Hello SG land.
Seeing as the holiday season is now over and I have had a chance to decompress from the madness that that season usually brings I can tell you all a little bit about the traditions my family does throughout the year.
New Years Day - We normally are just lazy during the day and go over to my dad's side for supper. It was crown roast and scalloped potatoes for years but we haven’t had that for a long time.
Valentine’s Day- My dad gives my grandmother, mother and me flowers. Noc usually cooks for me.
St.Patty’s- The only time I celebrated this was when I was in university, and all I have to say for that is green beer is vastly overrated. Haha.
Easter- All my life I have celebrated two different Easter’s -- English and Orthodox. For English Easter we do the typical egg hunt chocolate craziness. Then supper with my dad's side. At Orthodox Easter the gifts are more like toys and stuff as opposed to chocolate, then supper was with my mom's side. The only tradition we did at both was the egg smash thing like you would see in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Mother’s Day- My dad and I would get up early and go to McDonald’s to get my mom her favourite breakfast burritos and bring it all back and pretend to make it ourselves with clanging pots and pans till she got up. It was a weird tradition that I miss dearly now that she is gone.
Father’s Day- My mom and I took the tradition that dad and I did for her and did it for him. I still try to do it. It’s just not as fun without her.
Canada Day- Weather/work/and now Covid permitting Noc and I would go to the park and hang out on one of the man made islands with food, drinks and games. We spent the whole day there until after the fireworks. It was some fun I would like to do again in the future.
Thanksgiving- As a Canadian, our thanksgiving is in October. It’s much the same as the U.S. -- lots of food, family and shopping madness.
Halloween- Noc and I work at a haunted house out of my dad's cousin's garage. We haven’t done it the last two years for obvious reasons but we hope we will be able to again some year.
Christmas Eve- My mom's side of the family gets together for food, drinks, gift giving and carol singing. At our peak, there were 42 at the event; this year we were at 7.
Christmas- Christmas morning started with me and my parents opening our socks, now it’s just dad and me. We get to sleep in a lot more now. My mom was up as early as 3am some years for Christmas as she was so excited. When we would finish with that, we would have to go to my dad's side for socks opening and breakfast. Then just after noon we would head to my mom's side for the big Turkey dinner stuff with some of the most amazing food you could ever eat. After that we had to go back to my dad's side for supper, which was of course more turkey. Now Noc and I spend the day with his parents while my dad sees his side of the family.
Boxing Day- We used to have my dad's extended family come over to his aunt's house, but that stopped many years ago. Now we just have Christmas with my dad's side, which Noc and I usually get out of now.
New Year's Eve- Noc and I used to go to the movie theatre from open to after midnight and just watch movie after movie. We also like to play board games and watch movies at home.
That’s a small glimpse of the holidays and how they happen with me.
Hope you enjoyed it.
Much love XOXO Gyidge
@missy @penny