Please share your favorite family tradition

Holiday traditions vary. For some, it’s the smell of a favorite holiday dish baking. A special ornament on the tree or trimming the tree may brighten the season. A church service may bring back memories.

For me, it is being with my family and friends. At the Horton household, grazing on all the special treats in between breakfast and the holiday meal, whether it is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, was an event. The grazing menu ranged from fresh fruits, raw vegetables and dip, and cheese and crackers, along with whatever homemade candies everyone brought along. These were not the special desserts made to follow the feast.

When I was a youngster, we always received a brown bag with an apple and an orange along with a variety of candy after the church Christmas program.

My friend, John Fuller, suggested learning about others’ favorite traditions would be nice. He’s sharing one of his.

“One of my favorite traditions during this time is watching ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,’” Fuller said. “Every year, it is a battle of wills of when the Christmas tree goes up. I always want to wait until the day after Thanksgiving, and the family, by the evening of Thanksgiving, wants to put it up.”

Fuller told me, “I would not be surprised if people find new traditions for their families, even ones that become a favorite memory that gets passed on to future generations, from just a simple tradition.”

I’m inviting you to share your family traditions no later than Dec. 17 to my email bhorton.dar@gmail.com and take a chance it may appear in a feature story this Christmas season.

Happy and safe holidays to everyone.

Barbara Horton is a staff writer at the Daily American Republic. She can be reached at bhorton.dar@gmail.com.