The Holiday Happenings

Fruitcake – Friend or Foe?

Did you like fruitcake? Did your family receive fruitcakes? Have you ever re-gifted fruitcake? Have you ever devised creative uses for fruitcake?

(Note: you can also post about a “fruitcake ancestor” and use it for Madness Monday!)

[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]

I don’t remember fruit cake being a big food item or gift in our family. My father liked to eat fruit cake, but I have never been that crazy about it myself. Yes, I re-gifted a fruitcake: to my father.

Fruitcake ancestors? That’s another story. Let’s not go there.

Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo

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Holiday Travel
Did you or your ancestors travel anywhere for Christmas? How did you travel and who traveled with you? Do you remember any special trips?

[Note: This post originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]

Until I was in college I never had to travel at Christmas because most of my family lived close by. We spent most holidays at my grandparents’ house and they lived just a few blocks away. After college, I lived in New Jersey for a year and a half and missed two Christmases at home, but one of those years my parents came to visit me. Then for the next four years I lived back at home while going to graduate school so did not have to travel to see my family. In 1995, I moved to New York but went back to Pittsburgh nearly every year to spend Christmas with my parents and extended family. Now that my parents have passed away I am content to spend Christmas at home with my husband. Sure, I miss the old times–lots of great memories–but I prefer not to have to travel at the holidays so it’s nice to just relax and enjoy the time off.

Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo

All Rights Reserved

Charitable/Volunteer Work

Did your family ever volunteer with a charity such as a soup kitchen, homeless or battered women’s shelter during the holidays? Or perhaps were your ancestors involved with church groups that assisted others during the holiday?

[Note: Portions of this post appeared in a post that originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]

We did not specifically do any charity work during the holidays. My mother would give a donation every year to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Salvation Army. They would take up a collection at school for food items. When I was in college our sorority would do various service projects in the local community before the holiday break. I’ve also made donations to various toy and food drives in the community where I now live.

Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo

All Rights Reserved

Other Traditions

Did your family or friends also celebrate other traditions during the holidays such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Did your immigrant ancestors have holiday traditions from their native country which they retained or perhaps abandoned?

[Note: Portions of this post appeared in a post that originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]

Except for the “American” traditions of Santa Claus, baking cookies, giving gifts, etc., my family did not celebrate any others. My ancestry is Slovak and Christmas is a very holy time for the Slovak people. I will defer my post on the Slovak Christmas traditions until December 24th.

Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo

All Rights Reserved

What were your favorite gifts, both to receive and to give? Are there specific gift-giving traditions among your family or ancestors?

[Note: Portions of this post appeared in a post that originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]

I pretty much liked all the gifts I received at Christmas. “Santa” was always very generous to me. Some of my favorite gifts from childhood included anything “Barbie”; my Easy-Bake Oven and Washer, dolls, and board games and an actual Santa doll (I still have him!)

When I became a young adult the gifts changed of course. I would always receive a koala bear ornament and a “daughter” ornament, a new pair of pajamas or nightgown, and then whatever was on my “list” that year.

My favorite gifts to give were “Mom and Dad” ornaments for my parents each year. I bought my mother a stereo one year so she could play her old 33 rpm albums. My father was not one to get excited over gifts–and always said wrapping paper and greeting cards were “a waste of money.” He did not like to shop for gifts. He preferred to just give my mother the money to buy what she wanted or give me money so I could buy what I wanted. My parents and I had our own tradition where we would open one gift after we returned home from midnight mass and then open the rest in the morning.

For the extended family, we usually held a Christmas grab bag at our family parties (for those age 16 an older) because there were too many of us and you just could not afford to buy a gift for everyone.

Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo

All Rights Reserved

[Note: Portions of this post appeared in a post that originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]

Did your family or ancestors make Christmas Cookies? How did you help? Did you have a favorite cookie?

I wasn’t going to bake cookies this year, but the sentimental side of me could not resist! I made the Christmas cut-outs as noted below but also made an old favorite Hershey “Kiss Cookies” and two new cookies, “Candy Cane Blossoms“ (found on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette online edition food section) and Lemon Ricotta cookies (found on Delish.com)

[This following post is excerpted from a previous blog post from December 2006]

One of my favorite traditions is baking Christmas cut-out cookies, using a recipe that my dad’s sister Betty (Auntie B as I called her) used and passed down to us. Ever since I was a young girl I have looked forward to this tradition every year. I have many fond memories of baking these cookies, especially with my “Auntie” – my father’s other sister (Sr. Camilla) when she came home to Pittsburgh from Texas during the holidays. Here are a few photos of one of our baking sessions during Christmas 1972. I still have the same cookie cutter too! Great memories!

I included this recipe in the GeneaBloggers Holiday Cookbook 2009, and it is also available in my book, Baba’s Kitchen: Slovak & Rusyn Family Recipes & Traditions. You can also link to it at my December 20, 2006 post.

Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo

All Rights Reserved

[Note: Portions of this post appeared in a post that originally ran during the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in December 2009]

Holiday Parties

Did your family throw a holiday party each year? Do you remember attending any holiday parties?

Our family still has holiday parties. In the “good ol’ days” my parents and I would join my aunts, uncles and cousins to spend Christmas Day at my Grandma Figlar’s house–and it was quite a gathering. Lots of food, laughter, conversation, and the occasional scuffle or two. But it was all about FAMILY. I sure miss those days!

Each year in Pittsburgh the family still has a gathering, usually a day or two after Christmas. Because we are scattered now and everyone has their own work schedules and other obligations, not everyone can make the party every year. But an effort is made to still come together for some good food, laughs, and a Christmas grab bag.

Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo

All Rights Reserved

Santa Claus

Did you ever send a letter to Santa? Did you ever visit Santa and “make a list?” Do you still believe in Santa Claus?

I always wrote letters to Santa Claus. I took great care in composing what I would say. I also would visit Santa with my “list”. My mother would take me to see Santa at one of the local department stores, or at the Slovak Civic Federation in Duquesne.

I don’t ever recall being scared or crying when I sat on Santa’s lap, and I never had any trouble communicating what I wanted for Christmas. And, as I recall, Santa was always pretty good to me.

Of course I still believe in Santa Claus!! (wink, wink).

🙂

Copyright 2010, Lisa A. Alzo

All Rights Reserved