Halloween
Aside from our annual outings to local cider mills and pumpkin fields, we didn’t have many traditions that were exclusively for Halloween. After all, trick-or-treat already holds its own, deeply rooted tradtions. However, we did add some personal touches along the way. From the time our children were young, they’d select a stack of Halloween themed books to read as a family throughout the month of October. Many of these were classics from my own childhood, such as It’s Halloween by Jack Prelutsky. Others were more recent additions, like The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. Bernie Magruder & the Bats in the Belfry written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was also a fan favorite, when our children graduated to the world of chapter books. However, as they got into middle school, we started adding more macabre selections. One our favorites was the collective works of Edgar Allan Poe. We loved gathering each night as a family to read the latest twisted tale.
On the Saturday before Halloween, we’d gather as a family to prep our pumpkins for the upcoming festivities. As each pumpkin was masterfully carved, we would listen to Alfred Hitchcock’s Ghost Stories for Young People, another memento from my childhood. Although, these delightful ghost stories are now available on Audible and YouTube. I pretty much played that record non-stop as a little girl. It didn’t take long for this Halloween staple to become a treasured tradition for our children, as well. The fact is, Alfred Hitchcock’s voice could make Grandma’s sugar cookie recipe sound frightening. Somehow, his ghost stories always brought the right amount of fear to any Halloween event.
Once the sun set on the night of Trick-or-Treat, our family would listen to
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe while we baked the pumpkin seeds from our pumpkin carving party. With the mood properly set and our children clad in their latest costume concoctions, they were ready to conquer the neighborhood, one house at a time. At the end of the 2-hour Trick-or-Treating window, our children returned home with their Halloween haul. Gathering in our family room, brimming with fun fall foods, my husband and I checked the mounding candy stash while our exuberant trick-or-treaters watched the much loved Scooby Doo episodes.
Thanksgiving
Annually, on November 1st, the day after Halloween, I’d go up to the attic and bring down our Gratitude Journal. We began a Gratitude Journal when our children were between the ages of 3-6. The purpose was for all of us to reflect over our blessings throughout the month of November, and not just on Thanksgiving day. The Gratitude Journal was part of our
bed-time routine each night. In the beginning, we took the alphabetical approach. For example, on November 1st, each person would say something they were grateful for that began with the letter A. The next day, we’d focus on items that began with the letter B and so on until the letter Z. This was a fun way to review the letters of the alphabet when our children were young. Although, it wasn’t always easy to choose our blessings alphabetically.
At times our children would draw what they were grateful for on a given day. I remember how proud they were of their artwork. With each illustration our children created in our Gratitude Journal, my husband and I would provide a brief description as well as the artist’s name. After all, the works of young artists look very similar at that age. As our children got older, we removed the alphabetical parameters. Without those guidelines, everyone was encouraged to be more aware of the little, less obvious blessing they enjoy each day. Shortly after this switch, the daily entries for each person became much more personal. It was an incredible shift.
If we ever traveled for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Gratitude Journal always followed along. This allowed us to add responses from extended family members, which made the tradition even sweeter. Sharing this tradition with our loved ones further strengthened our family. It was insightful and humbling to hear those outside our immediate family share what they were grateful for.
The tradition of an annual Gratitude Journal helped all of us to see Thanksgiving as more than just a big meal. It helped us recognize and celebrate the good things that happen to us each day.
Another activity we did during the Thanksgiving holiday was the Gingerbread Throw Down. From the youngest to the oldest, this was simple, yet fun-filled way to entertain the entire family. Holidays are a time to gather with loved one. Thanksgiving is certainly no exception. As family members were paired up, the supplies for the gingerbread houses were passed out to each group. The large banquet-style table was then filled with an array of edible options to decorate each gingerbread house...and surrounding property. Once everyone got settled into their group, a timer was set. With 30 minutes on the clock, it was a mad dash for each team to create their gingerbread masterpiece. Of course, the timer is optional. We just felt it added an extra layer of fun. With icing and candy covering much more than the intended gingerbread houses, something wonderful happened among the momentary messiness. As generations of our family worked side by side, laughter became the loudest noise and the time spent together became one the greatest memories of the holiday.