The stockings are hung on the couch with care. ..

I love Christmas, the songs, the food, the drinks and of course the gifts. One of the reasons I love it is the traditions. My family has a few. The first is our stockings,  each hand knitted, my mom's,  father's and mine all by Great Grandma B, my mother's Grandma. My brother's was either made by Grandma G (Grandma B's daughter), or Great Grandma G. Every one has our names, birth year and a picture. Mine is the snowman and Christmas tree.

Family stocks. The old cloth one is my dad's from when he was a kid.

So we have the stockings laid out, next is the food. Dinner varies from Ham, roast beef, turkey, lamb, or what ever nice looking meat my mom decides to buy. Since we grow our own produce there is unusually potatoes, butternut squash and beans. Cookies if we remember, or have time is soft cookies and peppercorkers. The later cookies' recipe seems to get milder with each generation,  was one from my Great Grandma N. I am sure that when she brought it over on the ship it was in Swedish but the recipe was either translated or written down by my Grandmother K, her daughter. It still states in its opening "simmer molasses over open flame."

Of course we have drinks, egg nog in our home is of course a must but not as important as glug. Another recipe from my Swedish Grandmother, this concoction of cranberry juice, brandy and port wine will kick the cold from your chest. Not only is it a Christmas recipe in our house, it is also a cure all.

Then there is the tree. You know the tree from a Charlie Brown Christmas Special.  Yea that is our tree.  As a kid we would go to our wood lot, my brother, father and myself and find the perfect tree and cut it down. We'd get home and it was Charlie Brown all over again. The only year it didn't happen dad had cut the tops off some large trees at Grandpa's house. Despite the look we would decorate. Mom's homemade angel sitting on top. Tractors, boats, campers and cars hiding all over it, paper decorations made by my brother, my cousins and I. In our family we even have a superstition about the tree. We have three birds that decorate it bringing us luck for the next year.

So there is our family tradition. Yea it is simple, and I give hand made gifts but it is ours. Through history Christmas traditions have changed. Queen Victoria brought the now popular tree which used to only be a German thing, Santa now reaches around the world. Even songs have changed. In my own family things have changed. Secret Santa's became swaps, what used to be 10 of us Ks gathered around the table is now only 4. So whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kuanza, or just being together, Happy Holiday Season from my family to yours.

Have your own tradition you would like to share, please share in the comments.