Holiday Traditions-What do they mean to you? This concept is something that came to mind when, this year, my older sister decided to pass her traditional Gingerbread Holiday cookie recipe down to my daughter. I mentioned this to a customer of ours who thought it would be nice to start a holiday cookie tradition with her little girl. Now I've never been one to make recipes a part of our real estate marketing plan but the idea of starting traditions was something that resonated with me.
If you look up the word "Tradition"in Wikipedia, the word means to "hand down" or to "hand over". The customs that many families hand down or hand over in the spirit of "Tradition" can be anything from food or desert recipes to decorations to special activities, particularly around the holidays.
Most families have some origin from another country and through the years pass down traditions that started in those countries. My husband's Mother is Swedish born and passed down the Santa Lucia tradition (see photo at left)while my family of Italian & Mexican origin has traditions deeply rooted in "food". My Mother always made lasagna on Christmas and we always ate fish on Christmas Eve. Christmas music filled the air all through the holidays in our home. Of course there is the decorating of a Christmas Tree as well as the mantel of the fireplace in our family. Another custom my Mother handed down was that we always had to wait for the arrival of the three kings on the sixth day of January before dismanteling the Tree.
While most traditions have a tendency to modernize through the years and may lose their actual original meaning, I believe many will agree that the passing of traditions translates feelings of warmth and family around the holidays. For those of you who may be curious to read about the origins of Christmas holiday traditions from around the world, I've included this link to Traditions that I thought was pretty interesting.
There are many traditions that we do around the holidays that we don't even think about as they become second nature to us but we know in our hearts that without them the holiday wouldn't be the same. No matter what your family of origin may be Holiday Traditions are in the air, what do they mean to you?
We'd love to hear about your family traditions so be sure to leave us a comment on this post and tell us about your family Holiday Traditions!
If cookie recipes are something that lights your holiday spirit, I've included that Gingerbread Cookie Recipe Tradition that my sister passed down to my daughter along with pictures of what they could look like.
GINGERBREAD COOKIES
5 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices onto wax paper. Beat vegetable shortening with sugar until fluffy light in large bowl; beat in molasses, egg, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture 1/3 at a time, blending well after each addition, to make a soft dough.
Wrap dough in foil and chill 4 hours or overnight. Roll out dough 1/4 at a time to 1/8" thickness on pastry board. Cut with 3" cutters (turkey shapes, santas or whatever you have on hand). Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, until firm but not too dark. Remove to wire racks with spatula. Cool
Decorate with frosting. Allow frosting to harden before storing cookies.
Makes 6 dozen cookies.
FROSTING:
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 1/2 cups confectioner sugar 10x
Beat egg whites and lemon juice until foamy in a medium-size bowl. Slowly beat in sugar until frosting stands in firm peaks and is stiff enough to hold a sharp line when cut through with a knife. Keep frosting covered with a damp paper towel to keep from drying. (recipe ends here)
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Lisa & Robert Hammerstein • Sales Associates • Re/Max Real Estate Associates • (201)218-6802
• Address • 123 Broadway • Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 •
Technorati ProfileIf you or someone you know is planning a Move or Sale of their home in the near future, call your Bergen County, NJ experts, Lisa & Bob Hammerstein at (201)218-6802 or visit us on our website at www.HammersTeam.com. We'll be able to help you if you're Moving or Selling in any of the towns located in Bergen County New Jersey.
For more Local Information about the Pascack Valley area of Bergen County, New Jersey, call Bob & Lisa at (201)218-6802or visit us online at www.HammersTeam.com.
Your Real Estate Resource for the Bergen County - specializing in the Pascack Valley!
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Robert & Lisa Hammerstein • Sales Associates • Coldwell Banker • (201)315-8618
• Address • 50 Broadway • Hillsdale, NJ 07642 •
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O.K., so if we hadn't met them, our customers most likely would have found other real estate professionals to assist them. But the fact that "we" were the people that had that opportunity sure does make this Pascack Valley Realtor® couple feel like it's a wonderful life.
