Holiday Favorites
Thinking through all of the holiday traditions I’ve celebrated over the course of my life, a few come up as the most memorable. Its funny to think about how you were raised and what you valued as a child and what carries through with you as an adult. Traditions, big and small, old and new; here are a few that really stuck with me through the years.
Just like many other families out there, our holidays have always centered around food. One of my favorite traditions was making this staple on Christmas morning: sausage balls!! The recipe is simple and isn’t anything fancy, but will forever remind me of Christmas time at our house. Along with those goodies baking in the oven, other aromas filled the air. The smell of fresh-squeezed orange juice, sliced grapefruits, and chocolate turtles being made. A mixture of sweet and savory makes for the most delicious memories. No matter where I am for Christmas, I STILL make sausage balls to kick off the season. And my mother STILL makes turtles and sends them to me in a holiday tin (if we’re not celebrating together that year).
Another holiday tradition that I’ve always loved centers around Christmas stockings. When my siblings and I were all born, my mother hand-stitched beautiful needlepoint stockings for each of us. The big ones would hang on the mantle and the little ones on the tree. On Christmas eve, my brothers and I placed them on our designated couch or chair where Santa would find them and fill them with fruit, Hershey kisses, nuts and little toys. (Santa made sure to wrap everything very carefully as to not get any food particles on the beautifully hand-made stockings...hehe). The little ones were filled with IOU-like coupons from our parents for 3 or 4 activities we could do together! I always loved that juxtaposition of treats AND fun experiences to be had (not always about the toys under the tree). My husband’s family also had fun traditions of filled stockings, so this is something we both enjoy doing for each other!
Finally, I have one more tradition that really means a lot to me. It sounds random, but as a part of our decorations for Christmas, we always have a wreath filled with Clemson ornaments up for my dad. For reference, my father was a die-hard Clemson Tigers fan (his alma mater). He loved Clemson almost as much as he loved his own family, so you understand the level of devotion there. We started collecting Clemson ornaments as they were released from the university over 20+ years ago. They started on the tree and then slowly moved to their own Clemson wreath. And believe me, that wreath had to be up every year. Even though my dad passed away several years ago, we still keep his wreath up in honor of him. It’s a sweet memory that reminds me of the best part of the holidays-- being with family and remembering those who you loved so much.
What are your favorite holiday traditions? No matter what you celebrate, what are the things that bring you joy during this season? Can’t wait to hear about all of the things you and your family celebrate next time you’re in!
