Holiday Traditions

[devildeac]

We eat large quanitities of all the usual nutritional groups, drink varying amounts of fermented beverages and spend large chunks of time afterward in different durations of food-induced comas...

This sounds familiar, especially the fermented beverage part.
For the last four consecutive years it's been an attendance at a Trans-Siberian orchestra show.

I have heard they put on quite a performance.

[captmojo]

I have heard they put on quite a performance.

Fire! Fog! Lasers! Hydraulics! Snow! Screaming, fleeing, scurrying hackle-raised lemurs! (just kidding, but felt necessary with the mention of lasers) Beautiful singing ladies and gentlemen. Excellent, classically-trained musicians playing Christmas music (original and traditional) to a rock and roll beat and tempo. I highly recommend it.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

My father's family was extremely poor. Every Christmas he would hope to get something....ANYthing for Christmas, but was always crestfallen on Christmas morning to find absolutely nothing. Later, he was sent to live in a children's home. He said it was the best place he ever lived. On his first Christmas there, he was thrilled with getting an orange in his stocking. So every year there is an orange in the very bottom of each and every stocking at our house. We save the stockings until the last event of Christmas. There is always that quiet moment when each person reaches the bottom and pulls his out. We are all reminded of how blessed we are.
Love, Ima

[DukeUsul]

My father's family was extremely poor. Every Christmas he would hope to get something....ANYthing for Christmas, but was always crestfallen on Christmas morning to find absolutely nothing. Later, he was sent to live in a children's home. He said it was the best place he ever lived. On his first Christmas there, he was thrilled with getting an orange in his stocking. So every year there is an orange in the very bottom of each and every stocking at our house. We save the stockings until the last event of Christmas. There is always that quiet moment when each person reaches the bottom and pulls his out. We are all reminded of how blessed we are.
Love, Ima

We always got oranges in our stockings too.

[devildeac]

My father's family was extremely poor. Every Christmas he would hope to get something....ANYthing for Christmas, but was always crestfallen on Christmas morning to find absolutely nothing. Later, he was sent to live in a children's home. He said it was the best place he ever lived. On his first Christmas there, he was thrilled with getting an orange in his stocking. So every year there is an orange in the very bottom of each and every stocking at our house. We save the stockings until the last event of Christmas. There is always that quiet moment when each person reaches the bottom and pulls his out. We are all reminded of how blessed we are.
Love, Ima

Truly a great Christmas story. Thanks for sharing.

[Very Duke Blue]

My father's family was extremely poor. Every Christmas he would hope to get something....ANYthing for Christmas, but was always crestfallen on Christmas morning to find absolutely nothing. Later, he was sent to live in a children's home. He said it was the best place he ever lived. On his first Christmas there, he was thrilled with getting an orange in his stocking. So every year there is an orange in the very bottom of each and every stocking at our house. We save the stockings until the last event of Christmas. There is always that quiet moment when each person reaches the bottom and pulls his out. We are all reminded of how blessed we are.
Love, Ima

Truly a great Christmas story. Thanks for sharing.

such a special story.we are truely blessed.

[CathyCA]

My father's family was extremely poor. Every Christmas he would hope to get something....ANYthing for Christmas, but was always crestfallen on Christmas morning to find absolutely nothing. Later, he was sent to live in a children's home. He said it was the best place he ever lived. On his first Christmas there, he was thrilled with getting an orange in his stocking. So every year there is an orange in the very bottom of each and every stocking at our house. We save the stockings until the last event of Christmas. There is always that quiet moment when each person reaches the bottom and pulls his out. We are all reminded of how blessed we are.
Love, Ima

Okay, that story gives me chills! How blessed we are, indeed!

[cl15876]

My father's family was extremely poor. Every Christmas he would hope to get something....ANYthing for Christmas, but was always crestfallen on Christmas morning to find absolutely nothing. Later, he was sent to live in a children's home. He said it was the best place he ever lived. On his first Christmas there, he was thrilled with getting an orange in his stocking. So every year there is an orange in the very bottom of each and every stocking at our house. We save the stockings until the last event of Christmas. There is always that quiet moment when each person reaches the bottom and pulls his out. We are all reminded of how blessed we are.
Love, Ima

Truly a great Christmas story. Thanks for sharing.

I have to concur! What a wonderful remembrance of how fortunate we are!!!!

[ArkieDukie]

My father's family was extremely poor. Every Christmas he would hope to get something....ANYthing for Christmas, but was always crestfallen on Christmas morning to find absolutely nothing. Later, he was sent to live in a children's home. He said it was the best place he ever lived. On his first Christmas there, he was thrilled with getting an orange in his stocking. So every year there is an orange in the very bottom of each and every stocking at our house. We save the stockings until the last event of Christmas. There is always that quiet moment when each person reaches the bottom and pulls his out. We are all reminded of how blessed we are.
Love, Ima

Ima, I agree with what others have already said: this is an amazing story. It's so easy for us to forget how much we really have, and I appreciate the reminder that I am truly blessed and lucky!