Mom Dot Christmas of Dreams Party Day Two!
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DAY TWO QUESTION
Traditions, what are some of your favorite family traditions? What are some that you want to begin?
Okay, well the party is under way and going great! I’ve found some kick ass blogs and I’m so happy to be a part of this great event! SO. What are some of my favorite family traditions? As in holiday traditions? Well, for one, we like to pretend it’s not a holiday. We typically celebrate on Christmas Eve, since when I was a kid we always left Christmas morning to go to my grandmothers. After a lifetime of celebrating Christmas the day before, Christmas day itself usually consists of waking up, going to church and then sitting around doing nothing. Last year, I had the tree down by noon. When I’m in NY, I like to go to my father’s to have Christmas dinner (I plan to again this year, dad, if Buffy wants to).
I’m instant messaging Ryan to ask if we have any other traditions of if he wants to start one, but he’s taking his time replying so I’m just going to put some more pictures of us up. Jake was so cute his first Christmas. Josh hasn’t had one yet, so I don’t have any of him to put up and I hate my preggo pictures, because I was 205 pounds.
Ryan just replied, he said out tradition is to go to NY every year. OH THAT’S RIGHT! He totally reminded me of my favorite tradition, I’m such an ass for forgetting. We’re Polish and Catholic, and every year everyone gets Oplatek (prounounced Ah-pwa-tek). I googled it and according to Wikipedia,
The wafers are baked from wheat flour and water, are usually rectangular in shape and very thin; they are identical in composition to the Host used during a Catholic mass. Wafers are embossed with Christmas related religious images, varying from the nativity scene, especially Virgin Mary with baby Jesus, to the Star of Bethlehem.
Family members and friends break off a small piece of the opłatek wafer and give it to one another along with a blessing. Breaking off and exchanging part of opłatek with someone is symbol of forgiveness between two people and is meant to remind participants of the importance of Christmas, God, and family.
A sample blessing can take the form of “I wish you much health, happiness and the Lord’s bountiful blessings as well as the fulfilment of all your plans and everything you wish for yourself.” or just wishing good grades to a child and good health to your parents. Despite its simplicity, the custom has made its way into countless households which find its rich symbolism an adaptable annual custom of profound meaning.
Traditionally, pure white opłatek wafers are broken and shared with family, while colored wafers are given to family animals. This symbolizes respect for animals’ part in the witness of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem (at the stable).
We also sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jesus in Polish. They don’t really have a traditional birthday song in that language, but Polish people sing Sto-Lat, which translates into ‘One Hundred Years’. We sing it all the time, for everything. Birthdays, weddings, tuesdays. It’s the happiest, most fun-loving song there is. Granted, the audio I just linked so scares the crap out of me, but at least you get an idea about it. Here’s a video of Jake doing it for my mom’s birthday-
The song’s lyrics are:
- Sto lat, sto lat,
- Niech żyje, żyje nam.
- Sto lat, sto lat,
- Niech żyje, żyje nam,
- Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz, niech żyje, żyje nam,
- Niech żyje nam!
This translates roughly into English as:
- A hundred years, a hundred years,
- May he (she) live for us.
- A hundred years, a hundred years,
- May he live for us.
- Once again, once again, may he live, live for us,
- May he live for us!
I feel SO much better now. I was getting depressed that we didn’t have a tradition, but I forgot about the one thing I love most about the holiday! Every year, even when we stayed in Charlotte last year (mom mailed me some) I love that I take a moment to break bread with everyone, exchanging a kiss and loving words. No matter how you feel about a person (like if I didn’t like a siblings spouse), for that small amount of time, you were all family without a care int he world.
Thanks, MOM DOT! It looks like your Christmas of Dreams Party may make me like the holiday after all! I spend so much time fighting against the commercialism, that I seemed to have forgotten about the traditions that I hold dear. What a great party!
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During my childhood we used to get together with my mom’s family on Christmas Eve and my dad’s family on Christmas. My mom was from a large Catholic family as well. Her parents, three siblings and their children would gather at my uncles house to exchange gifts. But the real fun came after unwrapping gifts…
We’d take the gift wrap, ball it up and have a wrapping paper fight. This was like an indoor snowball battle, but much warmer, and with adult-sanction and adult participation. Dad’s and uncles could pack ‘em tight and throw ‘em far. Sometimes even my grandma would throw a few.
As we grandkids got married and had kids, the family got too big to meet on one night and in one house on Christmas Eve. We lost this tradition. Last year my grandma told me how much she missed it and I had hoped to get the family to chip in to rent a hall this year. Sadly, she passed away in March.
I’m submitting this not to depress anyone, but to say, don’t just wait until Christmas to make memories, and don’t make excuses like “the family is too big” to let traditions die. Find a way to make it happen. I wish I had and will try to do these things with my kids with the family members we have.
What a unique tradition! LOL! I can’t believe you forgot, though. Too much going on, I guess?
The tree normally comes down the day after Christmas. Sometimes it’s Christmas day. Hubs is normally ready to just have it all over with.
Very cool! I love the song you sing. What a neat tradition!
That’s so neat of you to share your Polish traditions. I don’t know much about that culture and I should as I do have some Polish in me.:)
I love the santa Hat!!!! Those are the classic pics!!!
That’s a really great tradition!
Thats what I like about traditions. A lot of times you don’t think of them as traditions, yet you still seem to do it every year!
Thanks for educating me on Polish Christmas traditions. I love learning stuff like this.
Are there any tasty delicious foods you forgot to mention?
I enjoy hearing about traditions from other countries. I posted about the Swedish things we do in my blog post.
Mmmm….well, not really. ha. The pierogies (may have spelled that wrong, but you’re all familiar with Mrs. T, right?). Other than that, Catholics don’t do meat of any kind so it’s usually seafood (that I don’t eat)or lasagne that I didn’t want. I actually used to wait til midnight and drive to the McDonalds on the thruway to get chicken nuggets and fries (I could eat meat at midnight!)
Jake is just too cute!
Hey , I love the part about breaking up the wafers for the animals.
One Christmas, a few years ago we spent Christmas Eve at my dad’s ex-girlfriend’s parent’s house and it was one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had because it was a traditional Polish Catholic celebration with the Oplatek and everything was just amazing and experiencing such family togetherness and love for one another was a great experience. As an atheist I don’t follow the religious aspect of Christmas, but still hold true to the family togetherness and love aspect and it’s such a beautiful holiday, whether or not you believe in where it originated from or not; simply because even the religious people and society as a whole have not kept true to the religious aspect of the holiday, so it’s easier to translate to non-religious families now. I still think that was one of my best Christmases just because of the feeling I had inside of me, like family and friends were all you really needed in life and as long as everyone is there for each other, you win and life is good.
Wow I bet NY is beautiful at Christmas! That is one place I intend visiting one day! You have some wonderful traditions!
I always seem to “forget” our traditions too. They come so naturally, that we just do them without realizing they are traditions. I think NY would be beautiful to visit at Christmas!
Tree down by noon? Girl, I’m lucky if my tree comes down anytime close to New Years. I really like how you mix your Polish heritage into the holiday. That’s so cool.
Those wafers are cool looking. I’ve never heard of this tradition. Thanks for sharing!
Bah, humbug!
My husband and I were lucky enough to be living in Poland during Christmas in 1997. We got to spend Christmas Eve with a beautiful Polish family. So much rich tradition there!
Jen
http://www.100DaystoChristmas.com
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog.
Sounds like you have a great tradition…even though you forgot about it for a second there.
The video of your son singing is so cute.
My son got a Learning Puppy, too, for his first Christmas.
Great traditions! I love NY in Winter!
Are tree comes down the next day
Thanks for sharing!
That is a cool tradition! I have never heard of that before. But I like it!
I truly think forgiveness needs to be a part of everyone’s holiday no matter what, where, when or who! What an incredible tradition! Do you think I could get my MIL to go for it?
Nice to hear someone else is also carrying on the Oplatek tradition. From one pole to another “Wesołych Świąt”
Wonderful traditions! I really don’t think we have any…aside from spreading gifts out over the whole month (which will likely not be an issue this year as we told the kids they’re only getting a couple of presents each). I think the boys see decorating the house as a tradition. Yeah, we’re sad. LOL!
ah, it’s working for me today! Love your tradition!
Wow! What a great song, that video is too cute!
Wow! What a great song, that video is too cute!
“When I’m in NY, I like to go to my father’s to have Christmas dinner (I plan to again this year, dad, if Buffy wants to).”
We want to, so plan on it! xxxoooxxx
— An honest politician, a kind lawyer and Santa Claus were walking down the street and saw a $20 bill. Which one picked it up? Santa! The other two don’t exist!
Sounds pretty good to me! I’d love to spend Christmas in NYC!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Come back soon!
I’ve never heard of those wafers but that is just so cool. I love that you have a rich cultural heritage. I wish I did!
Thanks for your visit to my blog too!
jake WAS so cute his first christmas! i love food traditions. nothing beats the joy of family, friends and food together. i am so looking forward to the holidays now. i’ll just go ahead and stop dreading the gift shopping bit.
You cracked me up when you said that you have the tree down by noon on Christmas day! LOL! I was thinking “man..I’m jealous!” Christmas in NYC sounds like a really fun tradition though!
OoO…Learning Puppy…I want to get that for our baby this christmas….
I love that tradition. It truly symbolizes the meaning behind the holiday. And I absolutely love the picture of your son by the tree! So adorable!
The wafers are really neat! Never heard of them before!
So sweet! What a nice tradition!
I love that first picture, so cute!!
Wow, I think noon on Christmas day has to be a record for taking the tree down. My husband and I once left ours up until May, lol. (That was before we had kids, we wouldn’t do that now!)
Sounds like you have a lot of fun and interesting traditions! I love the 1st Christmas pic!
Since I am a Filipino here in America married to an American, I miss our traditional customs from our country like our “Noche Buena” (Midnight Meal) every Christmas at 12:00 midnight of Dec. 24 to welcome Christmas Day. It is followed by opening up the gifts and going to friends’ homes to celebrate Christmas with them until one is pooped at the crack of dawn.
Love the pictures. I love your unique tradition.
Very cool tradition! My family needs that sometimes.