Talk to the Goat
I grew up in a home without any tradition, so I tend to crave it. But, after we had my daughter, I found that the only tradition I really needed was just being with my small family every year. I was upset last Thanksgiving because we had no one to celebrate with. I was so used to going to someone else's house and letting them do all the cooking. I ended up making two weeks worth of food, but it was worth it. I didn't even have to put a bra on or change out of my pajamas all day. I didn't put my daughter in some uncomfortable dress. She ate in her diaper in a high chair and made a glorious mess that I didn't have to worry about someone getting upset about. I didn't bother to clean the dishes until the next day. My husband and I got to have a flour fight in the kitchen later that evening when we were ready for leftovers. It was the best lonely Thanksgiving ever.
My family never even HAD a 'traditional' Thanksgiving turkey dinner until I requested it my sophomore year in h.s. They were happy to oblige - on the condition that *I* cook it. Come the day, I had a giant Butterball and a 'fridge of ingrediants, and was left to my own devices.
Honestly, I don't know if that first 'traditional' meal was any good or not, having nothing to compare it to - but it was the first time I'd actually cooked according to REAL directions (thank God the turkey bag had instructions!) and having it come out a relative success made me a cook for life. (in sharp contrast to my sister, who orders in boiled water).
I want to try your desserts... mmmm.
Mrs T and I only had/have one cooking tradition, which is fettucinni alfredo primavera on Xmas eve (8 years running, although we mix it up a little sometimes with different ingredients). We're having turkey tomorrow too, sweet potatoes instead of turnip, spuds, green beans, stuffing and list goes on and on...
Tradition never meant much to me, as long as we have fun, eat well and don't have to go to work its all good! Happy Thanksgiving!
Tradition. Gathering with the same people once a year and saying thanks is tradition enough for me. Wherever, eating whatever. But I sure do wish I could have my Grandma's yams again. And I sure don't need football.
Come to think of it, it doesn't have to be the same people, even. Last year I let the bride and kids go to her parents and I, for the first time, had Thanksgiving with just a friend, no family. Very nice. A tradition I'd like to repeat.
My insanely Italian family had turkey and all the trimmings every thanksgiving - but the real star was the Rigatoni with sausage that my great grandmother would make. And honestly, I think we could have had T-day without the turkey as long as the rigatoni showed up.
Many years of going to friend's thanksgivings, I now make a holiday meal that has my favorites from my family's traditional meals, and my favorite's from my friends through the years.
If you want it to be a tradition, it is. As long as you do it.
I dunno. I never really thought about it before, but now that I am ... We always had traditional meals at Thanksgiving, Christmas and the other holidays. Every year for my birthday my mom would make me duck and a german chocolate cake. They were things I looked forward to every year because they were special and they defined the day and my family for me. Yes, you could say they were habits but I think they were also something else ... the seeds of memories.
When I got married, my wife and I took traditions from our own familes, melded them and formed our own traditions that will make our children's memories. They don't have to be passed down from the dawn of time but should be uniquely yours. I think that what you have Christmas morning is not the tradition, but the act of enjoying it together in bed is. Sorry to hijack your blog Jay ... now can I get a slice of cheesecake?
TG
When I was six and went shopping with my Grandmere for Christmas food I asked about the cinnamon rolls, because we had had them the year before (no, I do not remember how I remembered that). I thought it was a tradition, but I guess not, at least not yet. Since then, we've had them every year and sometimes I make them from scratch. But the important thing was that my Grandmere was making me part of her family by letting me create a tradition. Her son adopted me when he married my mom and this was my Grandmere's way of letting me know I was special. So even though I'm not that fond of cinnamon rolls anymore, I will still make sure we always have them. That's what is important about tradition.
One of my best friends and I are hosting a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow... a feast, sans turkey, consisting of "all the trimmings." He very recently lost his mother to cancer and this will be my first T-giving since I "came out" as separated woman (i.e., my first T-day without my ex and his family... my family being all the way out in your part of the country). We aren't caring about what's traditional - we are making the food we want and sharing our time with people we care about. And to us, that's what is important right now!
Have a fantastic Thanksgiving, Jay!
First of all, I always love reading your posts. I suppose maybe I say that too much.
I'm not a huge fan of turkey. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that one is "supposed" to eat turkey on T-day, and I don't like poeple telling me what to do. But it is also my least favourite meat. As in, I'll eat it if I have to, but it's not something I'm going to really love. I MUCH prefer the cheesy potato casserole thing with corn flakes on top (affectionately known as "Potato Thing" in our family.) Maybe this is because I was raised veggie. But, again, I suspect it's a mild rebellion thing.
I LOVE desserts. I love making them, I love eating them, I love sharing them with loved ones. I need to go back to your cooking blog. Thanks for the reminder. 
Scrap it all and go to Chuck E. Cheese is my tradition. I love that place.
It's where a kid goes to be a kid and an adult goes for some kickass pizza.
Last Christmas was the first one in our own house and we had his parents, brother & sister-in-law round and my mum, my brother and my best friend. His Mum wanted to come at the crack of dawn and open presents together- we wanted a quiet morning just the two of us so we all opened presents together in the afternoon before dinner. I didn't want to cook turkey- so his mum brought it round ready cooked. I cooked all the veg etc, my Mum brought dessert, my friend brought cake and my brother the drinks! In the end it all went perfectly and I think it was my favourite Christmas ever- some new "traditions" may have been started but I don't know yet, ask again in 20 years time 
I love Thanksgiving with all the fixings. It's my favorite holiday!
That being said, I still feel like an ob/gyn whenever I make a turkey
We had different traditions growing up. Being the only kid of divorced parents I had twice the celebrations. There are very few that we carried on from our parents. The only set rule I have is that we stay home on Christmas day. People are free to visit us, but we aren't pulling the kids from their toys. There is no set meal plan for any holiday either. For me it depends on who's in attendance.
I think for you the tradition is being untraditional. Which suits you! I hope you have a lovely holiday.
i think that tradition starts with even one memory that you make. i always like to try different things with some of the old, no one seems to mind. happy thanksgiving to you and your jason.
I think the "tradition" of THanksgiving turkey of which you speak is really just our feeble attempt as Americans and as Canadians to mirror the feast that we IMAGINE the settlers had so many hundreds of years ago.
I personally think tradition is something perceived by a person, it doesn't have to be the same and an annual thing, it's only a concept of what we feel is our own celebration.
Feelings of nostalgia usually grip my senses when I sit down to a big turkey dinner with my family, but coming from a broken home the meals weren't always the same and the houses they were eaten at weren't either.
Now, with my Boo and I, we've moved 800 miles away from all the family I've ever known. I have family here, cousins I've never really known and their children I only knew from pictures. We will be taking part in their tradition this year. Or maybe we'll start our own, celebration is your own personal production, make of it what you will =)
My Mum is breaking with our Christmas tradition this year and instead of serving turkey, will be making her Steak Pie (usually reserved for New Year's Day). Apparently when she asked her children what we thought, we, all 3 of us, cried tears of joy at the thought of our very favourite meal on Christmas day.
Tradition schmadition, turkey schmurkey, Steak Pie is where it's at!
We do the varity, but also the same plain Jane food too.
Hopefully, this year, it'll be good for you too.
I grew up in a house of notoriously lousy and unimaginative cooks.
My "favorite thing to cook" is anything that I haven't cooked before.
We used to have to do the family shuffle for major holidays. My husband and I moved to another state six years ago and we no longer have to have three differerent, but equally boring, Thanksgiving meals (my parents, my husband's parents, and my grandparents). I love enjoying relaxed holidays.
I think that if something is meant to become a new tradition, it will simply and naturally evolve over time. No need to force it.
Can I have a piece?
Happy Thanksgiving!
I think it's a tradition if you feel like it is. One year, when I was living in France, instead of trying to find turkey and cook it in either a toaster oven or on a hot pot for Thanksgiving, I went out for fondue. It was still Thanksgiving, though! (and the fondue was delish, and I told everyone in the joint that it was Thanksgiving and they all sang rousing renditions of any and all songs they knew with the word "America" in it) (ps my other invite had been to a Thanksgiving "feast" at TGI Friday's. No thank you.)
Last year for Thanksgiving, we had Steak instead of Turkey. Way easier, and less to cleanup, and well, Steak is better than Turkey anyway.
I think the only tradition we have is just being together for the holidays. Food and/or location is pretty sporadic.
I think that when you celebrate any holiday, regardless of how you chose to celebrate is tradition. You wouldn't celebrate it, necessarily, unless one you grew up celebrating it. If that makes sense. You can do whatever you want. I do different things every year, solely dependent upon my mood.
thanks for the visit by my place.
i'd say keep the best of the old traditions and add to them what you really want to. that's the beauty of starting your own family....
We had a few traditions growing up but nothing that really seemed to stick once we got away from the grade school years. I think it has made me more determined to create traditions for my kids that will stick.
Like, every year at Halloween we do a corn maze and get our pumpkins from the farm. Christmas means The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve and hot chocolate in the morning.
Except that some years it's some other story or some other drink.
I don't think it has to be exactly the same each and every time. I like a little variation.
Maybe tradition doesn't have to be an exact replica, just something that is special to you.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Jason!
Your tradition is being untraditional.
I think tradition is what you make it to be with your own family. For the most part, couples usually come from families who celebrate things differently. Some traditions may be the same and some may be different, but neither is right or wrong. When you enter into marriage and family territory, I think its best to combine and compromise your own traditions with your loved one, making new traditions your family can call your own.
P.S. Champagne in bed on Christmas Day is just sexy...
I'm with you...tradition's gotta have meaning. I tried serving good stick to your ribs Texas cornbread for Thanksgiving to my East Coast family & they thought it was odd..."TRY it", I said...& they did but they still made fun of my 'breaking of tradition'.
Your post...holy Christmas...made me insanely & totally hungry!
Your tradition can be coming up with something new for each holiday.
A tradition can start today, and end tomorrow. Traditions can be new, or old, or mixed up, boring or fun. All that matters is that they are important to you and yours.
A holiday, the celebration of, can be a tradition in itself! Happy thanksgiving! (your post made me hungry for our Thanksgiving, although I'll be in London this year, so sadly, no turkey, not even a big meal, but a fun trip!!!)
Ive been very brave as far as cooking is concerned the last few years. I havent however, attempted to cook for a large group of people yet, nor have I tried to cook something as large as a turkey. Something about it feels like black belt cooking.
I come from an immigrant family, so you can imagine that Thanksgiving is never your "traditional fare". Depending on whose there, there is usually an Indian spread and an "American" spread. I say American in quotes because well the turkey is usually done in indian spices and it always changes every year. But I wouldn't give it away, to have fish curry and turkey all at the same table if it meant having my whole "family" together for that day.
First of all, Happy Thanksgiving!
We too started some new "traditions" when we started our own family. Real traditions have to do with what's important to you. We don't have a lot, but most of them center around Church and family. Palm Sunday and Good Friday we usually go to my parents for dinner after church. I enjoy the big fish feast on Good Friday. Christams Eve is also spent at my parents doing a big fish dinner thing. It's an Italian thing. Thanksgiving sometimes we do at our place, sometimes go somewhere else, though it was spent at the Wife's parents when they were alive.
Christmas morning we sleep in, open presents, go to church, and generally enjoy the day. Dinner is with the Wife's brother at either of our homes.
We to try to bring something different if we bring a dish to a family gathering. It's seldom about what's for dinner, though there usually is some sort of default dinner menu. What it's really about for us is spending time with family.
For you guys, "tradition" is probably just about being together on any given holiday. I dare say if you had children, you would tend to do more "traditional" things as kids really look forward to holidays and certain aspects of it.
I think traditions are still relevant if they're actually about celebrating something. Doing something cause "we've always done that" is silly. But doing something that centers around being together on that occasion are what it's really about.
We are big in our family on trying new things. Some work some dont but we think thats part of the fun:-}
here via Droog.. cool blog.
2 years in a row makes a tradition.
I know I consider watching the newer version of Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas in Decemeber as a tradiotion, even if the Mrs has only experienced this fun once.
That is the great thing about traditions - they can be started at any time by anyone. I'm single and live alone, yet I have my own holiday traditions. For Thanksgiving, I stay at my own home - -never fly to the midwest during that break - it's nuts. So, I invite friends over and host the "refugee" Thanksgiving - people who don't have anywhere else to go are welcome. We do a mixture of foods. Thanksgiving morning I run a 5 mile race for the homeless. I also make and drop something off at the police department. On that Saturday, I get my Christmas decorations out and spend the day decorating - I put on Christmas carols and the whole bit. These are my traditions and I love them. They make the holiday special to me. You have to decide what makes the holiday for you.
Try this.
Sweet Potatoes baked, then scoop them out to the skin, add olive oil, nutmeg, salt/pepper and brown sugar.
Mash them and serve warm
I'm happy that you had a small but eventful Thanksgiving.
Oh and as far as I'm concerned, twice in a row makes something a tradition. Let the champagne flow.
Good job, Jay, do ya fancy emailing me over a slice or two of your fabulous turkey dinner next time you make it?
Ah, tradition: it bores us and then we pine for it when it's been away too long... Tradition is dead, long live tradition
why can't it be traditional to always try the new?
as in, for example:
"each year we try something new. that's our tradition."
like you said, same old same old can be just a habit.
not that there is anything wrong with doing the same old same old every year. it's a tradition, after all..
All this food talk reminded me that you asked about my wheat baguette recipe. You can find it here:
http://www.breadworld.com/recipe...tail.asp?
id=853
It was very tasty! I hope you enjoy it too!
Tradition is important
BUT if you want to start some new ones within your family...why not
Tradition - even if untraditional - is what works for you and yours. Tradition could even be trying something new every time. I think the tradition part is a "constant" that people can look forward to and remember fondly even if it isn't the best-liked thing.
I like the champagne in bed tradition! We're on vacation this week ... maybe Friday
Re traditional turkey, I grew up the same way. A dried out over cooked (my mother baked the turkey for about six hours, I swear!!) utility turkey, lumpy mashed potatoes (cuz by the time we ate, she was hammered), carrots and mysteriously dark gravy with specs of something.
I love turkey and vary it ... sometimes I put jerk sauce/spice on it. Yummy! Or we have beer can turkey. Yummy too! Usually we forego the turkey and BBQ steak instead. Ha!
My opinions (without reading the 45 above, shame on me):
- Tradition does not required religion or culture. It is what you say it is, because it's how you feel about it and treat it, more than how many times you've done it. To you. You have to train other people... so it'll take a couple of years.
- Thanksgiving, in my not-so-humble opinion can be as simple as raising your glass to say thanks, and as complex as a 50 person meal with family tensions and football games. And everything in between and beyond.
- Asparagus - yum... have you tried it grilled then tossed in sesame oil yet - if not... do so. Sweet potatoes - yuck.
- me too - I cooked my first turkey (well actually 3 and a full thanksgiving meal for 35) when I was 19 too.
- Happy b'day Jason (belated)
- traditional vrs boring - after many years of my spouse (Gerry) and my mom muttering under their breath that Turkey for Thanksgiving & Xmas was too much while I was in the kitchen cooking for the ingrates, I finally blew up at them. They both had "traditional" upbringings surrounded by family during holiday. I didn't. So, now, our "tradition" is that they get to pick what I make for Xmas dinner. Sometimes at the very last minute. It's kind of like Xmas Iron Chef... and it's bags of fun. But I get my turkey for thanksgiving.
okay - enough blogging on your blog. ;->
I've read all the way down to here, Jay, trying to catch up since I've been gone. This is a great post; one that should be in all local newspapers during Thanksgiving week!
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