Christmas Customs
Family traditions play a huge role in holiday celebrating. While traditions may be religious or ethnic, what makes them special is that they are still observed, preserved and passed down for generations.
Whether they revolve around food, reminiscing or a spiritual ritual, many family traditions become as important as the holiday itself.
Ravioli DayIt wasn't until Thomas Lucas served in the Navy that he realized not everyone eats ravioli for Christmas.But discovering more commonplace holiday meals didn't deter the Butler Township man from holding to this tradition, which includes gathering in advance to make the Italian dumplings from scratch.Since 1967, Lucas and his family have gathered on the first Sunday in December, which they have affectionately dubbed Ravioli Day. The group includes Lucas and his wife, along with their five children, who also are joined by their own spouses and children.It was his daughter-in-law who named their day after experiencing and enjoying the ravioli production.Armed with 48 cups of flour and 48 eggs and as many hands that are willing and able, the family produces 700 meat- and cheese-filled raviolis in one day."It began in my grandparents' home in the village of Dedazzano, in the district of Tuscany, Italy," Thomas explained. The tradition continued with his parents during his childhood in the United States.When Lucas finishes making the ravioli with his own children, the siblings take home enough ravioli for a good meal and Lucas freezes the remaining 400 on trays."On Christmas Eve I will take them to my daughter's, who hosts the gathering. And then on Christmas we cook them all up and enjoy the ravioli with a lovely salad."What more could you want?" said Lucas.
Christine Rockcastle and her family have been observing the Polish tradition of the oplatki for as long as she can remember. The oplatki is a unleavened wafer similar to a host used for Communion.The wafers, part of an Eastern European Roman Catholic Christmas tradition, are embossed with religious images, which vary from the Nativity scene, especially Virgin Mary with baby Jesus, to the Star of Bethlehem.Family members and friends break off a piece of oplatki and give it to one another to eat, expressing the best wishes and a blessing upon them and asking for forgiveness, said Rockcastle of Butler Township."Our tradition began many years ago when the family would travel to Greensburg to my grandfather's church for Christmas Eve Mass. We would then have a family meal after which we observed the oplatki," she said."Sometimes we'd say a prayer for the next family member in line, sometimes we'd say what we were thankful for; we change it every year.Rockcastle's 7-year-old daughter Megan is already embracing the tradition."I get excited to do it because I look forward to it all day. I say what I have been thankful for and can take a piece off (the oplatki) and share it with my family."With the passing of Rockcastle's grandparents, the tradition has taken on a new step. After Mass, the group of 22 family members takes a detour to the cemetery before returning home.For those who share the tradition with four-legged family members, the boxes of white wafers, which are sold in specialty stores, usually come with a colored one designated for pets.
The Barber family of Center Township celebrates St. Nicholas Day, which falls on Dec. 6. Their tradition is a blend of Christmas spirit and the religious observance of St. Nicholas.It begins on the eve of St. Nicholas day when the Barber children — Emily, 11, Elizabeth, 9, and Matthew, 5 — put one of their slippers under the tree with their Christmas list inside. The next day they rush to the tree to find a toy snowman and a Christmas ornament in place of the list."The Christmas ornament is a keepsake the kids will have for when they leave home and on their first Christmas, will be able to decorate their tree with his gifts," said Janet Barber.The same snowman returns every year to the child and is theirs until Christmas Eve. Each night the children place their snowman under the tree before they go to bed."If the child has been good that day, St. Nicholas hides their snowman for them to find in the morning. If the child has misbehaved, the snowman remains under the tree," Barber said."They enjoy searching for their snowman, so it is a good incentive for proper behavior throughout the day," she added.On Christmas Eve, the children put their snowman under the tree for the last time until next year. On Christmas morning, the snowman is gone and presents are in its place.<BR><BR><BR>
Though she has not kept the tradition herself, Jeannie White of Connoquenessing fondly remembered one of her favorite traditions as a child. Her parents would wait until Christmas Eve to go and select their Christmas tree."We would go out at the last minute and select the loneliest looking tree and take it home," explained White.They would bring the tree inside and, after she and her four siblings had gone to bed, White's parents would decorate both the tree and the house for Christmas."When we woke up on Christmas morning, I was always amazed at how beautiful that scraggly tree would look after one night," she said.The tree would then remain up until Jan. 21."My mom would always say that the tree we picked was the luckiest one, as it was destined to be burned but we rescued it. It would have a longer life than those that were picked first," she said.It wasn't until White was a mother that she realized how much of a sacrifice that tradition was for her parents.White, whose four children range in age from 6 to 16, began her own tradition with her family years ago."I would see the amount of stuff that came into our house at Christmas and the stress that buying and giving would cause for our larger family. I sat the kids down and asked 'How many gifts did Jesus get?'"My kids replied 'Three.'"I then said 'If our savior only got three gifts, do you think you deserve more than that?'"White said her children calmly agreed three was sufficient and to this day, that is what each child receives on Christmas morning."The focus on that day is more about family and spending time together than a morning of opening gifts," she explained.
Kari and Jim Rickard of Cranberry Township hit the road for their holiday tradition. They go searching for the best Christmas light displays after attending church on Christmas Eve."We all get into the van. I pack water and Christmas cookies and we begin driving all over the county looking at lights," said Kari Rickard.The Rickards and their five children, ranging in age from 2 to 15, have some favorite plans and displays they return to every year."We make sure to drive by our favorite in Mars before returning home to settle in for the night," said Rickard, who thinks of her childhood during this time."As a child we would see tons of lights on the way home from my grandmother's house. It was a two-hour drive, so we went through many towns and saw lights of all different shapes and colors."Rickard and her husband started the tradition of driving around Christmas Eve when they moved to the area 10 years ago."We steer clear of the (housing) plans that only permit white lights, because my kids really love the colors," she added.
For Terry Harjung of Valencia, the thing that makes Christmas official is potica: Slovenian nut bread. For Harjung and her family, it isn't just about eating the bread, but making it together.Harjung learned to make the recipe from her mother, who also inherited the recipe, before teaching it to her own daughters, Grace, who is in college, and Anna, 13.The bread takes two days to make, as it needs time to rise."The first day you make the dough; the next day you make a nut filling that you brush on the rolled-out dough, then you roll it up and bake it," said Harjung.They enjoy the delicacy on Christmas morning while opening gifts.Anna Harjung says she also enjoys the preparation."I've been watching my mom and sister make the bread as long as I can remember. Two years ago they invited me to make it with them, and we've made it together ever since."Not only does it taste wonderful, but just being in the kitchen with my mom and sister is special because we don't do it that often."I will definitely take this tradition with me and make it every Christmas."<BR><BR>
The Gray family of Butler finds a relaxing outing on Christmas Eve helps them to deal with the chaos surrounding holiday preparations."For the last four years we've headed down to the ice skating rink at PPG Place in Pittsburgh," said Christina Gray. She and her husband, Christopher, and two children Taylor, 9, and Dominic, 3, take advantage of an abandoned city on Christmas Eve and enjoy skating and window shopping."The crowds are gone and we pretty much have the place to ourselves," she said.The Grays' little ones have enjoyed trips into stores to ride on escalators and see the pretty decorations."I really look forward to going downtown on Christmas Eve because I enjoy skating around the beautifully decorated tree while listening to the Christmas music with my family. I also love to drink the hot chocolate when we're all done skating," said Taylor."It seems to be just the perfect place to take a break and have some down time," Christina Gray said."We skate till we are tired, stop for dinner. Before bed we each open one gift and have a restful night."
