WQ - Holiday Traditions

The holiday season is full of traditions ― Advent traditions, Christmas traditions, Hanukkah traditions, New Years traditions . . . and many of the traditions are beloved even if we don't quite remember the reasons they started. Sometimes knowing the origin of a tradition can make it even more meaningful, although I suppose there are times when it might make us wonder why we're still practicing that tradition!

Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends. ~Margaret Thatcher 

For centuries men have kept an appointment with Christmas. Christmas means fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, home. ~William Jewett Tucker

The tradition of decorating a tree for Christmas goes back to Germany sometime in the Middle Ages and the tradition came to America along with European settlers in the 19th century. Nowadays families have different traditions around when and how the tree is decorated. Many decorate at Thanksgiving (some even earlier!), while others decorate at the beginning of December, or at any time leading up to Christmas Day. Likewise there's a difference of opinion when the tree and decorations should be put away. Some folks pack it all up on December 26th, and it seems like most people are done with it by New Years. A few leave the tree and other decorations up until Epiphany on January 6th. That's because the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and end on Epiphany, which is the day we remember the wise men visiting the Christ Child.

The magi, as you know, were wonderfully wise men who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. ~O. Henry 

My family is in the camp that sets up the tree at Thanksgiving time, and we leave it up until Epiphany. 

Christmas is a box of tree ornaments that have become part of the family. ~Charles M. Schulz

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Bill Vaughan

I love hearing and singing traditional Christmas carols as well as modern holiday music.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

One thing I love about Christmas music is that it has a tradition of warmth. ~Zooey Deschanel

I'm sharing this on December 26th, Boxing Day, a traditional holiday that goes back to a custom in 17th century England of Christmas-boxes given to tradespeople as a gratuity for services rendered during the year. And that custom comes from an earlier tradition of household servants being given the day after Christmas to spend with their families, and employers would also give them a box of gifts, money, and food. During the Middle Ages, the Alms Boxes in churches were opened so priests could distribute the donations to the poor on the Feast of St Stephen, which just happens to be December 26th. Which tells you a little about why Good King Wenceslas was out tramping through the snow on that Feast Day.

There's a lot of gift-giving traditions throughout the Christmas season, isn't there? There are even different traditions about WHEN to open gifts. When I was growing up, we often opened gifts late on Christmas Eve which seems to be associated with German tradition. But most families open gifts on Christmas morning, and that's what we started doing once we had kids. There have been some years when we opened gifts on Christmas Eve because some family members were celebrating on Christmas Day with their signicant other family. No matter when we open gifts, our family has developed a goofy tradition to end the gift-giving part of our holiday celebration. After all the gifts are opened, we wad up the scraps of wrapping paper and have a paper (snow)ball war!

It's true, Christmas can feel like a lot of work, particularly for mothers. But when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you've created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul. ~Caroline Kennedy

We're often in the middle of making new traditions, whether we realize it or not. Simple repeated actions that remind us of truth, shared values, or special memories can become traditions that are meaningful. 

We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Traditions are a gift. The gift of family identity and harmony. The gift of being connected to our heritage. The gift of continuing the best of that heritage. The gift of spiritual and family values. The gift of shared memories. ~Me, from The Gift of Traditions at Homeschool Coffee Break

And for more about the traditional roots of Boxing Day, see my Homeschool Coffee Break post: Happy Boxing Day!

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This post is linked at Wednesday Quotes co-hosted by Sadje at Keep It Alive and Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee. Visit the current post WQ - Traditions to find the linky and join us, to see the other posts, and to find the first theme for WQ in 2025.

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