Steeped in tradition

I’m huge on tradition. Old ones and creating new ones. Case in point: When my husband and I returned from our second trip to Ireland a few years ago, we adopted the tradition of afternoon tea on weekends. It’s the full deal complete with tea set and tray.
Balin, who just turned 10 months old Dec. 21, will grow up surrounded by all sorts of traditions like the weekend tea, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Recently we adopted a new tradition that we’re sure he’s going to love once he’s old enough to understand. While watching “Rick Steves’ European Christmas” last week on PBS, we learned that in England children leave, along with cookies for Father Christmas (Santa), a carrot for his reindeer. What a cool idea! So this year we’re going to leave a carrot and of course cookies by our fireplace.
Other cultures have all kinds of great holiday traditions. In Sweden, they celebrate Lucia Day, something I’ve written about many times in the Review since two venues down here, Gloria Dei Olde Swedes Church, 916 S. Swanson St., and American Swedish Historical National Museum, 1900 Pattison Ave., put on Lucia celebrations every December.
If you’ve never been, it’s quite the thing to behold honoring the Swedish tradition of Dec. 13 where the eldest daughter awakens early and takes coffee and ‘lussekatts’ (buns flavored with saffron and raisins) to her parents. She’s dressed in white and wears a crown of candles, singing the traditional “Sankta Lucia.”
The local celebrations reenact this tradition with song and a procession of young girls all in white and carrying candles joining “Lucia” with candles on her head and carrying a tray with buns and coffee.
One of the things I love the most about the holidays is tradition. Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.

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