Dear Di-ary….
Question: Do you have any Holiday Traditions?
Being born into an Italian-American family our biggest celebration was Christmas Eve…..The Feast of the 7 Fishes!
When you grow up a certain way you think that everyone you know does the same thing. It wasn’t until I was about 19 years old…out of school and started working that I realized everyone’s Christmas is different!
In our family, when I was young my mother had EVERYTHING ready before Christmas Eve! The baking, cooking, decorating and wrapping were all done well in advance of Christmas Eve. Then Christmas Eve my Mom, Dad, brother Dominic and myself had a wonderful sit down dinner….with the 7 Fishes. After that we’d leave our house and start visiting our Aunts, Uncles and Cousins, of which we had plenty. My mom had 7 sisters and 3 brothers and on Christmas Eve it was an open house. You’d go visit and eat something at every stop you made. Then at Midnight we’d go to Mass then back to Aunt Anne Zito’s house for a midnight buffet to celebrate my cousin Joey Zito’s Birthday!!!! It was magical!!!
When Mike and I got married we still did the Christmas Eve diner with the 7 Fishes but it was just my parents, Mike’s parents and us as my only sibling, my brother Dominic passed away at the age of 21 in a car accident. When the girls were little sometimes the grandparents would stay overnight and be there for the early morning “opening of the presents!” We had so much food left over from the night before we usually just made my Grandmothers soup and maybe a ham because we had a LOT of delicious seafood to eat from the night before. Christmas Day was a relaxing day….just hanging around so the girls could enjoy their gifts and we could “chill-out” after all the hustle and bustle!
I do remember that after I was married and we had children it was a very stressful time for me. Especially when I was working full time. I don’t know how my Mom did it! She made it look so easy…..but it wasn’t. But everything got done….and what didn’t get done I didn’t worry about it. I did the best I could. I know that some holidays are difficult for people. Keep it simple and within your means. Your children will always remember the wonderful Christmas with their family….weather it be very lavish or simple. Just having a few gifts to open and being together is what it is all about. Keep in mind the real reason for Christmas….
“Remembering the birth of Jesus…..the reason for the season!”
MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
Editors Note: OFM does not condone any of the sex parts of the blog. Diana has gone rogue and I’m sure Dena is the blame for it.
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