Hello, ALL SEASONS bloggers,
Your posts with your experiences and landscapes were fabulous as always! Love all of different experiences that make up a season. Also, that you visit some of the other participants:)
In between feasts it’s kind of tricky sometimes to keep one’s focus. Hence my somewhat frivolous domestic post. My strategy against wandering without purpose is to keep lists to keep inherited traditions, as well as enjoy whatever you or you or the family comes up with.
THIS week, the link list is still open from Sunday through Wednesday.
Looking ahead, the week of (Sunday) Dec. 18 (ALL SEASONS – Tomorrow’s Dreams) and the next week – Dec. 25 (ALL SEASONS – December 25), the link list is open the whole week, so you can link whenever you have some free moments. I’ll be away from the computer for most of the time, but I’ll comment whenever I can for the last two weeks of December.
NEW Here? Click HERE to see what All SEASONS is about.
Love there is now a variety in Poinsettia colors.
Lists for everything (my adult kids joke about it)! Groceries, packing for a trip, planning for a vacation, etc. And then there are the list of notes, what I need to do to finish a painting successfully – really:)
The Christmas List
1. Which kind of Christmas tradition did or do you, or would you like?
2. Presents or not?
3. How much do you dress up your living place?
4. How much do you eat special dishes and candy, desserts?
5. Do you buy/have a special dress, sweater, suit, hat, scarf, ear ringes, etc.?
My own answers are on the bottom
Jackson is the town in the middle of Gold Rush country causing people in 1849 to come from all over the world looking for gold. When driving through it two years ago, we looked at each other, and agreed that “yeah, we could live here.” Jackson’s stores compete every Christmas for the prize of the best Christmas window. Kind of like that tradition.
7 grand kids and 5 adults (except for hubby and I) do require a list. My memory is not that great! Yes, the hat is part of the list, for my grandson who is already getting past his two older sisters in height.
Am not going to be cold! with a sweater, leggings and boots
If you would ask me ….
- Growing up in Holland, Christmas was celebrated by the Advent (the 4 Sundays before Christmas) and the Christmas service in church. We had a tree at home, and a nice meal.
Living in the US, the focus was more on celebrating it with the family, and an elaborate meal. - In lean years no presents (during graduate school Christmas presents were given to us by a number of families got together on this). In the fat years, we made it a rule not to go in debt for this time of the year.
- Christmas tree, a wreath on the door, and Christmas lights outside. It does not go further than that. Wrapping presents in Christmas paper – no bags, bows, etc. etc.
- In December we eat and snack more. We alternate who cooks Christmas dinner.
My favorite extras are peppermint bark, chocolate in any form, eggnog, Christmas bread (Stollen) that has marzipan paste in it, and home made quiche for Christmas morning. - The previous years I limited it to a Christmas sweater, since I had to look flawless for my job. Now, I still start my search way ahead before the occasion. I found a great dress in Oct.
Next week I’ll be more serious:)
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Seasons in Thought and life 
The Christmas List
1. Which kind of Christmas tradition did or do you, or would you like?
I love old fashioned Christmas with family, friends, food, with games, and music.
2. Presents or not? YES! We give presents to our children and Grandson. Sometimes I get the baking bug and bake then give away the goodies to friends and neighbors.
3. How much do you dress up your living place?
Christmas tree, and decorate the entry hall, front door, and have a ceramic Christmas Tree I made for the Family room.
4. How much do you eat special dishes and candy, desserts? OH FOOD! Christmas dinner isn’t always the same thing like Thanksgiving. This year the family voted for Lasagna so that’s what I’m making. Desserts and bonbons we love most.
5. Do you buy/have a special dress, sweater, suit, hat, scarf, ear ringes, etc.? I used to buy a sweater or red and white Christmasy feeling outfits when I worked, but now you’re more likely to find me wearing the Christmas apron I made many years ago. 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and the family! Hugs xx
Wow, I can see Christmas is a big thing at your house! Curious about the ceramic tree you made!
My Ceramic Christmas Tree was the reason I went to the store and class.
It stands about 2ft high and is nearly a foot wide at the base of the tree. It has little baubles on the branches that represent Christmas Lights and there’s a light bulb inside it that when on light up the baubles. I love it! It’s sitting on my entertainment cabinet in the Family Room.
I forgot to mention I decorate the Mantle too.
I decorate pretty much the same way my Mom did when I was growing up.
BTW- I’m reading a Christmas story a day to Little Man and we just read a story called St. Nicholas’ Eve in Hans Brinker’s Day.
I didn’t know Christmas was thought to have originated in Holland, and that it’s celebrated on the 5th not the 25th. It mentions that Christmas is more about church rites and family visiting.
It was an interesting story!
When we lived in Holland, we celebrated St. Nicolaas day on the 5th, riding on his horse on the roof with presents that his assistant Peet brought, going down the chimney and gave presents to the good kids. If you had been naughty you were taken by Peet in a burlap bag to Spain where St. Nick lived (he was the bishop of Myra).so, St. Nick on the 5th and Christmas on the 25th. Since my parents had lived for most of their lives in Indonesia with American influences, we had a Christmas tree. Some people in Holland are adamant not to have a tree, because of the belief that it were primitive heathen influences, and see present as a ploy of the retail stores:):) Maybe it is – I don’t know…
Since we’re “talking” would you consider linking up one of your photos (it does not even have to be a Christmas photo) to ALL SEASONS? If you have questions or need help, I’ll walk you through it.
Thank you for sharing your childhood Christmas tradition! I love it!
I’ll check out the ALL SEASONS thread and let you know! I’m birding in Central Valley all day tomorrow so won’t look until next week.
Hope it will be dry! Here it has been raining all day (Sat) Hope you ‘all come back with some great bird captures:)
Awonderful dress! Here it is to cold for it…
Christmas is a little trigger word for me. Haven’t good memories from Childhood, it was always the badest day in the year… and later I make me my own ritual by myself: to winter solstice I/we go to the forest and bring gifts to the animals, fairies and dwarfs
http://maschas-buch.blogspot.de/2013/12/solstice.html
http://maschas-buch.blogspot.de/2014/12/friday-five-and-solstice.html
http://maschas-buch.blogspot.de/2012/12/ein-gabentisch-im-wald.html
http://maschas-buch.blogspot.de/2015/12/a-feast-for-inhabitants-of-forest.html
and so on, every year.
Enjoy your time 🙂
Since I have been married to my German husband our traditions have been a mix of the two culture. Children get chocolate in shoes, but also get a stocking. We celebrate Advent. We went with the American story of Santa Clause since we live in the states as opposed to the christ child and opening gifts on Christmas Eve. A mix of foods and for many years we did fondu for Christmas dinner, but now that our family has grown doing beef fondu is not very practical takes to long and is kind of dangerous when their is a toddler involved. We do the fondu now after the kids go to bed on New Years Eve. Average amount of presents around maybe 4 per person. Just heard of a tradition one family does now that all their children are beyond santa. they call it Make, Take or Buy. The family exchanges names for each of these and for Make they have to Make something, Take they take the person somewhere meaningful, and Buy well they then buy. But they say it has made Christmas more meaning full. I wouldn’t mind this as it seems pretty silly buying the children gifts from a list they have given us and my husband and I know what we are going to get each other (kind of dumb). It seems all a litle to commercial.
Oh, and we were in Beijing, Zhengzhou, Zhou Kou and Xuchang and then Guangzhou. So many more places I would like to visit.
No Christmas list but I love your dress!
Hello Jesh, what a fun and interesting post!
Our Christmas is a traditional Finnish Christmas in the countryside, with a Christmas tree cut from the own forest, very traditional dishes etc.
Thank you for your comment on my last post! I feel a little bit stressed and don’t participate in linkups right now. I’m constantly behind in visiting blogs and, as you know, it makes me feel unhappy.
Have a lovely Sunday and enjoy your preparations. See you soon!
I like your Holland Christmas the best. This year I decided to put up the lights from summer I’d neglected to put away and keep the loft all about sea shells and cocktail umbrellas. I miss the crafty giftss and love things like dogs paw prints on a piece of construction paper. Either that or a new car would be nice.
Now I am in the Christmas spirit too. 🙂
1. Which kind of Christmas tradition did or do you, or would you like?
Growing up we had an advent wreath and would meet nightly for a small reading. We also had a wooden tree that hung on the wall with an ornament we would add each day from Dec 1 until Christmas eve. I enjoy doing both of these traditions with my girls now.
2. Presents or not?
Yes…but not very many. We don’t live near family and we don’t travel over the holidays so that helps us keep things under control and our focus on the birth of Christ rather than the consumerism.
3. How much do you dress up your living place?
I have one rubbermaid bin of Christmas decorations including all our ornaments. We put up a tree and then I use nature to add other seasonal touches. And we put up lights outside.
4. How much do you eat special dishes and candy, desserts?
We have certain cookies we make every year, but other than that we don’t have many traditions when it comes to food.
5. Do you buy/have a special dress, sweater, suit, hat, scarf, ear ringes, etc.?
Nope.
Thanks for your visit and nice comment. What a loss do you mean? My blog was all 7 years the same, all posts are saved under this adress. I only forgot again the date of my blogoversary…
Maybe your header is changed and yesterday was another? Can not remember have seen this photo yet, but its very nice and speaking 🙂
I actually blogged today about an Italian holiday treat my husband and I make every year. My husband’s mother made them in Italy and then the US when they immigrated here and I learned how to make them to continue the tradition. I also bake cookies and do a traditional Italian Christmas Eve fish dinner. I decorate with a real tree and outdoor lights and we only give gifts to our grandchildren. We treat our children to dinner and outings during the year so they don’t expect gifts on Christmas and neither do we, as we feel as we have enough. I like to wear a new sweater this tiem of the year. Colorado can be cold and snowy at Christmas time!
I had to buy some more gifts and wrap them in. I’m not on time with my christmas decoration and gifts 🙂
“Barden” are singers and songwriter. In the middle age they travel along the country and brought news in form of songs.
Have a good christmas time!
Gusta
Things are starting to look mighty festive!
It was so nice to hear about your traditions.
Amalia
xo
Thanks for correcting me on your name – I updated my blog post! 🙂 Sorry for the mistake! I absolutely love your butterfly dress – what a beautiful design. It looks like something I would want to wear as well. I am sure you will look stunning in it! I also love peppermint bark and almost anything with marzipan in it. When I was little, my mom would sometimes buy me little marzipan fruits for my stocking. They were soooo good!
Christmas really is about family, Jesh, and I enjoyed your description of how you celebrate it. We decorated our home this last weekend that has been and now it’s time to do the shopping. A family meal at Christmas, but nothing to elaborate! Gifts exchanged of course!
Thanks for hosting.
You don’t have to be serious all the time … it’s always fun to learn about a friend’s traditions and I especially enjoyed the part about Holland which was of course new to me … but also loved the grad student part too (been there, done that !). We used to do the whole traditional Christmas, lots of family, all the decorations, baking and cooking, even tho we were both working …loved every moment of it. But now that we have attained the great age we have, we celebrate non traditionally . It is our middle aged children’s turn to be in charge of their family celebrations! We love this chapter in our lives too!
The festive season begs for frivolity, so let’s all frivol away! 🙂
Love the pink poinsettia, so different. We have a picnic on the beach on Christmas Day and that’s it.
LOVE that dress! We do a modestly decorated tree, favoring ornaments that are clear and reflect the white lights beautifully. There are just a few pops of red ornaments, but they are few. No decorating outside, except for a wreath on the door. There is an angel on top of the book case & various whimsical snowmen staged on tables that hold pictures. That is all. No major feasts for Christmas dinner (it’s just the two of us). Maybe a roast this year, but not sure.
Thank you Mitzi! If you like Christmas with the two of you, that is great:)