Tradition
My childhood was full of funny little traditions:
- Santa likes his whisky with a little bit of water.
- Rudolph prefers chocolate to carrots.
- Tooth fairy rates do not increase with inflation.
- On Christmas Eve we will go down to the pub, get merrily drunk and stagger to Midnight Mass no matter what condition we were in.
- Christmas presents are not to be opened until about 3 in the afternoon (after late breakfast, a trip to the pub and before the meal in the evening).
- Easter is a day for chocolate and church. Your egg will be on the table with breakfast and you may eat it then and there as an accompaniment with full fry up breakfast. You will then go to church.
- At the end of the school year you will take a thank you present to your teacher.
- Bread and butter letters will be sent after staying with someone.
- Home made cards are best.
- No matter what the weather, you will go for a walk on a Sunday.
- Saturdays are for going into "nearest large town to the village". We will meet at 11 o'clock at "random small coffee shop".
- All pets will have random swahili names.
It makes me a little bit sad that N doesn't seem to have had all these types of traditions. If we get married and have children it'll be up to me to make sure that, 20 years on, they're sitting remembering their childhood with fondness and having a little giggle.
9 comments:
A lot of your childhood traditions remind me of the ones my Dad used to impose on us as kids. I used to think they were so tedious but now my siblings and I insist on them being followed pain-stakingly- exactly at the same moment when my Dad no longer gives a jot!
Did you really go to the pub as a child on Christmas Eve and get smashed? What enlightened parents you have. Does Alan Johnson know? By the way, many late happy returns for four days ago. Did you get the Scouting For Girls CD? If not, I've got a spare copy you can have
the pressie's after 3 and the carrots and the thank you letters and the home made cards and the walk on sunday (but not every sunday) and tooth fairy all rings true to me too!
Red - I'm exactly the same. I used to be *so* angry when forced to conform with them as a child. Now, I'm trying to impress them on everyone else too!
Edward - I should clarify (lest you put me down as a complete alcoholic) when I was younger, my parents went and got smashed. Since we came back to the UK, I've gone with them to get smashed. Happy days :)
Peach - I'm glad it's not just me. For me they tend to make a holiday/celebration though. What do you think?
I think you'll find with guys that they seem not to remember a thing before their 16th birthday, but actually tend to have some great stories once you draw them out. My husband and I are from fairly different cultures (although similar type families) and we can both regale our kids with good stories.
NC - Meant to logon on Friday and say "Happy Birthday" but allowed Post Trampoline Erection Stress Disorder to get the better of me. Many apologies. Hope you had a great day.
I seem to have blotted most family memories out - mind you it was longer ago for me, too ! Traditions I can recall include - tou shalt get lost in north London looking for the bottom of the A1; thou MUST listen to the six o'clock news on Radio 4; thou will not talk while the TV is on.
The only tradition that I had as a kid was to go my gran on holidays. My mum would pack my stuff and we said our goodbyes. My gran lived 50yards away from mine.
Expatmum - I'm sure N probably does have some memory. Whether he wants to share it however, is another matter!
WOT - thanks.. I had a nice birthday. Quiet but just what I wanted. I've remembered another one.. I was never allowed to talk during the Archers.
Major - That's so lovely. For some reason that reminds me of when I used to "run away". I'd get about 100 yards away and then come back because I was bored!
We have got lots of great Xmas traditions, and add to them along the way...
And funnily enough... our santa here in the lakes likes whiskey and water, and mince pies with it!
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