Thursday, January 3, 2013

New Year's Fireworks

I know New Year's was actually a couple of days ago, but I've been busy.  I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year.  I always look forward to the start of a new year, it seems so fresh and exciting, unfortunately it usually doesn't take me too long to get bogged down in mundane everyday tasks.  I am going to try really hard this year to be better about  that.  Back to the post title, Fireworks; ever since I was a little kid one tradition in our family was to have fireworks on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.  I think I got as excited about the fireworks as I did the actual holiday.  Every year a few days before Christmas Eve my dad would go out and buy a huge back of fireworks.  On Christmas Eve, my dad, my brother, and me would get bundled up and go out to "blow up the world" as my mom put it.  (she never took part).  It was so much fun.  We usually managed to sneak in a few fireworks  between the two holidays.  Eventually, my brother got married and moved away.  For a few years he would come home for the holidays and we continued our tradition.  Then after several more years I moved away,  but I always came home for Christmas, and no matter when I arrived home there would be a huge bag of fireworks waiting for me.  At this point it was just me and my dad, my brother stopped coming home for the holidays.  Then came the first year  that there were no fireworks waiting for me, my dad had passed away.  I have to admit Christmas just wasn't the same that year.  My DH knew that it meant a lot to  me so for the last four years he has bought me fireworks.  You should have seen me on New Year's Eve, in our yard in suburban Atlanta with my fireworks.  It is so much fun.  I know it is a silly tradition, but a tradition none the less and I love doing it.  What does this have to do with quilting you ask?  Well it is a very long introduction to a give away.  Edyta Sitar is one of my favorite designers, and she has a great book,  called Scrappy Firework Quilts.  I think it is so great that I actually bought two of them.  I will give one away next Thursday, January 10 to a random person who makes a comment on my blog about one of their family traditions, it doesn't have to be a holiday tradition.  I look forward to reading your comments.  If you make a post on your blog, your name goes in twice.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Eight years ago I married the man of my dreams. I came into a family with lots of traditions. The one we all have the most fun with is "Christmas Eve Gift". The object is to be the first one to say "Christmas Eve Gift" to each person in the family. The kids will hide and jump out of nowhere just to get to say it before you get them. We have so much fun and when 97 yr old Grandpa gets caught up in the game, you cant help but sit back and laugh.

Pippa Parsons said...

ohh we have a favourite one, we go out xmas eve so the tree fairy can arrive, she delivers a little jokey present, usually some chocolate and new PJ's for the kids... once they've got in the shower and have hairwashes, in pjs and sit listening to xmas carols and eating mince pies before bed :)

Unknown said...

Christmas was the time for traditions. Christmas Eve supper always consisted of Swedish meatballs. Also my mother would start Christmas Eve day making the Swedish coffee bread. The dough would rise on top of the radiator. I do the meatballs and the coffee bread now although I have given the recipes to all three of the girls. The other tradition was the burning of the babyberry candles on Christmas Eve. They had to be burned all the way down to insure wealth and luck in the coming year. As an adult, the candles usually ended up in the stall shower for safety! My girls do the candles now. There was a mad search the week before Christmas because they forgot to order them. Too funny!

I enjoyed your fireworks tradition. Happy New Year

Karmen said...

Hey Brenda,
Lovely post! Lately, when I go home to visit my parents, Dad makes Mom and me breakfast and brings it to us on trays in her bedroom. Breakfast was always a special time for me and Dad, since all through my middle and high school years Dad and I would be the only ones awake in the early morning hours. We are still the first ones up and get things started.
Karmen

Karmen said...

Hey Brenda,
Lovely post! Lately, when I go home to visit my parents, Dad makes Mom and me breakfast and brings it to us on trays in her bedroom. Breakfast was always a special time for me and Dad, since all through my middle and high school years Dad and I would be the only ones awake in the early morning hours. We are still the first ones up and get things started.
Karmen

Becky said...

It's so fun reading your family traditions and those of the folks who have commented. A tradition that has developed in our family on Christmas morning is cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We don't have homemade rolls. It's canned biscuit type rolls. The boys love them. Go figure....

Lise said...

The day before Christmas Eve -little Christhmas Eve we say, we decorate the house together whwn the cleaning of the house is done. We don't go to bed before it's done! Listenining to music, talking, eating a small snack.... Then the christmas-feeling gets to our house.

Mary said...

I love fireworks, but we have never had them when it is cold. What a fun tradition! I always take a picture of my kids, usually in front of the Christmas tree, to send as my Christmas card. The oldest is 28 and they think its crazy to keep it going, but I have many tell me they look forward to our card every year. This year it was taken at my daughter's wedding (still in front of the Christmas tree) so it was extra special.

Gretchen said...

Love your post on your New Years fireworks tradition. One of my favorite family traditions is extending your birthday from one day to a weekend, week, or even a month. You can have a lot of fun by saying "let's go on a quilt shop hop since it's my birthday month" or "let's order pizza, I'm not cooking since it's my birthday week." It's all a great opportunity to do little things that you want to do.