What comes to mind when you think of a traditional holiday? For most people, images of turkey dinners and trimming trees or lighting menorahs and wrapping paper shrapnel probably come to mind. After all, these are the images we see most often on the countless Hallmark Christmas movies that flow like gooey hot chocolate between November and January. But many families are starting their own traditions during the holiday season. Some continue with a tradition handed down from generation to generation. For some, one situation that took place years ago has now turned into a tradition. But no matter what the circumstance, one thing is clear, each tradition is filled with memories and love and a desire to keep things as familiar as possible during what many hope to be a peaceful time of year.
Here are some “non-traditional” family traditions that our Apex neighbors enjoy during the holiday season!
The London Family
Many parents take traditions from their own childhood and introduce them to the next generation. Chuck and Elizabeth London have taken some of their own family traditions and introduced them to their children, Ella Grey and CJ.
“Since we are busy on Christmas Eve, our tradition has been appetizers for dinner. Everyone loves it and looks forward to what is made. The kids also get to pick one present to open. We also read the Sparkle Box (a Children’s book about the true meaning of Christmas) every year, fill our sparkle box, and then read our sparkles on Christmas morning. We also go to Richmond and we see the same Santa my mom saw. He comes down the chimney, knows your name and you talk to the snow queen.”
-Elizabeth London
The Bolibaugh Family
There are some traditions that are born of necessity and turn into a custom year after year.
“We have grilled cheese for breakfast on Christmas morning. The first year we were married, we had planned to travel to NY to be with my husband’s family. Long story short, flights were delayed and canceled, and we ended up being stuck in NC. We had limited food in our house and no time to go to the grocery store before they closed for the holiday. Christmas morning when we got up, we had no breakfast foods on hand, at all. My husband made us grilled cheese sandwiches…and it stuck. I don’t even know that our kids understand why we have them, but we still do every year.”
-Desiree Bolibaugh
Karen W.
Sometimes traditions are simply spending time together.
“After we got married, hubby and I created our own tradition of having take-out Chinese food and watching A Christmas Story on tv on Christmas Eve (that 1st year I had never seen it). Now after 10 years and 1 child, the movie or movies have changed, but we still get our takeout Chinese food and watch a movie together on Christmas Eve.”
-Karen W.
Ryna Family
And sometimes traditions are started for nothing more than the fun of it!
“Our extended family from home: the women get together about two weeks before Christmas and make tamales (yum). Here, we start Christmas Eve out right with a full on nerf war, the guns and bullets go up with the Christmas stuff and they don’t get to touch them the entire year…it kills them!”
-Erin Ryna
Traditions don’t have to be fancy or full of frills. They don’t have to look like pages out of a magazine or scenes from a movie. Traditions are what you make them. They can be as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich or reading the same book year after year and never tiring of the story. It can be a gathering of those related by blood or those that don’t share a drop of DNA but are connected by the unbreakable bond of friendship.
The Kaufman Family
One thing that makes our area so magical during this time of year, is the fact that we are full of people from all around. For many, traditions are about spending time with the family they have created through friendship, and putting their own twist on the holidays.
“We have a ‘Village Thanksgiving’ where 30-40 of our friend group that all met in a coffee shop, get together for a traditional meal the weekend before Thanksgiving. It is also traditional at this feast that there is some sort of spiked Jell-O creation – it started with a Jell-O turkey, moved to a Jell-O Star of David (the year that Thanksgiving & Hanukah were the same), and are now usually just cranberry Jell-O shooters….”
-Sarah Kaufman
Here are some “non-traditional” family traditions that our Apex neighbors enjoy during the holiday season!
The London Family
Many parents take traditions from their own childhood and introduce them to the next generation. Chuck and Elizabeth London have taken some of their own family traditions and introduced them to their children, Ella Grey and CJ.
“Since we are busy on Christmas Eve, our tradition has been appetizers for dinner. Everyone loves it and looks forward to what is made. The kids also get to pick one present to open. We also read the Sparkle Box (a Children’s book about the true meaning of Christmas) every year, fill our sparkle box, and then read our sparkles on Christmas morning. We also go to Richmond and we see the same Santa my mom saw. He comes down the chimney, knows your name and you talk to the snow queen.”
-Elizabeth London
The Bolibaugh Family
There are some traditions that are born of necessity and turn into a custom year after year.
“We have grilled cheese for breakfast on Christmas morning. The first year we were married, we had planned to travel to NY to be with my husband’s family. Long story short, flights were delayed and canceled, and we ended up being stuck in NC. We had limited food in our house and no time to go to the grocery store before they closed for the holiday. Christmas morning when we got up, we had no breakfast foods on hand, at all. My husband made us grilled cheese sandwiches…and it stuck. I don’t even know that our kids understand why we have them, but we still do every year.”
-Desiree Bolibaugh
Karen W.
Sometimes traditions are simply spending time together.
“After we got married, hubby and I created our own tradition of having take-out Chinese food and watching A Christmas Story on tv on Christmas Eve (that 1st year I had never seen it). Now after 10 years and 1 child, the movie or movies have changed, but we still get our takeout Chinese food and watch a movie together on Christmas Eve.”
-Karen W.
Ryna Family
And sometimes traditions are started for nothing more than the fun of it!
“Our extended family from home: the women get together about two weeks before Christmas and make tamales (yum). Here, we start Christmas Eve out right with a full on nerf war, the guns and bullets go up with the Christmas stuff and they don’t get to touch them the entire year…it kills them!”
-Erin Ryna
Traditions don’t have to be fancy or full of frills. They don’t have to look like pages out of a magazine or scenes from a movie. Traditions are what you make them. They can be as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich or reading the same book year after year and never tiring of the story. It can be a gathering of those related by blood or those that don’t share a drop of DNA but are connected by the unbreakable bond of friendship.
