The other night my hubby and I got to talking about family traditions.
His family and mine had a Sunday tradition that were very similar.
After church we did one of two things and it didn't vary from these two things.
1. We had a big dinner mid day after mass with extended family at our home. In summer it may look like a picnic with a keg in the garage and the kids playing softball using the back steps as 1st base. The grown ups played bocce and drank beer and smoked cigars while the women sat in chairs in shade and had coffee or girly drinks like slow gin fizzes.
In winter these meals were always with some sort of pasta dish, meats, antipasto, breads and wine. After dinner the grown ups sat around talking with coffee and more drinks while we kids went off and played.
2. We went to this Italian bakery and bought bread and rolls after church and next to this bakery was a club that my parents took us to have dinner. Oh how I loved it there.
In my pretty little dress with my white lacy ankle socks with shiny Mary Jane shoes. While my mom had a slow gin fizz and my dad had a shot and a beer I got to have a Shirley Temple. (2 cherries made me thrilled!!) I always ordered the same thing, gnocchi.
There was a little stage in this dining room and as we walked out I was allowed to stand on it and I would make clicking sounds with my shoes as though I was tap dancing. I don't know why but that tickled me each and every time. I looked forward to leaving just to do that.
This was my life every Sunday.
Hmmm.....I can smell the sauce! (or gravy if you're my dad)
If we weren't with Aunt, Uncles and cousins then we went to the club (La Nuova Aurora) and yet it still felt like family.
Rick's family did the same big family thing on Sundays.
Every Sunday they got together after church with his Aunts, Uncles and cousins and had a big pasta dinner as well. They didn't go to a club because they lived in a small town that didn't have that sort of thing so they just did family. But his memories are as happy and warm as mine. All filled with love, food and family. While Rick's mother was Italian American his father was not but his dad embraced and loved his mom's family traditions. Rick, being adopted was Irish and while he was taller and fairer skinned that his family, he never knew anything else. Which, was helpful for when he met me! I didn't have to explain all the crazy ass traditions, food, or the fact that these people weren't yelling they just all talk loudly and at the same time. (or so it appears)
We both have such fond memories of those Sundays.
We began talking about how families don't even live in the same cities together anymore and that traditions seem to have gone by the way side.
Do you carry on any traditions from your childhood?
10 comments:
Yes I have similar traditions to you. My holidays have been at the same houses since I was a baby. I love my family and getting together. I actually dread when I get married one day, because I don't want to have to compromise and go somewhere else on holidays. lol
Most family type gatherings were held at my aunt's house... and she already had 8 kids! I don't remember much, specifically from my immediate family, other than gifts were always opened on Christmas morning.
We don't do anything like that as most of our family is out of town. What we do is have a big breakfast every Sunday, drink coffee and read the paper. The kids watch TV and we kick back for as long as they'll let us.
"In my pretty little dress with my white lacy ankle socks with shiny Mary Jane shoes."
Do you have an outfit like that now for Rick? If not I'm sure he would appreciate it.
Because my mom passed away young and I am the oldest daughter, I am the keeper of the traditions in my family. And I am VERY SERIOUS about it. Sundays, holidays, food, birthdays, etc. are a way for me to connect to my mom. And anyone who tries to interfere better just watch out!
It always amazes me when people can pick up and move away from family. We spend almost every weekend with mine!
Julie - really? amazes you?
Hmmm....
If I had stayed in my hometown I would never had had my career. Everyone leaves there sadly.
It's called the Brain Drain.
You get an education and to work you must leave.
it's an old factory type town....the rust belt per se.
Everyone has left in my family (cousins and sisters etc) the only ones left there are the old people and they are slowly leaving too but not in a good way.
I came from an Italian family too - we try to do the pasta thing most Sundays after my son's juggling club meets - other than that - I try to avoid the rest of my family traditions..
my family never had any traditions. i know its kinda weird to say, but they just didnt do anything. sometimes it makes me sad when i dwell on it too long, how disconnected i am from my family, but i have to shake those thoughts because i truly feel that when i was a child it wasnt my job to creat a loving, fun, praceful home environment, it was my parents' job. but it is my job to do that for my kids, so thats what i focus on. so even though my childhood was less than ideal, it made it easier to see what kind of life i needed to create for my children.
to go along with julies comment: i lived in the same town as my mom for the first thirty years of my life and up until recently never had much of a problem with it. now that i live thousands of miles away, i can honestly say i never actually knew what freedom was. it's INVIGORATING.
Tammie - what a wonderful comment. I think creating the environment for your children will hold dear memories and great family moments that may make for some good laughs in the future.
As I always say about living away from my immediate family - I love them but I love them more from afar. :-)
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