So, with New Year's Eve approaching, I want to share a few of my family's holiday traditions with you!
I personally think that traditions are great - they're the part of a holiday that make it recognizable every year. Apart from all the obvious Christmas traditions such as exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve (in Germany that's more common than on Christmas Day), there are many smaller traditions that developed throughout the years in my family.
Raclette on Christmas Eve or Day, Fondue on New Year's Eve. Or the other way around.
I don't know where that tradition came from, we somehow happen to always have that, every year :D
Singing together at my aunt's place.
We - all my cousins, my parents, brother and me - used to gather my aunt's house every Christmas Eve because it's her birthday and then we would sit in the kitchen, singing Christmas carols and pretending not to see our parents placing the presents under the tree. It was really nice, but I can understand that now that all the cousins are too old to believe in Santa, my aunt wants a less stressful day and instead we now meet at Christmas Day. But we're usually still singing and this year, I played a few carols on the flute together with my cousin who recently started playing the piano. Music's the best!
Putting up the Christmas tree no earlier than a week before Christmas.
I don't know exactly why my parents don't want to put it up earlier, maybe because it takes a bit of space or something like that, but we never put up the tree until a few days before Christmas.
Lead-Pouring!
Well, it's not really a family tradition since I seem to be the only one in the house who always does that on New Year's Eve :D I love pouring molten lead into cold water because I think it's fascinating to watch it harden instantly.
Midnight snack on New Year's Eve
Uhm, we call it midnight, but we actually do that at elevenish. My mother always makes some sandwiches (but with bread rolls instead of sandwich toast).
Sparkling wine for New Year
I think that's pretty usual but yeah, we do that too :D
So, what holiday traditions does your family have? Are there any unusual, weird or funny ones? Let me know ^^
Thank you for sharing you and your family’s fascinating Christmas traditions, and I like your lead pouring tradition which is very creative and unique. It's excellent how you and your family really get into the spirit of Christmas and bring the great things about Christmas to life with carols, Christmas trees and gifts. I concur that traditions are terrific and always something to look forward to as well. Thank you so much for posting this.
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