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Posts Tagged ‘Christmas Stockings’

I was raised by my grandparents who were 100% Danes. My Christmas holidays were filled with longstanding Danish traditions, although I did not realize this until I was well into my thirties. It was then that I learned that my Christmas traditions were not the American Christmas traditions thought I believed they were for so many years. And honestly, I didn’t care.

My family Christmas was based on Danish traditions that were carried on by my grandparents. They formulated my beliefs in the holidays and cultivated my love for Christmas and everything it represents.

My husband, being the wonderful man he is, continues the one of the most important Christmas traditions for me.  Each year he hunts around Michigan for Royal Copenhagen’s annual and limited edition Christmas plate.  This task is not easily accomplished and takes much work and planning, which I might add, he does not like or do well.  But for this task, he does do it, as he knows it holds a great deal of importance to me.  This plate will hang in my dining room and will join my growing collection.  It is a reminder of my past, of my Grandmother, and of the home she welcomed me into some twenty-five years ago.  While my matriarch and lifelong hero is no longer with me, she will remain in my heart forever.  The Christmas plates returns a little bit of her to me each Christmas Eve as I open the gift.

My Christmas Traditions

• I believe in opening presents Christmas Eve night, although my husband forces Christmas day.
• I believe in performing in the annual Christmas show prior to opening gifts, although my children think this is crazy. The Christmas show was the best part of my childhood.
• I believe the door is always open for Christmas dinner and that anyone in attendance should receive gifts. A gift can be a pair of socks or an iPod, but there must be a gift.
• I believe Santa Claus can shop in her pajamas at ten o’clock at night and I am thankful to the Internet for making this possible.
• I believe in Santa Claus and stockings hung on the fireplace. I believe overnight guests must also have Christmas stockings waiting.
• I believe in reading the Christmas story, even if this is a children’s book that is at the level of a three year old.
• I believe Christmas should be an all day event spent with those you love.
• I believe the wrapping of a gift is as important as the gift itself and that wrapping is best done with a glass of wine.
• I believe a Christmas requires snow and I continue to live in Michigan so that I will receive my wish each year.
• I believe in watching Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Year Without Santa four hundred times.
• I believe in bringing family together, and that if you can help you should, even if this means gifting your coveted frequent flyer miles do so.