As the Holidays draw closer, we begin to participate in various traditions; whether they be family traditions, personal traditions, or societal traditions. This is one of the things we value at Molly’s Club, being able to share in one another's traditions. By sharing our traditions with one another we can help keep the Holidays feeling special. We wanted to encourage everyone to not only talk with your loved ones about their special Holiday traditions but also to try them with your loved ones. Sharing these moments with your loved ones can make the holidays meaningful and cherished for years to come.
Growing up I always felt like such a lucky kid, as we got to have what I would tell people, multiple Christmas’. Of course, this was more or less just to ensure we got to spend time with everyone in our family; and celebrate the various traditions we had. As I have grown up, I have started to recognize and appreciate more of our traditions. One of my favourite family traditions is with my mother.
Pier One used to be a main stop for many during the holiday season for Christmas decor and gifts. For my mom and grandmother, this became a tradition to select a beautiful hand painted ornament from Le Bien. A lovely company that helped sell Christmas and Holiday hand-painted ornaments from third world countries to help support their communities and towns. They would take their time looking through the ornaments, sometimes getting matching ones, while other times selecting their own unique design for their tree. After my grandmother passed away, Christmas was challenging for my family, and this Holiday was typically considered Her’s. I wanted to find a way to still help keep this tradition and memory alive for my mom and the rest of my family, so I went looking for the ornaments. Pier One also closed around the same time (in Canada), and L Bien didn’t have an online website for individual gifts. So,
I sent them an email inquiring about the ornaments, not expecting a response. The following year, I received an email marketing campaign from Le Bien, turns out I wasn’t the only person or family who used these ornaments as traditions for Christmas time. Le Bien ended up creating an online website and sold these ornaments to all who used to buy them at Pier One. Now every year I wait for the email, stating the ornaments are ready to be selected and purchased and ensure I get some for my mom. Helping us keep this lovely tradition and memory of my grandmother alive and present during the Holidays.
One of the other traditions that has become extremely important in my family is our Christmas Eve read along.
I was the first-born grandchild in my family, and for my first Christmas my parents gifted my grandfather the story “The Night Before Christmas”. Every year, we would all gather on Christmas eve and My grandfather with our parents would read the story to us. As we grew older, we adjusted to the tradition slightly, and we all took turns reading a page at a time. We would become theatrical and create an entire performance as a family around the story. Encouraging each other to have fun with it and be expressive. Of course, putting extra emphasis on the ending remarks of ‘But i heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas To All, and To All a Good Night!’ When my grandfather passed away, we weren’t sure what our Christmas’ would look like, but we still took the time to all gather and read the story. This tradition not only allows us to have fun and joke around with each other, but it has allowed our family to feel the presence of our grandfather during the Holiday season. The same book will continue to be used and passed down for years to come.
No matter what your Holiday traditions may be, we encourage everyone to take the time and learn about these special moments. Making space for traditions like these can not only preserve the memories of those no longer with us, but also help your loved ones connect to memories and experiences they may have forgotten.
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