This month we our teaching our 4H group about traditions.

 

Hanukkah starts in 4 days. This year, my daughter is preparing the latkes for friends, as she hosts her first holiday party. Over the years, my own December traditions have changed. I still light Hanukkah candles each night of the celebration, which I did as a girl. We also played dreidel and had eight gifts for each day of the holiday. A non-traditional Jewish tradition we practiced is my mother taking us driving to see Christmas lights. On Christmas Day, we would visit good friends who had a spread of holiday food to share with anyone who dropped in on them.

 

When I married someone with different traditions, I began putting up a Christmas tree, and presents are given in our house on Christmas morning. When our child was young, my husband and I took her to see Santa at the mall for a semi-formal picture to frame.

 

One of my favorite traditions was going to see the man we called "Gluten Free Santa" who lived at the end of a brightly lit up block in Manchester. The block started with a dark house that had a Grinch on the lawn. It then proceeded for four houses with the most festive lights in town. This paved the way to a shed-like shelter that our special Santa established at the end of his driveway with his Mrs. Claus for the season. This lovely couple dressed the part and greeted children every night two weeks before the holiday. Santa appreciated the rice flour cookies we brought him in a tin the first time we met. (He happened to truly be on a gluten free diet! Poor Santa! Those gluten filled cookies at each house must have been quite a temptation!) My child, at the time, was not eating wheat, and I am forever gluten free. Santa learned this; Instead of giving my little girl edible treats each year, as he did the other children, he gave her a holiday ornament that he put aside especially for her visit. We still have all those ornaments labeled "From Santa" with the year.

 

I know the children of Kingston are creating special holiday memories with their families too. In 4H, we have three meetings this month focused on their traditions. The first meeting allowed older kids in the group prepare to teach younger kids about what traditions are. We will have a nice discussion at our next large group meeting. We will also be baking holiday treats and preparing for a special 4H meeting that I hope will become a new Kingston tradition.

 

On December 22nd at 4pm, the kids are making traditional holiday foods that their families eat. We invite you to bring in your own traditional food to share. I did this at the last library where I worked and people brought in yule log cake, Swedish meatballs, Norwegian almonds, chocolates and more. It was so much fun to try foods from people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. This year, I am bringing a traditional sweet potato casserole from my Southern Aunt Louise. This was a staple on our Thanksgiving table.

 

However you celebrate, I hope you will share your warm traditions with us and the kids. I look forward to seeing you.

 

 

Have a wonderful week,

Melissa