What kinds of Christmas traditions does your family have? How did they get started? Which family member began this tradition, and who has it been passed onto since then? Genealogists can record a lot of very interesting family history at this time of year. Continuing a family tradition is a great way to connect with living family members, as well as to remember loved ones who have passed away.
My family has some rather odd Christmas traditions. When my siblings and I were very young, my mother and grandmother would take us to the closest shopping mall to visit Santa. I think all four of us kids can remember the excitement we felt while waiting in line, for our turn to tell Santa what we really wanted for Christmas this year. We always visited Santa at the same shopping mall, every year, and the running story was that this Santa was The Real Santa. Looking back, I believe that my mother started this Christmas tradition because it was a really good way to indirectly ask each of her children what he or she was hoping to get as a Christmas present that year.
We always made chocolate chip cookies, from scratch, on Christmas Eve. These, of course, were for Santa, so he would have something to eat when he came to visit and leave presents. As we got older, this tradition changed a bit. Now, the cookies were for us all to eat as we opened Christmas presents on Christmas morning. I am the oldest of four kids, and I remember that every year, I would stay up late after my siblings went to bed, so I could help my mother and father put together the toys that required assembly, as well as to help wrap all the presents, before Christmas morning was upon us.
I just read about another family who has an awesome Christmas tradition. A man named Johnnie Pruitt Jr. has decided to continue a tradition started by his father. Every year, his father, John Pruitt Sr., was the man who dressed up as Santa, and visited with the severely ill children at Brenner Children’s Hospital. He did this from the late 1980’s, until he passed away in 2005. Now, Johnnie Pruitt is continuing his father’s tradition of becoming Santa Claus for the kids at the hospital. I’m certain he will have many touching stories about his experiences as Santa to share with his family.
Image by Lady DragonflyCC on Flickr