Welcome to our fifth and final installment of this series. I have been having so much fun and learning so much from talking with other moms about their cultural and religious customs for the holidays. While mainstream culture – radio stations, made-for-TV movies, department store sales, etc. – is focused pretty exclusively on Christmas, it’s good to be reminded that there are at least 17 different winter holidays celebrated worldwide. Since our country prides itself in being “the melting pot”, it’s likely that many of those holidays are celebrated by at least some families in the United States, as well.
Blending the traditions from different ethnicities and faiths can be tricky to navigate, especially if the family network who typically supports that does not live nearby. The Rochester Mom Collective salutes the families in our community who make it work, year after year, in an effort to create those special holiday memories with their children. In these spotlight articles, we’ve been privvy to some of these families’ secrets to merging old traditions with new ones to create unique customs that honor all parts of a family’s ancestry.
As you read, you may be able to relate to the stories shared. It’s nice to be reminded that yours is not the only family trying to make the magic of multiple holidays happen at once. But even if the family experiences described here are completely different from yours, they could still inspire compassion or maybe even some new ideas for your own family’s traditions.
Erica is a fantastic mother to two young children. She is Latina and her husband is Asian so they incorporate both cultures into their son and daughter’s lives. A special thank you to Erica for graciously sharing with us what festivities her family participates in during this season.
Question: What winter holiday or holidays did your family celebrate when you were a child?
Answer: We celebrated Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years, and Three Kings Day.
Question: What were some of your favorite traditions associated with that holiday or those holidays when you were a child?
Answer: We always did a gift exchange with my dad’s side of the family on Christmas Eve. We went and saw Santa at the Christmas Bazaar. We set out cookies for Santa. We left shoes out for the Three Kings. We had big New Years party with firecrackers.
Question: What winter holiday or holidays does your family celebrate now?
Answer: We celebrate Christmas, New Years, Three Kings, and Lunar New Year.
Question: Which holiday traditions do you still practice with your children now as a mother?
Answer: Our kids get an advent calendar. We leave cookies out for Santa and also carrots. We leave grass out for the animals for Three Kings along with shoes.
Question: What new traditions do you participate in with your children now?
Answer: Celebrating Lunar New Year is a new tradition for me.
Question: Any words of wisdom or advice for other mothers as they navigate this holiday season?
Answer: Enjoy the craziness! The kids totally make it worth it!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the business and the accompanying stress of this season. Thank you, Erica, for reminding us that the holidays are also supposed to be fun! Best wishes for joyous festivities, whatever or however your family celebrates!
*Author’s Note: Many people refer to Lunar New Year as ‘Chinese New Year’. Lunar New Year is the general term for the holiday which marks the start of a new year according to the lunisolar calendar. It is celebrated by an estimated two billion people in over 11 different countries.
