December 24 – Christmas Eve
How did you, your family or your ancestors spend Christmas Eve?
[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]
For Slovaks, Christmas Eve is more solemn than Christmas Day. It is a time for praising God and for being together with family. Here is a blog post from in which I describe how my family celebrated Christmas. Things have changed over the years since my grandparents and parents passed away, but I try to honor the Slovak traditions in my own home to the best of my ability.
Click here to read my blog post from 2007 in which I describe the Christmas Eve traditions in my family.
Enjoy! Vesele Vianocé! (Merry Christmas!)
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
December 23 – Christmas Sweetheart Memories
Do you have a special memory of a first Christmas present from a sweetheart? How did you spend your first Christmas together? Any Christmas engagements or weddings among your ancestors?
[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]
I honestly can’t remember my first Christmas present from a sweetheart. I cherish all of the presents my husband has given me over the years–jewelry, perfume, candies, favorite CDs and DVDs and other thoughtful gifts. We have an agreement not to buy each other expensive items. Usually we get one “nice” item that is for the both of us each Christmas, and then we just exchange small gifts on Christmas Day. Just being together is the best gift of all.
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
December 22 – Christmas and Deceased Relatives
Did your family visit the cemetery at Christmas? How did your family honor deceased family members at Christmas?
[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]
Yes, we would visit the cemetery on Christmas Day. We had to go to two different cemeteries because my mother’s parents were buried in a different cemetery than my father’s parents. We would always put a wreath on the grave of a deceased ancestor. Also, we would contribute for flowers to be put on the altar at church in memory of deceased loved ones.
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
December 21 – Christmas Music
What songs did your family listen to during Christmas? Did you ever go caroling? Did you have a favorite song?
[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]
My family listened to all of the traditional Christmas carols–religious and secular, as well as Slovak versions of Christmas hymns. I used to go caroling as part of school activities. I can’t carry a tune to save my life so I am not a big caroler, but I love to listen to Christmas music.
My favorite song is “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
Click here to read the rest of the original post from December 2009.
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
Religious Services
Did your family attend religious services during the Christmas season? What were the customs and traditions involved?
When I was very young we would attend the early mass (4 p.m.). Occasionally, we would go to mass on Christmas Day, but most of the time we went to midnight mass. The church was always beautifully decorated with poinsettias and candles and the manger. I always enjoyed the carols and at our church the choir also sang several Christmas carols in Slovak, which was a very special tribute to the Slovak heritage.
I still prefer to attend midnight mass–although it is no longer held at midnight–usually 10 p.m. at most of the churches in our area. I still enjoy listening to carols but I really do miss the Slovak ones as in my home parish. Fortunately, I inherited an album (yes a 33 1/3 RPM for those of you old enough to remember) from my mother that has both English and Slovak versions of Christmas hymns. It was recorded at another Slovak parish in Pittsburgh. I play it every Christmas Eve. I also have converted it to digital format so I can listen to it on CD or my computer/iPod.
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
December 19 – Christmas Shopping
How did your family handle Christmas Shopping? Did anyone finish early or did anyone start on Christmas Eve?
[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]
My mother was the Christmas shopper. I remember that she would start early and go on all day shopping adventures with her sister (my aunt) Helen. When I became an adult I would occasionally join them. We’d shop for hours, have a nice lunch–good times.
I must admit that since my mother passed away many years ago, the joy of going Christmas shopping for me is gone too. I don’t like large crowds or rude and pushy people. So, if I have to go to a “brick and mortar” store to do any holiday shopping, I always start early. This year I did 95% of my shopping online, which was so nice. A few clicks of the mouse and I was done!
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
December 18 – Christmas Stockings
Did you have one? Where did you hang it? What did you get in it? Do you have any Christmas stockings used by your ancestors?
[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]
I have always had a Christmas stocking. I’ve had two special stockings since I was a young girl that my next door neighbor crocheted for me.
We did not have a fireplace in my childhood home so I hung my stocking on the banister in the living room. Santa would leave special little gifts–a pair of socks or mittens, an ornament for the tree (usually a koala bear ornament), a yo-yo or some other fun little game, candy, and always a few dollars.
I have a fireplace in my current home and those stockings are hanging above it right now!
And I sure hope Santa intends to fill them this year! 🙂
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
Grab Bag
Author’s choice. Please post from a topic that helps you remember Christmases past!
[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]
One of my favorite Christmas memories is putting out cookies and milk for Santa Claus. My mother would help me. We didn’t have a chimney so I put the cookies and milk on a small table by our tree. But, I didn’t stop there. I asked my mom “What about the reindeer?” So every year we would fill a bucket of water and leave a few carrots out for Santa’s reindeer (I didn’t know if reindeer even ate carrots–still don’t!), but it seemed like the appropriate snack. And when I woke up on Christmas morning and saw Santa ate the cookies and drank the milk I left for him, I’d rush to the front porch window and look out to see if the carrots and water were also gone.
They always were!
I guess I was thinking creatively even as as a child!
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
Christmas at School
What did you or your ancestors do to celebrate Christmas at school? Were you ever in a Christmas Pageant?
[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]
Having attended Catholic school, we always had a Christmas pageant. One of them I particularly remember was during the third grade. I played an angel. My Aunt Helen made my costume for me. I had the big gold wings, long white robe and halo.
I don’t have any musical or acting talent so these pageants were never really my thing. But we all thought it was great to miss a Math or Science class now and then to practice for the pageant.
Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo
All Rights Reserved
