Family Tradition spells HOME (LOH #59)

Hello, fabulous Ladies of Hive! Hope you are feeling and looking gorgeous as you always have :)

The Christmas holiday is nearing and as the days go by, the excitement grows too. Not to mention that the mind is being boggled with thoughts of presents and everything else.

This festive month definitely brings about many memories of the past, of traditions we have been born to with and still practice through the years. Thanks to our ancestors who started them and to their children and grandchildren and great-grandkids who carried it with them as they lived and passed on to their children before they went to the beyond (passed away). Thanks as well to our parents who kept them and taught us such beautiful family traditions over the years.

For our family, Christmas and New Year have always been the highlight of the year's celebrations. It is where my mom's relatives come together for a party and share the many pleasantries of life, including the not-so-good ones. On such occasions, many would tear up out of joy or at times due to sadness when melancholic memories of the past come to abound through tell tales by anyone in the clan.

Although Christmas and New Year celebration has changed in the sense that my mom's whole clan doesn't come together anymore, our own family carried it anyway. For some years already, our parents no longer handled the planning of the occasion but we siblings do it ourselves and always make sure that everyone will be home with no excuses. We can be busy and away any time of the year, but not on Christmas or New Year. These occasions always spell H-O-M-E and family time.

Why?

At an early age, our Dad disciplined us to always treat each family time seriously. I remember every time we had our meals (may it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner), my 2 elder sisters usually take their plates with them and go to the living room. Our Dad would then scold them saying we should have our meals on the table, facing each other. He would say "What use of this table if you leave it for the living room? Should we throw it away then?" My sisters would then quietly come back to the dining and only leave until everyone is done eating.

That stuck with us through the years and is why we always make it a point NOT to miss spending time with the family during Christmas and New Year because that is the only time when everyone is around to be together. Laughters would most likely be heard during such times and I am one who laughs the loudest, lol!

In the previous years, we do the celebrations either at our parent's or in any of my sisters' places. Several times, we celebrated at the beach or resorts where we can swim all day. In as much as everyone is yearning for the beach, it is quite impossible to make it happen this holiday. So the celebration will be at our parents' house whilst mom's agility is still on the mend.

It is my hope that this tradition of valuing family time will be carried through the next generations for it really keeps the family bond alive and warm.

This is my entry to the 59th edition of the contest and I chose the subject:

The holidays are all about tradition. What is your most cherished family holiday tradition? Tell us about it, how it came to be, and why it's special to you.

And I invite @coffee247 to this wonderful community :)

Thank you LOH admins and moderators for making it possible for us to share our family's joys and or challenges through these writing prompts.

FarmGirl writes from their lil kingdom in the mountains of PH.
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