I mentioned earlier this week about the book signing for Feast of the Seven Fishes and now its your chance to get a copy of the book, free!
I want to know, what is your family’s weirdest holiday tradition? Leave your story in the comments by December 7 and I will pick a winner at random to win the copy of the book. United States residents only, sorry, Commies.
I’ll start things off by telling you how my family celebrates every Christmas Eve. Let me first inform you that my Mom’s side of the family is Irish Catholic. Well, we’ve got some Hungarian in there too, but my Grandma told everyone we were German so that people didn’t call us “Hungies”. She would be so embarrassed if she saw this. She doesn’t have the Internet, its ok.
Since I can remember, every Christmas Eve our whole family would go to midnight mass at the local Catholic church. Once mass was finished we’d all congregate back at my grandparents house for a meal, but not just any meal. Our big tradition was to have Slovenian smoked sausages as a family.
My Grandpa would go get the sausages from Raddell’s a week before Christmas on special order. Raddell’s is by far the best sausage shop in Cleveland, contrary to what Anthony Bourdain’s producers may think. And my Grandpa, never one to leave you hungry, wouldn’t just get a couple of sausages, he’d get 50. That was enough for two a person. He’d have those things boiling the entire time we were at mass so that they’d be ready when we came back, or their house would be burned down. One of the two.
We’d all pile back into the house and start devouring these sausages. Most of the guys in our family would uphold tradition and have two which wasn’t always the smartest idea. You have to keep in mind though that we were eating these things at no earlier than 1:30 in the morning and these Slovenian sausages are heavy and fatty. They would end up sitting in our stomachs like lead cannonballs. Within an hour or so, we’d all be laying on various furniture items, or the floor, just moaning. It was so bad, but so sweet at the same time.
There was a year when someone suggested that for the health of the family we drop the sausages and opt for something healthier like chicken. There was almost a hostage situation.
Now you might not think this is that weird, but its a big deal for the Irish family to be eating Slovenian sausages on Christmas Eve. I know my wife thought we were freaking crazy when she heard about it. So let us know why people think your family is crazy for your weird holiday tradition. You might win a book for it.
The vitamin world may not seem that significant from a distance, but is really is. Life without vitamin a will be all black, due to blindness. On the other hand, deficiency of vitamin d will make you bed ridden in your thirties. Celebrities are well aware of aging facts that is why they believe in the power of vitamin water.
December 6th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
I know your a fellow Catholic, but most people have never heard of this one.
On December 6th (tonight), my family puts out one of their shoes so St. Nicholas can come for a visit and fill it with candy and small toys. As a child, I didn’t know one other family that did this, and when I spoke of it all my friends thought my family was weird (they were right). Whenever I asked my parents why we did this, their answer was always either “just because” or “because our parents did it.” Thank god for the invention of the internet! Apparently this all started with Christian in Europe. And it was around long before what we know as Christmas.
Sadly, since I have moved away from my parents and for the past 8 years I have set out my shoe and gotten nothing. Tonight I have set out my shoe again in hopes that he shows. The only thing I can think of is that St. Nicholas did not get my change of address I filed with the USPS. But that doesn’t make sense because Santa still brings me toys on the 25th.
http://molifetoday.blogspot.com/2005/12/happy-st-nicks-day.html
December 7th, 2007 at 8:34 am
HA! One of my best friends does that!!! You’re not alone!
December 7th, 2007 at 9:13 am
OK my family has a tradition called “The Hanging of the Christmas Snake.” Although it sounds like we’re offering a sacrifice to St. Nick, it’s actually just part of our Christmas tree decorating process. Did I say part of? I meant the climax of it all.
In most families the tree topper is the “dessert” of the tree. The most anticipate part of decorating. The part where everyone gathers around while it’s placed lovingly on top for all to enjoy. In our family we half-hazardly toss the tree topper on there like it’s a fruit cake after Christmas. But once it’s up there, a certain giddiness takes over the room. We know what’s coming up next. Christmas Snake, oh Christmas Snake. How we love thee.
With the family gathered around the tree my dad carefully walks past us, breaking the semi-circle of Christmas spirit that is our family. Holding the Christmas Snake just so, he places it on the tree so that it’s proudly and defiantly winding its way to the very top. You can see the Christmas spirit alive and well in our proud faces. So with the Christmas Snake mirrored in the close-hanging, colorful ornaments we sit and wonder….why the hell do we have a Christmas Snake? We honestly don’t know. But the holidays wouldn’t be the same without it.
I present to you…the Christmas Snake:
[img]http://www.zoto.com/site/#USR.natalie::PAG.detail::dfd3eda7ff51e3212b9d6015d60f83f5[/img]
Please note that this picture was taken last Christmas….we sincerely do this every year. The only difference is that now we’re old enough to carry the responsibility of placing the Christmas Snake ourselves. Yep, you read that correctly. WE get to place the Christmas Snake. I know. It’s a lot to carry on your shoulders. Oh, and our parents are now at the age that they do “miniature” trees since all the kids are gone. These “miniature” trees only make the Christmas Snake shine brighter.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:15 am
well that image didn’t work out at all! Behold the Christmas Snake here, on my sisters zoto page:
http://www.zoto.com/site/#USR.natalie::PAG.detail::dfd3eda7ff51e3212b9d6015d60f83f5