if you celebrate...

[archerpren]

 christmas...why? i am honestly curious. what do you believe and why? is it just a day to cherish and spend with family? is it really the birth day of jesus? do you celebrate the winter solstice and if so how? tell me what you believe and why? tell me your absolutly favorite holiday tradition. i want to know. know my friends know my quiet readers

Comments

[cayswann]

Growing up, there was something wonderful about putting out the stockings Mom made for us as kids. I still have mine, and there have been some Christmas's I've stayed at either my Mom's or sister's the night before, and brought mine along. It was a tradition that on Christmas morning, we could open our stockings before the parents were up, and "it wasn't Christmas if there wasn't a Kit Kat in our stocking." Oddly, Mom always included the latest Avon chapstick, with next year's calendar on it, but that tradition wasn't as important in CA as it was in OH growing up.

I remember when my sister and I first realized it was *our* job to fill Mom's stocking for her, because we were now part of the Santa-staff (as much as it was our job to fill her Easter basket, since we were now part of the Easter Bunny-staff). We worked hard to find ways to sneak things into each others stockings, when no one was looking, so that *everyone* had a surprise "from Santa."

Nowadays I live with a roomie who's usually off with family, and I wake up alone in my apt on Christmas morning, finishing the last of the gift wrap and sometimes whatever hand-made thing I've brought for the whole family. Just because I'm Jewish now, doesn't mean I don't still "Celebrate my Family" -- and my Family still celebrates Christmas. Last year was the first Christmas that most of the family knew I was converting to Judaism, and my sister's gift bag to me was themed "Everything in Blue and White." This year, we plan to take each other shopping on New Year's Eve, and the gift is more about time together than the money spent.

Every year, I like to have something unwrapped that's "for everyone" that I made. This year, it was felt and embroidery "coffee cozies" ... inspired by the crochet ones YOU made for me. Last year: Tunisian crocheted scarves for the girls. Both of the previous 2 years: Variously dyed silk scarves for the girls. Before that: Soap I made at an A&S workshop, each tied with cinnamon and raffia. One year, my sister's "open gifts to everyone" was a basket filled with various muffin mixes and small jars of jelly: Everyone took home one of each.

My favorite personal memory was always "the lights" -- whether on a tree or in the window. I loved falling asleep with Christmas lights on. Now, I love to fall asleep all eight nights of Chanukah with the candles in the window. It's just like the Christmas lights memory, only with the added fragrance of candles.

[archerpren]

oh i LOVE the stocking thing. our fam did that too. we could open our stockings before the folks were up. our "t just wasnt christmas without"...was those chocolate oranges you whack and the slices fall apart. do you know those? my hubby has just NOT latched onto the idea of getting me one of those every year though so i have to go buy my own now. :0( hahaha

i love that you filled your moms stocking too. omg i wanna see your coffee cozies?! did you put up pix and i missed them while i was traveling or have they not hit the airwaves yet? my handmade thing for everyone every year is ornaments of all sorts. i try to vary them but i love those swirled paint ones so much that everybody has gotten a few of those :0)

thanks so much for sharing our holiday traditions with me! ((hugs)) how was your chanukah this year? i like that your candles have the same feeling for you as the lights did.

[cayswann]

I haven't posted photos yet, but I'll work on it. I neglected to *take* photos of the big set I took to Christmas at my Mom's. But I'm working on selling these on etsy, so you'll see them soon. I'm also thinking of making scarves for etsy, some hand-painted cards & stationery, and some other treats.

You may enjoy this Chanukah photos in the meantime.
* Photos from 2007: http://www.cayswann.com/v/Projects/2007/chanukah/
* Photos from 2009: 1st night - http://twitpic.com/t67oz , 2nd night - http://twitpic.com/tayf1 , 3rd night - http://twitpic.com/tfst3 , 4th night - http://twitpic.com/tlb2n , 5th night - http://twitpic.com/tpq5v , 6th night - http://twitpic.com/tucgf , 7th night - http://twitpic.com/tzfmc , 8th night - http://twitpic.com/u4d4h