Tradition Meh-dition: Christmas in July

Whenever I'm asked what kind of traditions my family has, I give it an honest whack, but honestly can't come up with anything other than stockings first thing in the morning, followed by a torturous reading of Luke 2 (can't get through it fast enough when you're six years old and eying that conspicuously large box covered in red/green wrapping paper), then presents, followed by pancakes with strawberry sauce and home-made whipped cream. And there you have it: Christmas morning. The rest of the day is spent pootin' about, not knowing what else to do. Funny we never came up with anything to fill that time - say, like, a tradition. Often, we ended up dispersing in our separate ways to various friends/neighbors, attempting to feed off of their holiday jubilations.

Now I know what you're going to say, all those things you just mentioned are traditions. Yeah...but a tradition only survives as long as you keep it. I've just passed my 4-year anniversary - and I can say with some certainty that we did the pancake thing at my mom's house only once. Otherwise we've spent Christmas bouncing around from house to house to house - never actually setting foot in our own living room on the holiday. Or, like last Christmas, I was stranded in Texas. I spent the day playing Ludovico Einaudi at full blast and trying to paint something magnificent. While magnificence wasn't accomplished, I decided that the experience, though solitary, was a suitable substitution for the usual family-oriented traditions. That may sound a little cynical - but I really am quite content to sit around by myself if it means I can engage in the things I love to do - writing, painting, listening to music, watching the occasional movie when inspiration starts to wane (Pride & Prejudice, A Good Year, to name a few). I realize that others treasure their customs and rituals, but it seems like my life doesn't really have the space or patience for them.

All the other holidays - Easter, Independence Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, St Patrick's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day - we don't really have anything going for them, either. I realize now that I sound like a very boring person. Maybe I had better start accumulating a few traditions, after all. Otherwise my house is going to be filled with crappy art projects.

Christmas 2009
Church St, Burlington, VT

To read about the traditions of other bloggers, check out the table below.