Do you know the song from Fiddler on the Roof? I have had it playing on a loop in my head. Check this out if you have zero idea what I’m talking about. You are welcome. Now you have the song stuck in your head, too! For many people, this season, Christmas, is heavily laden with tradition. If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed that we tore our kitchen out the week after Thanksgiving.
The one tradition, despite my lack of kitchen space, that I was not going to give up on was making cinnamon rolls for friends and family. I started years ago making dozens of varieties of cookies and candies, plating them up, and giving them away. But after I had babies rapid fire, four in five years, I decided making a whole lot of one thing was better for my mental health. So I started making cinnamon rolls to share. Ken usually plays elf. When the kids were little he would take them with him to deliver, giving me some time by myself.
I am a bit of a tradition zar. Some of the traditions have had to change, now that my kiddos are all adults. They’re like: “really mom, do we have to go put our handprint on a piece of pottery and paint it this year? By the way, mom I don’t really want to wear my jammies and drive around and look at Christmas lights, eat popcorn, and have warm hot cocoa out of a sippy mug anymore.” OK, yes I have let go of a few things. What I try to do as they get too old for one tradition is sneak in another! We do still go for a drive to see Christmas lights, but I don’t make us all get in our jammies and if someone doesn’t want to go, I don’t lay on the guilt (too much). We started a new tradition when almost everyone was of drinking age, we started going to this bar that looks like Christmas exploded inside. We all wear ugly Christmas sweaters and then we go bowling and then if we can find a karaoke bar open we end the night there. If you were at PutPuts on the Westside of town two years ago, and can’t quit having nightmares about the woman who sang “Islands in the Stream”, I apologize for the mental distress it may have left you with.
I have to admit there have been years that I am kicking myself for making so many traditions because some years it has been hard to keep up with them all. Especially since we have three birthdays that also fall between Christmas and New Years Eve. I know it’s cuckoo for cocoa puffs around here! Speaking of cocoa puffs, a tradition we had when all the kids were home was I would let each kids get their own box of “sugary cereal” and they could eat it how they pleased throughout Christmas break! They would write their names on the box with a sharpie. Gosh those were the good ole days when all I had to worry about was my kids getting to sugared-up on Captain Crunch.
You know what? Even though sometimes I thought I might loose my mind because I wasn’t sure if I could get all the things done that I wanted to, during the holidays, for my family. These little traditions ground me. Now that my kids are all in their twenties it brings me so much joy to hear them talk about certain years and things we did. Memories of making gingerbread houses, finding the hidden pickle on the tree, opening new christmas jammies before bed every Christmas Eve. These special moments have given us some great memories. We can say remember the year we did have a pot to piss in and we all made gifts for each other. Or remember the year we did a white elephant gift and someone wrapped a fart machine but kept the remote out so they could hit it every time someone went near the tree.
Traditions don’t always have to cost a lot, or anything at all. They can be as simple as watching Elf every year together. Or always playing a certain game. Eating something that you never eat any other time of year; for us this is pigs in a blanket and cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I know many people that have little ones that do the elf on the shelf. I love this idea. I hope you are able to build some memories with your people this year. Please please please share with me some of the traditions your family has! I would love to hear.
I promised you I would share my Chocolate Cherry 7 Layer Bar Recipe. When I was growing up my mom only ever made these bars at Christmas time, and I loved them so much I would make myself sick on them. I wouldn’t advise enjoying them that much.
Chocolate Cherry 7 Layer Bars
4 cups corn flake
1/3 cup sugar
6 tbsp of salted butter, melted
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup dark chocolate chips 60%
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1, 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter an 8x8 inch pan. In a food processor add first 3 ingredients, process until fine and all the ingredients are mixed well. Pour the cornflake mixture into prepared 8x8 inch pan, press down making sure there is an firm even layer of cornflake crust on the bottom. Now sprinkle each ingredient in the order given over top of the crust. After the coconut, drizzle the whole can of sweetened condensed milk over the top and bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. If layer bars are not golden brown around the edges leave them in another 5 -10 minutes before removing them. Allow to cool and cut into 16 squares. Enjoy!
Is this the only time of year you stick to traditions or are traditions something you practice all year? Now I’m thinking about other traditions we have laid down throughout the year….
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year!
Wishing you only the best in 2025!
Sheila
Oh my… I had no intention of baking on Christmas Eve, but I just might be persuaded!