Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 7.

"Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window."

~Ralphie

Part 7 is dedicated to the Christmas Tree, another tie to my German roots.  The Christmas Tree originated in Germany and  was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts or dates.

I LOVE a real, fresh Christmas Tree in the house this time of year!  This may surprise some of my readers who personally know me, considering my hippie, tree-hugger ways, but the artificial tree just doesn't do it for me!!  The smell of Christmas as you walk into a house just fills my heart with so much joy and excitement!!! 

One of my dreams was to go see the Christmas Tree all lit up at Rockefeller Center in NYC, this past weekend that dream came true for me!!  It was the most magnificent, magical and beautiful sight I have ever seen!!!  It was even more majestic then I could have ever imagined!!! I felt like a little kid in a candy store admiring the tree, just taking in it's beauty and the energy of the tree and the MOBS of people that gathered in Rockefeller Center.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree 2012

Do you have a favorite Christmas Tree story? 

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 3.

"No! No! I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 

Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!"

~Ralphie

Part 3 is dedicated to a tradition from my German roots.  The Christmas Pickle.  I don't entirely remember when this tradition began in my family, but it is something I have carried with me for as long as I can remember and enjoy with my girls. 

The legend of the Christmas Pickle says that the pickle, a symbol of good luck, was the last ornament placed on the tree (hidden deep inside the middle somewhere).  The first child to find the pickle on Christmas morning was rewarded with an extra gift left by St. Nicolas.  This tradition encourages children to appreciate all the beautiful ornaments on the tree, rather then just rushing to see what Santa has left for them. 

I can remember when we were kids, we'd go and get our tree, then we'd have to let it settle (so the ornaments didn't fall off when the branches dropped, or at least that was the excuse LOL) then when the tree was ready, we'd decorate it and the pickle was always the last ornament to go on the tree before we put our topper on.  I was always so excited when we put the pickle on the tree.  I think it was because it was just an odd ornament, a pickle.  But still, a tradition that we shared together as a family.  

A few years ago, I handed out Christmas Pickles to all of my family and close friends (who didn't already have one) so that I could share a favorite family tradition with all of them.  There are certain theories that this was not actually a German tradition, but one that originated in the USA, I still keep it in the German part of my heart ♥

What's your favorite family tradition? 


Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com

Taking the magic out of Christmas ... and bringing it back. Part 2.

"Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl."

-~Ralphie

Yesterday, you may have read my first part of this 20 day journey of bringing the magic back into Christmas for me and it must have intrigued you enough that you have come back for more insight!  Well, for that, I thank you!!!  

Today's edition goes out to my grandmother, Evelyn Wallace. The woman who made Christmas a family affair for many years!!!  

My gram at my aunts wedding in 1995

My grandmother passed away in Jan of 2001, 3 months before I was to get married. My grandmother LOVED Christmas!!!  Every year, without fail, she would go all out with decorating, cooking, shopping, wrapping gifts all with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth!  I remember, as clear as day, my grandmother standing in the kitchen cooking, cigarette in her mouth, ash as long as the cigarette itself, still intact, it was almost an art.  My grandmother had a knack for singing out of tune, and usually not knowing the words, so she'd repeat them after the singer.

Christmas Day at my house went a little like this when we were kids: Go to bed early, ya know, like 9 o'clock early, *maybe* sleep till 6 am (good thing mom always had the coffee on a timer to start at 5 am, so no need to wait for the coffee to be done!!!!), wake up mom and dad, turn on TBS so we can watch the 24 hour marathon of "A Christmas Story", start opening our presents around 6:30 am, don't forget the stockings!!!!!!!!  Then after we were all done, we would wait *impatiently* to hear gram and gramps stirring around downstairs so that we could head down and open our gifts, usually sometime around 8:30 or 9. My aunts, uncles and cousins would start to pour in around then as well and we'd all play with our gifts while the adults would have conversations of whatever adults talked about back in the 80's (LOL).  Meanwhile, my grandmother was in the kitchen, getting dinner ready.  The dinner table was set for the adults and the kids had to eat at the kids table in the kitchen, we didn't care though.  The best part of the day was when we all sat down for dinner, and everything seemed to slow down just for a bit. Then, as the dishes piled up in my grandmother's sink, it was over. And we would all go our separate ways. 

My gram was a wonderful woman, her old German attitude was that of "I don't care what you think of me, it's not important, I am happy with who I am." And she was!  I never understood my grandparents relationship, they always seemed so cold towards each other, then I seen that spark, at their 50th Wedding Anniversary, my grandfather looked at my grandmother like she the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. The day my grandmother passed away was the first time I had ever seen my father cry.  I miss my gram the most at Christmas time, it's just not the same without her, but her passing brought us something that few people even take the chance to notice ... a grandfather with a new more light-hearted look at life.  Yea, that spark I seen on their wedding anniversary, is now alive within a grumpy old man who use to yell at us for running down the stairs and jumping around like a bunch of fools.

Do you have a special memory of your grandparents at Christmas? 

Peace, Love and Light, 

Christine
http://www.lifetimememorieswny.com