On Holidays and Traditions

[Update: Since this post was originally written, Lytro has shuttered. I’m leaving this here for posterity’s sake. And maybe one of these days I’ll figure out how to access and embed the old photos taken with the Lytro…]

Happy holidays, everyone!

Early warning: This post is mainly an excuse to post some pictures of holiday decorations I took with my Lytro camera. The thin guise of “traditions” will be the mechanism to metaphorically bind the photos together in a blog post.

Anyway. Onward.

So, it’s the holidays! This time last year, I was in St. Augustine. Realistically, and more specifically, I was probably sitting in a bar (drinking is an important part of any family holiday, kids). But this year, Ron (my father) and Mary Lou (my crazy mother) braved the cold to come to New Jersey.

When I was a kid, which happened in the Garden State, we seemed to have a good deal of family traditions this time of year — like everyone going to Aunt Mary’s on Christmas Eve.

Ahh, Christmas Eve at Aunt Mary’s — let us pontificate on this for a moment.

There, we were regaled with stories of how the fish was acquired (this often involved ShopRite sales in July and the freezer … and you all wonder why I’m a vegan now). Certain family members were relegated to the children’s table (cough::AuntKathy::cough) while others (ahem, I’m looking smug as I type this) were given the honor of sitting at the head table at Aunt Mary’s side (although this was both a blessing and a curse — where do you think the fish story was told?). And who could forget the year Ray decided to make noises in the attic as if reindeer were on the roof, only to come bursting down the stairs, shirtless and dripping in ketchup, screaming about the monster up there and causing several small children to wet themselves?

Memories. Le sigh.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year, isn’t it?

Another tradition we have that carries forth to this day is putting out old nativity sets. Mary Lou and I are usually the chief decorators (props to her for taking over this year when work had me swamped) and, though we’re not particularly religious people, the old nativity and church must always have a place amongst the holiday decorations.

Another lasting tradition is the use of bubble lights on the main tree (yes, I have two this year, whatever I just like decorations judge away), something Mary Lou has done since before I was born. Last year, I couldn’t find the bubble lights when I was decorating before I headed to Florida. I was, shall we say, more than relieved (those suckers take forever to put on a tree!). This year, though, Mary Lou found them — but I didn’t have to put them up. She took care of that one. Thanks again, ML!

To be honest, when I was young, I loved traditions so much I tried to start new ones roughly every year. I vividly remember attempting to bring culture into my family by celebrating Saint Nicholas’ Day on Dec. 6. I was around 6 years old and loved the idea of leaving my shoes outside my door on the evening of Dec. 5 to find a gift inside the next morning; and I did! A lovely snow globe that I still have, somewhere, to this day. We had just learned about the holiday (popular in Europe) in school; but it wasn’t in the curriculum the next year, so I forgot and that, er, “tradition” fell by the wayside in my family.

However, I do put out my grandmother Louise’s Christmas village every year. I used to help her set it up, and it has since been passed on to me.

This brings me to my favorite family tradition of them all, one that dates back 40 years.

The Roll.

The tradition of The Roll is not necessarily tied to this time of year, but it often makes an appearance at Christmas. Easter, birthdays, weddings … all are viable times for The Roll to emerge from tissue paper like the fantastic, shellacked goodness that it is.

The Roll connotes all things good in the world. Luck, happiness and good will are just a few. It was originally gifted approximately 40 years ago. Somewhere along the way it was given a protective coating, as well as an American flag. Not really sure why on the latter. Sometimes it’s given to someone who’s going through a hard time, and sometimes it’s going to someone who is about to start a new endeavor. Really, it depends on the individual situation. Also, it’s not given away every year. Nay! There needs to be some sense of surprise whenever it appears!

So, I have been in possession of the roll for several years now; it was likely given to me right around the time I started my current job (I believe the power of The Roll is the reason I am still employed, you know, just FYI, and I’m just kidding except I’m not). Things are going pretty well on my end, so I decided to ever so casually gift it to my younger cousin, Olivia.

Based on her reaction upon opening this particular gift, she previously had no idea her blood relations are as strange as they really are and she is probably, at this very second, praying she was adopted. Sorry, Liv! I was there in the hospital right after you were born! We’re all definitely related, kiddo!

There are very few rules about The Roll, except that you must protect it while it is in your possession. After all, the object of benevolence must be preserved to be passed down to future generations! No one really knows what would happen to someone who loses The Roll, but no one really wants to know what would happen to said person. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Ahh, traditions are glorious, aren’t they?

I hope you enjoyed some of your own this season! Happy holidays!