Traditions Glow
The Holiday Lookbook Support Blog
What makes holiday memories so potent? Even as a little child, I remember being with family and friends, soaking up our traditions, and thinking, “This is important. This is special.” They’re memories we use to measure our lives, “That was the Christmas before . . .” or “the year that we all went to . . .” I can still taste the food, hear the music, see the decorations, and smell the candles.
As a young adult, I longed to maintain the traditions from my childhood, but it wasn’t easy. I lived far from my family and the place where I grew up. I worked multiple jobs that all seemed to get busier during the holidays. My grandmothers both passed away.
My first breakthrough was learning that traditions grow and evolve just as we do. My second was realizing that traditions can be created, too. I grew to maintain the yearly rituals with the folks back home as I could, adjusted the ones that could work with my new circumstances, and started some annual must-dos of my own to create memories and share joy with my loved ones.
Years later, when we celebrated my infant son’s first holidays, I found a whole new set of challenges. By then, I’d moved, and my parents also relocated to be near me. My husband’s family was close by, with their own Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s events and traditions. Trying to balance work and family, holiday preparations and expectations, and the general business of life felt overwhelming. We’ve all been there.
That Christmas, I told everyone to come to our house. I spent weeks planning an elaborate menu for a midday meal: appetizers, baked ham, sweet potato casserole, roasted asparagus, salad, rolls, a relish tray, cake AND pie. I stayed up late cooking and rolled out of bed early Christmas morning to get back to the kitchen. One problem: my parents showed up at 10:00 am and were ready for lunch by 11:00. My mother- and father-in-law didn’t arrive until 1:00. They’d stayed up for Midnight Mass, hadn’t even eaten breakfast, and weren’t ready for my big, heavy meal.
Lessons were learned. I developed a new tradition – the rolling brunch. I make the perfect spread for anyone arriving between dawn and lunchtime. I purchase a few options of breakfast pastries; my family loves danishes, muffins, and croissants (which are just as delicious with butter and jam as they are with cold cuts later on). I make an extra-large batch of my excellent sausage balls. These are great, because I can bake one sheet pan at a time and they take only minutes, so they’re soon hot and ready for any new arrivals. I keep coffee, tea, and cocoa at the ready, and on Christmas morning, everyone gets a champagne flute – orange juice or sparkling cider for the kids, mimosas for any grown-up who wants one. I fill my biggest trifle bowl with a glorious fruit salad, and we’re ready to welcome all.
During the years when my kids were little and hyper-focused on stockings and wrapping paper, this was the answer to so many challenges. It remains an excellent game plan for a visit-packed day. Cutting back on cooking and preparation on this day let me enjoy the little moments of surprise and delight more. We put no pressure on family members to arrive early or late enough for anyone else. We connect and savor the time and togetherness.
I still deploy my elaborate menus, finely set table, and candlelight throughout the holiday season, culminating with our annual Christmas Eve supper with my in-laws. Inviting loved ones to a pre-holiday meal extends the joy and allows us to make holiday memories when we have the time. I’m excited to see my kids as they grow into sophisticated young guests, using their best adult table manners, talking, laughing, and joining in the celebration. It’s all about balance and flexibility. Our traditions are important BECAUSE they bring us together, we feel special when we’re included and welcomed.
This year, the kids have asked (asked!) for a sit-down breakfast for the four of us. I’m so proud they want this face-to-face time away from the tree to enjoy our family. They’re planning to set the table and cook their favorite recipes, and I can’t wait. I’ll still have my buffet set for “come as you are, whenever you can” treats for family and friends that will come throughout the day. We’ll embrace, laugh, and share stories of holidays past. And I’ll look at them and think what holiday hosts have always believed: “This is important. YOU are special.”
Julie R., Replacement's in-house product & design guru
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