Share holiday traditions at our virtual party
by Stephie McCarthy • December 23, 2012 • Christmas • 3 Comments
For a little make-believe magic at Flea Market Gardening …
(and with special thanks to our friends who provided photos*)
join our virtual garden party in progress!
Come and enjoy a little time among friends, share a holiday tradition at the end of this post, and (BYOGC) bring your own good cheer!
Come by Santa Express,
or by sled or skis …
ride your bike …
or even skate to the party, if you please …
Be sure to bring a good appetite. We’ll stop by the store for goodies.
All our favorites!
We’ll have a truckload of Christmas cheer.
We’ll light the candles and chandeliers.
We’ll set up comfy chairs and take some ease …
stay up late and make bottle trees!
We’ll make a toast at this jubilee,
to those who share our proclivities!
By the rusty,
the dusty,
the quirky sweetness
and uniqueness of junk,
we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from
Flea Market Gardening!
PLEASE LEAVE A CHRISTMAS TRADITION in the Comments section, that is … if you have one to share!
*Thank You cart loads to the folks who contributed photos for this post: Sleds and skis in the barn by Marcia Chretien; white bicycle, green bottle tree, and mason jar candles, by Annie Grossart-Stein; red truck by Debra Treffry Clark; up-cycled chandelier by Susan T. Moxley; chairs in the snow by Sue Langley; red garden chair and blue bottle tree by Kirk Willis; mushroom table by Anita Earnest; gnomes in the snow by Ginny Sass; skates decoration and ornament with a snowy cap by Jeanne Sammons.
Our family for a long time has had a Christmas tradition of pizza on Christmas Eve, all different kinds, the fancier the better, along with cookies, cocoa, etc.. We also put a sock monkey (instead of angel) on the tree top, holding a Superstar man made by my friend Zen Sutherland. Asian food (like in one of our favorite movies), watching movies, drinking brandy, calling family, taking a long walk with our cameras are also must dos at our house! HOw about you?
As a child, we all celebrated Christmas Eve @my Grandma & Grandpa’s house … ohhh, was it noisy & crowded & so festive! My Mom & her two sisters & hubbies & all of us gr’kids all came for Christmas supper….homemade Oyster stew (yuck), Beef Vegetable soup & sandwiches & cookies & pies galore…what a feast! After supper, Santa often made a quick visit coming thru the porch front door … he would just poke his head in the door & wish us all a Merry Christmas & a ‘Ho, ho, ho!’ Then we knew that we had presents on the front porch! Sometime during the evening we would make the rounds in the neighborhood knocking on doors & singing Christmas carols … a few adults with us (probably our Moms)! And we always shared a special ‘program’ for the adults … we would practice together with my older cousin, Sandy, who co-ordinated the whole thing & would do a skit like ‘Frankie & Johnny.’ Ohhh, wonderful memories! Merry Christmas! (& thank you, Stephie McCarthy, for your artistic gift of this Christmas celebration for FMGing)
Stephie – I love the Christmas tree you drew. It’s perfect.
Our Christmas tradition has been to have dinner on Christmas Eve. We have a giant potluck, with everyone bringing food. After dinner we open presents. Up until a few years ago this always happened at our mother’s house. After she died my sister and I have continued at one of our houses. Because Christmas can be so expensive we started new traditions in recent years. We buy for the kids. You don’t put a “from” name on the package, just who it’s for. That way if someone wasn’t able to buy everyone a gift it’s less obvious. The adults do a white elephant, where everyone brings something they either made, or no longer want or need. This has turned out to be quite fun. Then we all eat some more and visit.
My daughters, their families, my husband and I have a seperate Christmas. (Usually following our extended family dinner) We exchange presents. We also draw names earlier in the year, and each person buys for that person. Last year I think I drew names in June. My daughters and I are all flea market / yard sale / thrift store junkies. So these kind of presents are perfect for us. Drawing names early allows us to show for several months, find the perfect gifts, and save money. I have found many well loved items being able to shop early.
But I think the biggest hit are the stockings. The stockings are always stuffed full of goodies. My son in laws have commented that they love opening the stockings most. There will normally be a little candy, but can be everything from summer sausage, nuts, tools, tire guages, etc. You get the picture. Small useful or tasty things.
Best of all we get the gift of family which of course if priceless.