I love traditions, especially during the holidays. Please tell me yours!
I’ve been bingeing on mini-oranges lately; easy to peel, delicious, and healthy. After lunch today, as I peeled an orange to feed my addiction craving, “A” said to me, “In my family, we put an orange on top of the mochi, and then eat it on New Year’s for luck.”
Aw, sweet. An orange for luck. I should try that! “An orange, or a tangerine?” I asked.
“An orange,” she said. “And now I’m craving one too.”
I Googled “Japanese Mochi” and “New Year,” and learned three things. 1. Not always an orange. Some say “tangerine.” 2. “A” didn’t mean the mochi ice cream I buy at Trader Joe’s. She meant pounded rice cakes. Hmm. 3. Not such a sweet tradition.
Last week, “R” and I were comparing holiday notes. She told me, “My boyfriend and I met while working on a movie. We decided to watch the movie together every year. We missed it the year it came out, and again last year. But we watched it Christmas Day. The movie was actually pretty good. Turns out to be our new favorite tradition!”
I wanted to tell her, “Um…. if you watch the movie next year, it will be a tradition then.” I firmly believe you can call something a tradition without it being handed down a generation or two; however, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t qualify until you’ve done it at least twice.
All that leads me to my point. I want to start a Campfire Tales tradition of “first post featuring a cool link.” To start off the New Year with a recommended site.
Campfire Tales presents: Washed Ashore
Great website. Awesome cause. (They turn trash found on beaches into sculptures.) I’d tell you more, but their pictures and videos do a much better job.
(P.S. I shared recommendations in this post last year in April — so does that make this post officially a “tradition?”)
Campfire Tales 
Our family tradition in Ireland was to go “swimming” on Christmas morning. Swimming meant diving in and getting your hair wet (5 seconds), and then going around for our once a year visit to Auntie Linda and Uncle Jim, to be told “Och, you’re a bunch of eejits, going in swimming on a freezing day like today!”. And then my brothers and I would sit side by side on the sofa, eat a few mince pies, and gaze longingly at our cute distant cousin, who we were too shy to talk too.
These were the days when we were all rake thin. Now after years of adding lots of whale blubber to our wee Irish bodies, we wouldn’t jump into anything other than a hot tub on Christmas morning!
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I’m sure your cute cousin appreciate the literal distance from the mute, wet-haired lumps crowding the sofa and leering at her with their mince pie smeared faces. If only she could see you all now, steamed red like lobsters by the hot tub, in all your blubbery glory!
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Our family tradition for Christmas Eve is fondue. Up first is the cheese, mixed with some beer. Everyone brings something to dip. French bread, vegetables and fruit. Next we do the chocolate. Usually milk chocolate and a smaller pot of white. We dip angel food cake, coconut macaroons, fruit and marshmellows. Very little clean up and always delicious. Takes the pressure off of someone having to host a huge holiday dinner. Christmas Day is always brunch in our pajamas. We are a family driven by food. Presents are always opened on Christmas Eve.
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Sounds like a delicious tradition. Is there ever a bad time for fondue? I say “No!” Which reminds me of a post I’ve been meaning to write for such a long time… Maybe this year?
Hmm. I’m torn. My tradition has been to NOT write that post. Now what do I do?!
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