For the Turner family, this really is the most wonderful time of the year. As lifelong Catholics, we possess a treasure chest of memories consisting of a wonderful mixture of faith, family and traditions.
Of course, we Catholics are plagued with the annual question: What time is midnight mass? One year, when living in Alabama, midnight mass started at 4:30 p.m. Don’t ask; somehow it makes sense to us Catholics.
In our family, I write the letter for our Christmas cards. Without fail, I complete that critical task and mail the cards exactly two to nine days after Christmas. This year, I blame having to write this column as the reason for being late. Once, I blamed global warming since the news stories that year seemed to link every undesired world event to it. Me writing the letter, and it being late, are but two of our family’s many holiday traditions.
Christmas season also means the annual trip to the “Nutcracker” ballet for the ladies of the family, old and young. The Carpenters’ “Christmas Portrait” album must provide accompaniment when we decorate the tree. We watch the same movies each year featuring Buddy the Elf, Red Ryder BB guns and George Bailey. And we go caroling with 30 families, walking the neighborhood, singing songs and collecting goods to donate to the food bank.
The warmth of that community gathering always diminishes the chill of the December air. However, our most meaningful traditions center on our faith.
My wife grew up in a Polish family. Her father is a first-generation American-born of Polish immigrants, and her mother emigrated from Poland after World War II. For Poles, the Christmas Eve celebration holds a higher place than Christmas Day itself. Marrying into a Polish family means participating in their traditions. The dinner on Christmas Eve serves as the central event. It features Old World foods such as kapusta (a sauerkraut dish), pirogis (potato-stuffed dumplings) and paczki (pronounced ponch-key, a fried donut sprinkled with sugar).
Those foods I enjoy. Other things made from pickled herring or buckwheat groats – well, I better stop there because my in-laws will read this column. Our children struggle to adapt their American tastes with Polish cuisine. Too bad the Polish didn’t invent Cocoa Puffs or Pop-Tarts. At least we can get them to eat those Polish donuts without any cajoling.
The Polish reverence makes the meal special. Straw adorns the table to remind us of the manger scene. We also share oplatki (o-pwat-key, a thin wafer). Each person has one, and we break off a small piece from theirs and offer well wishes in return. After dinner, we attend church.
Much work goes into preparing for this special evening and the rest of the Christmas celebration. Sometimes it feels like we get too consumed with cleaning, shopping, cooking, etc. to fully engage. However, these customs enhance our Christmas celebration and help pass down the Polish heritage to our children.
Christmas Eve liturgy remains the most beautiful and holy part of the season. During Mass last year, I found myself distracted with all of the details regarding Christmas Day. The Samoan Choir in our parish led us in the familiar hymn, “O Holy Night,” a song I have enjoyed thousands of times. When they sang the lyrics, “Fall on your knees. O hear, the angel voices,” it transported me 2,000 years back in time.
Suddenly, all those traditions we reliably perpetuated delivered their full impact. Beyond simply remembering the reason we celebrate, I profoundly experienced the awe and majesty of that first Christmas night. I felt humbled having obscured Christ born in a manager with a checklist of worldly items and concerns. But I felt great joy knowing that our annual rituals not only strengthen our family bonds but nurture our faith as well.
So, whether you are a Christian or not, the entire world can revel in a holiday which celebrates joy to the world and peace on Earth. And hopefully you have your own traditions that run deeper than a single day on the calendar each year. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. In the meantime, I have a Christmas letter to write!
Bob Turner of Tacoma is a husband and father of seven. He runs the nonprofit Gloria’s Angels foundation, which serves families battling life-threatening illnesses. He is one of six reader columnists whose work appears in this space. Email him at bob@gloriasangels.org.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.