eat my mother’s yummie fruitcake and drink “Tom Tucker Southern Style Gingerale”, found only in Pittsburgh, PA.

Christmas Day, another aunt, uncle, and cousins from Ohio would come up the hill from visiting my aunt’s family and have Christmas dinner with us, either at our home or my Grandparent’s home. (Hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners would switch back and forth between my Grandparents and us.)

The year came when my grandparents decided they weren’t putting up a tree anymore. We snuck across the street and put up a small tree we had decorated. They were thrilled the next morning to see what Santa Clause had left them!!

Note: Lynda H. is on our prayer team and a valued, much-loved part of our CCF family.