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Writer's pictureSue Leonard
Dec 17, 20234 min read

Holiday Traditions

Holiday traditions vary among families. One tradition with most families is decorating a

tree. When we first married, we were short on money so my parents gifted us the blue ornaments, as I requested. We thought all blue would look classy. Turns out, they were nearly invisible on a green tree.


In the 1960s aluminum trees became popular. (1) Most trees were silver colored but some came in ghastly colors like pink. I bet with the Barbie craze the pink trees are making a comeback.

pink aluminum tree with turquoise ornaments

Hubby’s mom bought an aluminum tree. He hated it. Instead, people used a rotating color wheel to light the tree because putting lights on an aluminum tree could cause a short circuit and burn the house down or electrocute you. Most people with aluminum trees used a single-color ornament – red, blue, or pink.


Flocked trees were also popular. My aunt had a flocked tree. It was pretty but shed flocking all over the floor and your body when you decorated it. And could only have certain ornaments.


For years hubby and I would go to Sinnissippi Tree Farm in Oregon, Illinois to cut down our tree. As our eclectic ornament collection grew, several of our ornaments were too heavy for a real tree’s branches and we switched to an artificial tree.  Even with the artificial tree have to select the heavy main branch from some of my heavier ornaments.


Cutting down a christmas tree

Cutting down our Christmas Tree


Recently a woman found a young opossum in her Christmas tree, a real surprise since the tree was artificial. (2) It’s easier to understand how a baby owl was found in a live tree. It most likely didn’t escape when the tree was cut down. (3) It’s so cute it would be tempting to keep it, but what would you feed it? And it might it might screech at night. Never mind that it’s also illegal.

owl found in Christmas tree

This cute critter was in the tree. Fox 26 Houston


Opossums and owls are cute, but imagine finding a snake in your Christmas tree. An Australian woman found a deadly eastern brown snake under her tree (4) and a South African family found a boomslang, one of Africa’s most venomous snakes, in her tree. (5) Luckily a snake catcher removed it.


In the 70s, I worked with a couple who were just as excited about Christmas as I was. For over fifteen years we decorated our tree in the morning after breakfast and decorated their tree then had dinner at their house. I’d kick off the tree decorating by playing A Christmas Festival CD by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops.  One breakfast ritual included dropping decorated sugar cubes in coffee and watching them melt. The decorations, a wreath or a Santa would float on the coffee after the sugar melted. Once their tree was decorated, he’d hoist his son on his shoulders to place the lighted star atop the tree.


sugar cubes decorated with Christmas designs

Sugar Cubes with Christmas Decorations


Ornament traditions vary.  My grandmother and mother made felt ornaments I still hang on my tree. I’ve made cross-stitch ornaments for my tree and most of my other ornaments are gifts. Some people have themed Christmas trees. One friend’s tree was covered in red ornaments and bows. Another friend’s tree is covered with Harry Potter and Star Wars characters.

holiday tradition: hand-made ornaments

Mom's felt bear, Grandma's felt shoe and my X-stitched penguin,


People have different traditional Holiday meals, e.g., turkey or ham. Vince, my Italian friend, served ravioli, and steak. His homemade cannoli was a family affair and took an entire day to make. He’d bring a tray full of cannoli to work and our team enjoyed cannoli and wine in the conference room.


Our family meal was turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry jelly. We switched to ham when Dad got hams from his employer, causing a family feud.


Hubby's friend pestered his mother for years to cook an “American Turkey” instead of their traditional Christmas goose. She finally relented. His family loved it and it became their new tradition, but he hated it and regretted suggesting it.(6) So be careful what you ask for.


Food Day at work was another tradition. People brought their favorite dishes. The conference room table was heaped with Asian dishes, Indian dishes, and other ethnic foods. What a feast. One year I made a recipe book with many of the dishes (attached). I chuckled that a couple of the Indian recipes had no measurements – you had to guess whether to use a teaspoon or a cup of coriander.  


What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Do you still decorate a tree? What’s on your table during the holidays? Do you enjoy caroling? Do you watch special movies – It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Elf, Home Alone? Use the comments to tell us your favorite holiday tradition.


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