A Season of Tradition
By TOM SHORTELL
The holiday season is a common time for families to gather together. However, with each family comes its own traditions.
For Kathy Gregg of Ocean Township, those traditions lie in her familys German roots.
On Christmas Eve, her extended family of about 30 people gathers at in-laws home. There, her two daughters, Kaitlin and Morgan, and five nieces and nephews receive Christmas grab bags from Oma and Opa – German for grandma and grandpa. Her husband, aunt and mother-in-law also spend hours making home-made spaetzle, a German noodle dish.
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Her husband, Norman, wants to start a new tradition as well: the Christmas pickle. The Christmas pickle is a common German-American tradition where a pickle ornament is hung on the tree, and the first child to find it gets an extra gift. Maybe well do that next year, Kathy said.
Christmas has always been a special time for Kathy.
My mother made it very special. It was a huge to-do at our house, she said. I dont know how she made it happen.
Kathy, one of six brothers and sisters, said she has a hard enough time preparing Christmas for her two daughters.
Nanci Bachmans traditions focus on her Roman Catholic background.
The holidays are important, she said, but its all about faith.
Bachman of Bradley Beach lights the four candles in her Advent wreath for the four weeks of Advent, the month before Christmas, and attends the annual Christmas pageant at St. David the King Church in Princeton Junction. Nanci also attends the Catholic Daughters Avon chapters Christmas party. Nanci, whos been a Catholic Daughter for four years, said rather than give each other presents, the group brings gifts to donate to local charities.
As for Christmas, Nanci said she spends it with her five brothers and sisters and 19 nieces and nephews, who range in age from seven to 37. The family eats a dinner of fish and later give each other gifts.
Of course people exchange presents, but thats a secondary thing, she said. Still, the family recently visited American Girl Place on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Hopefully, well make that a tradition, Nanci said.
Wanamassa resident Teresa Gilbertsons Christmas traditions center on Christmas morning. As a girl, she and her sisters would wait for her parents before heading downstairs. When they got downstairs, they would go to the kitchen where their mother had a tray of orange juice and cookies – leftovers from Santa. Only then would the family go to open presents.
When she was a young adult, her father created what he called The Opening, Teresa said. Rather than have everyone tear open their presents at once, the family would take turns opening gifts.
Wed take our time and appreciate what wed get, Gilbertson said. Her family does something like that now. Her daughter Dana opens her gifts first, but then Teresa and her husband Mike take turns opening their gifts.
The Gilbertsons also make a tradition out of the Christmas tree. When Teresa reached her 20s, her mother made popcorn string garland for the Christmas tree. Rather than make new popcorn strings each year, she would refrigerate the popcorn, which kept it from spoiling. Teresa made her own popcorn strings over 15 years ago, and theyre still going strong. She said whenever people come over, they compliment the popcorn strings. Its an old fashioned Christmas tree, Teresa said.
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