Interesting Topic - Ritual History - what one do you uphold?

[Karen]

This was the quote I used for the latest puzzle.

There are two ways of looking at the past. There's "artifact history" and "ritual history." Most of us are familiar with artifact history. New England brims with house museums filled with bed warmers and boot hooks and forgotten china patterns. They're durable curiosities, encrusted with the special sort of patina that results from the glazed looks of countless half-interested tourists. Ritual history, however, is far more perishable and elusive. It's that continuation of an action performed by one's grandparents and their grandparents. Ritual history tends to erode less noticeably — around the margins at first, like the banks of a river. Eventually the river shifts course, and few remember how it once flowed. The next generation thinks the river has always flowed that way.

by Wayne Curtis

What family or cultural rituals do you follow?

Two spring immediately to mind, just pertaining to Lady's Human and I! When making gingerbread cookies at Christmas time, as well as men, ladies, candy cane and camels, and other shapes, we always have to make at least one big chicken cookie. Why? Because!

And at the first snow, we'd always make tollhouse cookies and play Monopoly. We're too far apart to do that together now, but we think of it!

Another family tradition is decorating the graves of family for Memorial Day.

What ones do you do?

[cassiesmom]

On Easter we all greet one another with "Happy Easter, bunny!" because that's how my grandmother used to greet us.

St. Patrick's Day is a special day in my family because that is the day my dad got home from Korea. So we always fuss, which my dad likes less and less as he gets older.

When my nephew and nieces were little, as well as bridal and baby showers, we always had to take a picture of the cake!

My youngest nieces, my sister's daughter and my brother's youngest daughter, are the same age. They are 3 months apart. I bought a pickle Christmas tree ornament when they were little, and without realizing I had bought one, my mom also bought one. (They're quite different!) So when they were growing up I always had "found the pickle" gifts for them -- colored pencils, funky socks, stickers, that sort of thing. My grandmother gave them pajamas for Christmas from their first Christmas until she passed away. They would go put the pajamas on and we would take a picture of them dressed in the same Christmas jammies.

Gosh, these are really tied to my grandmother and her great-grandchildren

[caseysmom]

Cassiesmom reminded me of one from my childhood, every gift I wrapped for my mother she would guess blue slippers, I guess I gave that gift a few times...

[Karen]

The original article was about Maine Forest Guides, so even things like that would count.

[RICHARD]

The one event/tradition that I miss and am kind of envious that my brother does try to keep going, is the "tamale making" parties around Christmas time.

You do need either a large family or talented, patient friends....

You need someone to cook the filling, soak abnd clean the corn husks, make the masa/dough, then stuff and cook them.

It was always a fun, communal experience, the women got to share recipes, gossip and laughs and us guys got to help move the huge pots, pitch in where we were needed and spend time having a few drinks.

The women would spike their drinks too, but in a way that was more socially acceptable. You could tell who was getting likkered up by the laughter level!

[Karen]

Richard you should start that in Kentucky, sounds like it could be fun!