Tag Archives: tradition

Ho-ho-holy crap, it’s that time of year again!

11 Comments

With the holiday season rapidly encroaching on an otherwise boring fall, it brings to mind all of my favorite holiday movies.  The familiar faces and witty vernacular that are deeply ingrained in my brain will be gracing the television screens once again.  There are a select few that are must-sees for me every year – certain stories that define my holiday experience.

Holidays, for me, are about tradition and part of my tradition revolves around curling up on the couch and indulging my penchant for movies that truly capture the essence of Christmas.   Whether they are steeped in family values, or bordering on the insane, they nonetheless reflect the true meaning of what the holiday season is meant to represent.

With Christmas a mere 41 days away, I have already begun scanning the satellite channels for the first glimpse of those timeless treasures that will shape my season of festivities.  The first on the list is always A Christmas Story.  I can’t seem to help myself.  It has truly become the staple of my Christmas holidays and a custom I hope to carry into my future.  (I bought the DVD, just in case the powers-that-be decide to take it off the air)

Other classics like Elf and Christmas Vacation play their role in my holiday bliss as well and Christmas Eve would never be the same if I didn’t watch The Sound of Music with my mom.  Although it cannot be defined as a holiday movie, it is the most important tradition of my holiday season.

My tree will soon be trimmed, the lights will be twinkling in my darkened living room and the wreath will once again find its place on my door.  A variety of Santa Claus likenesses will take their assigned spots in anticipation of having a front row seat to watch the holiday classics with me.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

What are your holiday “must watch” movies?

White rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit

10 Comments

It is the first day of the month, and like every first of the month, the first words uttered in my waking moments are the title of this post.  I’m certainly not a superstitious person, but this string of language is a long-standing family tradition.  My great cousin Agnes, a delightful lady with a thick Scottish brogue, introduced me to this tradition when I was still in single digits, young and impressionable.  She was in her 80′s and, to me, the sun rose in her smile.

The idiom is meant to bring luck for the remaining days of the month, but to me, reciting that phrase gives me pause to remember cousin Agnes and the other family members and friends who are no longer with me.  When my dad was still with us, my phone would ring early on the first of the month and before saying hello we would say our white rabbits on the phone together.  Saying those words this morning was like my phone call to Heaven and I could hear his voice in my head saying them right back.

In those brief moments when darkness still envelops the morning, I find a sense of peace in those words.  And as the approaching day draws the curtains of the night to let the daylight peer through, I feel the spirit of my family and friends with me, forging ahead into a new month.

The tradition remains alive and keeps the memories of the people who are no longer with me alive as well.   White rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit.