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Traditions:

Yesterday while driving, I listened to a heated debate between 2 radio personalities about holiday traditions.  It must have been a slow news day.  But it got me thinking about my childhood traditions.

In my family, we’d open all our gifts from each other on Christmas Eve and then head to my grandparent’s house for a late oyster stew dinner.  (Only Santa’s gifts remained for Christmas morning.)  To this day, I love Christmas Eve.  I’m sure it’s because of the childhood memories.

The Tinsel Tree:

After a 30 minute drive through darkness and usually snow, we’d arrive each year at my grandparent’s home.  The first thing I noticed was grandma’s silver tinsel tree sparkling with white lights in the front window.  She was the only person I knew who had a tinsel tree…and as a child I thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Oyster Stew:

Once we stepped inside it only got better.  The smell of oyster stew filled the air.  And the interior lights in the living room were dimmed so that we could enjoy the full effect of the lighted tree against the blackness outside.  It seemed magical.

Eventually we’d sit down to our oyster stew dinner.  Yum!  I was never sure why this stew was a part of every Christmas Eve–but I certainly enjoyed it.

After my grandmother passed, I never had that stew again.  And I missed it.

Today I did some research on the web, not only to find a recipe, but to see if this was a tradition for anyone else.  Turns I’m not alone.  According to the info I gathered, many groups have made this a traditional meal on Christmas Eve.

Keeping Traditions Alive:

I think it’s time to revive this tradition in my home.  I know nothing will take me back to those special childhood Christmas Eves, but I’d like to at least keep part of the tradition alive.

So what are your holiday traditions?  And have you kept the traditions you had as a child?  I’d love to hear from you.

Courtesty of http://whatscookingamerica.net/Soup/OysterStew.htm

Courtesy of http://misternostalgia.zoovy.com

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Source: Editor